In the home it's common to install separate printer and scanner units, but that can be a real pain in the office. For one thing there's usually not much space and for another you want to keep IT equipment out of the way.

If you add a fax and a photocopier to the equation then the situation can rapidly get out of control as that could mean a total of four boxes all vying for desk space and a plug point. Heavy users of print services will have little choice except to buy or lease a suitable laser printer, but many small offices will find that an inkjet Multi Function Device or MFD, sometimes called an all-in-one, will fulfil their needs.

There are many types of MFD, and while they will all include a printer and scanner, which in turn gives a copy function, a fax and network connection are optional extras. To add to the confusion, many MFDs include a Direct Printing facility to make life easier when you want to print photos from a digital camera, which may be of use for some people, while being of little value to others.

There can be significant variance in print quality and print speed between one MFD and another, and of course there's the thorny issue of the cost of consumables which can come as a nasty shock. You can be quite sure that there is an MFD out there which is perfect for your needs, but finding it may take some detective work, which is where we come in.

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