There are many reasons to purchase a multifunctional device. First, MFDs are less expensive than many separate pieces of office equipment. With fewer machines, you benefit from lower supply and maintenance costs because fewer consumables and service plans are needed.

On the downside, MFDs are not always able to match the performance of their standalone competitors. For example, MFD printers are not always able to handle envelopes and labels like a standalone printer. They also typically lack the variety of paper trays and fonts you might expect from a similar printer model.

In terms of copying, most low-end MFDs lack basic copier features such as sorters and zoom. In addition, the image quality does not tend to be as good as that from standalone copiers, since most fax-based scanners only capture about 200 dots of information per inch.

As scanners, MFDs typically do not offer the resolution you would expect from a standalone model. Scans tend to be adequate for simple images and text, but poor for photos and other detailed images.

MFDs function quite well as fax machines. However, you should check the transmission speed and memory levels.

Another potential downside to keep in mind: possible increased downtime – if one of the components, such as the scanner, malfunctions, you will be unable to use either the copier or the fax-sending function, though you will still be able to print and receive faxes.