All-in-one products are everywhere these days. You have all-in-one computers, audio systems, multi-cookers, vitamins, smoothie powders, and the list goes on. Therefore, if you’re considering getting a printer, I believe it helps you to know what an all-in-one printer is, what it can do for you, and how to choose one.
What Is an All-in-One Printer?
An all-in-one printer is a device that combines the functionalities of a printer, scanner, and copier. So, instead of getting three or four devices and moving into a bigger office to accommodate all of them, you get a single mighty unit that sits quietly in a corner, connects via wireless with your commanding device (e.g., computer, tablet, phone), and does all the work.
Advantages of an All-in-One Printer
If you are a freelancer or small business owner, you would want an all-in-one printer primarily because you need all its functionalities. Maybe you don’t need them very often or at a high technical level, but, at least once in a while, you find yourself scanning invoices for tax purposes, printing contracts, or copying documents. In this scenario, buying individual devices not only takes up a lot of space but is also quite expensive.
If, like me, you are a photographer or other type of visual artist, you may need an all-in-one printer to assess your work. For instance, as a beginner, I would print many of my digital photographs just to have a better look at them and understand what I could do better. There is something about holding a physical photograph in your hand that makes every little mistake stand out. But if you draw on paper or take analog photos, you may need the scanning functionality to send your work to potential clients or create online portfolios. It helps a lot to have your own little photo studio at home.
All-in-One Printers Pros and Cons
All-in-one printers, like other similar products, promise a lot. But do they deliver? From my experience, for regular documents and an average volume of work, there is no difference in quality between an all-in-one printer and the respective dedicated devices (printer, scanner, copier). However, the all-in-one printer is more compact, takes up less space, saves more energy, and costs less (both in terms of buying price and energy bills). It’s also easier to install and use, as you won’t be managing three devices but one. It’s the ideal home office utility device.
On the con side, if you want to print photographs at a professional level (e.g., sell prints, print on special paper, such as handmade paper, print at large scale, etc.), you need a professional photo printer. If you scan old books for a living, again, you should consider a dedicated scanning device. So, for professional quality and large volumes of work, a dedicated device is a better choice.
An all-in-one printer provides a faster workflow and learning curve, and that can save you a lot of time. However, keep in mind that it can only do one job at a time, so multiple users or tasks must wait for their turn.
What to Look for in an All-in-One Printer
Besides offering basic printing, scanning, and copying functionalities, an all-in-one printer comes with a few features to consider, such as connectivity, paper types, printing characteristics, scan file formats, and so on. Acquisition price, maintenance costs, and per-page costs are to be considered, too. So here is what to look for in an all-in-one printer to make a good deal and ensure you will use it for a long time.
Inkjet vs Laser Printing Functionality
As a photographer, the printing functionality is essential to me. Hence, choosing between inkjet vs laser is the first decision I make. Inkjet all-in-one printers produce high-quality images and can print photos at high resolutions. They’re recommended for small-volume printing, which I do, and are a bit cheaper than laser printers, which I like. However, laser all-in-one printers will save you money on ink in the long run if you use them frequently.
In conclusion, choose an inkjet all-in-one printer for household and general printing needs, for printing high-resolution photos on various cheap types of paper, if you print small volumes constantly (the ink dries up when the printer is not used for a long period of time, leading to ink clogging), or if you need the cheapest option to solve an urgent problem.
Choose a laser all-in-one printer for printing mostly documents and large volumes of them, if you need to print small fonts or sharp, high-quality documents, and if you need a fast printer with lower long-term costs.
Print Quality and Speed
When checking the specifications of an all-in-one printer, look for DPI (dots per inch) and PPM (pages per minute). It’s cryptic, I know, but it’s important.
DPI, aka printing resolution, shows you the quality of printing. You may see something like 2400 x 600 dpi, 4800 x 1200 dpi, or 5760 x 1440 dpi. Choose the highest you can afford.
PPM, aka printing speed, is less important if you print small volumes or aren’t in a hurry. It varies a lot from model to model, and the same printer may have different speeds for printing in black and white and printing in color.
Connectivity and Compatibility
That’s no point in buying an all-in-one printer if it doesn’t work with the devices you already have. And, since you have photos and documents spread across computers, phones, and tablets, you may want to check the compatibility with all their operating systems.
Also, because space is valuable, I prefer an all-in-one printer with wireless connectivity. I can connect it to any of my devices without stumbling over cables. For shared use over a small network, look for an all-in-one printer with an Ethernet connection.
Paper Handling
Keep in mind that using an all-in-one printer capable of duplex printing (i.e., print on both sides of the paper without a manual flip) is better for your workflow and for the planet.
I also pay a lot of attention to supported paper types. For instance, if I print my digital photos, I may want to use matte or glossy paper. But if I print documents, I may want to use recycled paper (I will always advocate for sustainability), plain paper, or prepunched paper. I also need to print on paper of various sizes, from the standard photo card (5×7 inches) to regular A4 (8.3 x 11.7 inches) to something larger for printing maps or an occasional photo to frame as wall art. Is the all-in-one printer able to handle it? I will ask before buying, for sure.
If you have large batches of paperwork to scan or copy, it helps to have an all-in-one printer with an automatic document feeder and large paper handling inputs (i.e., number of sheets the automatic feeder can hold). The maximum output capacity matters too, especially in a shared office.
Scanning Quality
Similar to printing, scanning quality is measured in DPI. Check the hardware resolution, which is the physical capacity of the scanner, as a primary feature, and only then the interpolated resolution, which is a digital improvement. Also, if scanning color documents, check the output’s color depth for a realistic scan.
Having the scanner deliver the output in the right file format saves you time and improves the quality of the scanned document. For instance, if you scan photos or sketches, you may want the output to be a JPEG or PNG file. But if you scan text, you may want the output as a PDF file or, even better, as a DOCX editable file.
Copying Quality
When it comes to copying documents, you want a good resolution (yes, DPI applies here, too), but also speed. How many copies per minute (CPM) can an all-in-one printer manage? It also helps to know if your device can reduce or enlarge documents. Some advanced all-in-one printers offer between 25% and 400% reduction/enlargement options.
Final Thoughts
In my opinion, choosing the right all-in-one printer comes down to understanding your specific needs and workflow. As a photographer, I mostly consider factors like printing quality, supported paper types and sizes, per-page cost for photo printing, connectivity, and sustainability (e.g., duplex printing, printing on recycled paper, energy efficiency, etc.).
However, for you, scanning and copying quality and input/output capacities may be more important. Or you may need a fast, budget-friendly solution for your home office. Assess all these features and match them to your typical tasks – whether it’s photo printing, document management, or high-volume copying – and make sure your investment pays off both in productivity and long-term satisfaction.
