The Advisers Group

What is an MFD?

MFD stands for Multi-Function Device. The MFD contains a Printer, Copier, Scanner, and Fax machine in one device replacing the separate devices. This saves your company space, electricity, and consumables like toner. MFDs can be either inkjet or laser and have the ability to print in color.

The MFD is the cornerstone of any small business and its purchase should not be taken lightly. Inkjet MFDs can be purchased for as low as $70, but will it suit your needs?

When purchasing a MFD you need to ask yourself several questions. What functions do you need? I don’t know of any small business that does not need printing, copying, and faxing.

If you are doing less than 100 prints a month, you can make do with an inkjet but if you are printing more than that, you should really go with a laser-printing engine; it’s faster and normally has better print quality.

More advanced MFD features include:

• Scan to email – Scanning a hardcopy document and automatically emailing it to a recipient.
• Scan to desktop – Once scanned to your desktop you can OCR the electronic image to convert it to another format.
• Scan to repository – This includes network shares or a document management system such as Microsoft SharePoint or Xerox DocuShare.

Check out our scanning section for more information on how scanning can benefit your business.