Do you have a printer in the office? If so, what kind is it? Many offices have a basic, minimalist printer that is there for when they have to print a document. Other offices prefer to outsource printing to a shop. This approach reduces the amount of equipment that has to be managed and makes the whole thing someone else’s problem. At a price, of course.

No matter where you fall on the office equipment spectrum, access to quality devices is essential to your success. When it comes to printing technology, you might be overlooking a simple solution and a large opportunity. Color multifunction printers can be transformative in many offices. If you take a minute to learn more about them, they may prove to be exactly what you need and give your workflow efficiency a shot in the arm.

What Is a Color Multifunction Printer?

As the name suggests, this is a device that can do color printing, among other things. It carries with it multiple functions, typically including copying, scanning, and faxing. Depending on the model of the multifunction printer, it might also provide helpful features such as automatic duplexing, collating, and stapling, all of which are useful in environments where documents are used regularly to conduct business.

These devices are the product of decades of development. The first color copier was invented in 1978, and it used three color cartridges to blend inks and produce color images. These devices have come a long way since then, and the modern version of the copier—the multifunction printer—is capable of amazing quality, feats, and versatility. With a good printer, you can produce outstanding color outputs that can inform and delight all who look upon them, which is good for business.

How Do They Benefit Us?

In the office, a color multifunction printer brings a lot to the table. The diversity of functions is always useful, but quality color printing is valuable in ways that are hard to quantify. Good quality color is often associated with professionalism. Whether or not this is a fair association, it happens frequently. When you have the freedom to produce high-quality color prints at will, you can add professional-looking color to anything you print, and customers and clients will notice.

Good color production also increases image quality. You have surely seen this at some point. When grayscale printers try to produce a detailed image, crispness is lost, and the image is muddy. Color multifunction printers allow you to maximize image quality. This helps you create clear messages and better communicate with customers. If your printing is on behalf of a customer or client, improved image quality serves them better.

Outside of color, multifunction printers are suitable for most office printing. Because they can handle more extensive and diverse jobs, they are ideal for shared use. A single printer located in the right spot can be accessible by up to dozens of employees—depending on the average printing volume in the office and the printing capacity of the device. Sharing devices lowers operation costs and improves general efficiency in the office, not to mention your carbon footprint.

Advanced printer features can also boost efficiency. Account management resources can help you track printing and eliminate wasteful behavior. Meanwhile, duplexing allows for double-sided printing, and collating tools allow large print jobs to be done in less time, with better efficiency. Ultimately, one good color multifunction printer can save labor at multiple points in the office and reduce overall printing costs.

Why Your Office Needs A Color Multifunction Printer

With so many benefits available to you, you can see why most offices are better off with access to quality color multifunction printers. That doesn’t answer the more specific question: does your office need one? There is no universal answer, but these are reasons why most offices should seriously consider investing in one of these devices.

The first is growing costs. Outsourcing your print jobs is simply more expensive than doing it in-house. However, whether from rapid inflation predicted by many economists or simple economic volatility, the cost of sending print jobs to a professional print shop is likely going to rise over the next few years—and quickly. If you invest in your own printing resources now, you can effectively lock in printing prices and skip the price hikes down the road. A single multifunction printer is also more cost-effective than requiring multiple single-function devices to handle the same responsibilities.

The second consideration is operational efficiency. In-house printing is more flexible and reliable than the process of sending out for print jobs. Reducing turnaround time on printing and giving employees more freedom allows them to work efficiently and produce higher-quality results. As an example, did you know that strategically placed color can help customers see the important components of an invoice? The printer is a device that empowers the staff, and more often than not, that has a positive impact on the workplace.

Lastly, bringing your own color multifunction printer in-house doesn’t have to be burdensome. When you find a reliable vendor, you can look into upgrade programs that ensure your printer remains up to date and ready to go into the future as your business needs adapt or grow. Leasing programs allow companies to acquire devices from the top brand names without making a significant outlay of capital upfront. An equipment lease will also include service and maintenance, eliminating those costs from your bottom line.

Color multifunction printers are workhorses for the office. They do large amounts of grunt work and can even automate some of it. When you have access to one of these devices, you have more options, and if you leverage those options well, your business runs better. If you want to see which color multifunction printers might work best in your Mill Creek office, give Copiers Etcetera a call. We’ll get to know your business so that we can make customized recommendations that are the best fit for your situation.