Most printer guides spend their time on printing. For a multifunction printer that's the wrong end of the machine, because printing is the part every model does well. The differences that matter are in the scanning and copying, and those are the parts nobody tests in the showroom.

This guide covers the multifunction side specifically. For running costs and whether laser or inkjet suits you, read the true cost of a printer first — that side is settled there.

What one machine actually replaces

A multifunction printer prints, copies and scans. Most also fax. One machine, one network connection, one set of consumables, one thing to support.

The real saving is not the hardware. It's that a scanned contract goes straight to email instead of being printed, signed, photographed on someone's phone and sent as a blurry attachment. That happens in a lot of offices, and a document feeder ends it.

Start with the document feeder

The automatic document feeder, or ADF, is the single biggest difference between two machines that look identical on paper.

Without one, every page goes on the glass by hand. A twenty-page contract takes ten minutes. With one, it takes thirty seconds.

Single-pass or two-pass

If you scan double-sided documents, this matters.

• Two-pass: scans one side, feeds the stack through again for the other side. Slower, and more chances to jam.
• Single pass (sometimes called DADF): scans both sides in one go. Often twice the speed or better on double-sided work.

Check the feeder capacity too. A 50-sheet feeder covers most office documents. If someone regularly scans fifty-page files, look higher.

Where does the scan actually go?

A scan that lands on a USB stick still need a person to walk it somewhere. The useful options are:

• Scan to email — the machine sends it straight to an inbox. Best for anything that leaves the building.
• Scan to network folder — lands in a shared folder where the team already works. Best for records and filing.
• Scan to cloud — straight into Google Drive, SharePoint or Dropbox.

Check the file formats as well. Searchable PDF is the one to look for: it runs text recognition so you can search inside a scanned document later. Plain image PDF gives you a picture of a page and nothing you can search.

Copying: the part people assume is fine

Copying is mostly solved, with two exceptions worth checking.

Reduce and enlarge range. Most machines do 25% to 400%. If you copy drawings, plans or ID documents, you'll use it.

ID card copy. Puts both sides of a card on one sheet. A small feature that saves a surprising amount of time in offices that take copies of licenses or insurance cards.

Do you still need fax?

Most offices don't. Healthcare, legal, insurance and some government work still do, and in those cases it isn't optional.

Here's the thing: on most multifunction printers, fax costs almost nothing to include. If there's any chance you'll need it, take the model that has it. Buying a second machine later costs far more than the small difference now.

The touchscreen decides who can use it

A multifunction printer is used by the whole team, not just whoever set it up. If scanning takes six taps through unlabeled menus, people stop scanning and go back to printing.

Look for a color touchscreen big enough to read, and ideally one where common job can be saved as a shortcut. "Scan to accounts folder" as a single button change how much a machine actually gets used.

Two models from our range

Checked on 26 October 2026. Prices change, so check the product page before ordering.

Lexmark MC3426i — color, small office

Wireless color laser multifunction printer. Prints, copies and scans at up to 26 pages per minute in color and black, at 1200 x 1200 dpi.

It has a 4.3-inch color touchscreen, a 50-sheet automatic document feeder, and scans to email, network folders or the cloud.

Good for: small offices that need proper color for documents and marketing material without a large machine.

Price on majool.co, 26 October 2026: $649.99, down from $679.00.

Lexmark MB2650adwe — black and white, heavy use

Black and white laser multifunction printer. Prints, copies, scans and faxes at up to 50 pages per minute at 1200 x 1200 dpi.

USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi, a 7-inch color touchscreen, automatic two-sided printing, and a single-pass duplex document feeder for fast scanning.

Good for: busy offices with high document volume that need fax and fast double-sided scanning in one machine.

Price on majool.co, 26 October 2026: $1,299.00, down from $1,499.00.

Checklist before you order

• Does it have an automatic document feeder, and what capacity?
• Single-pass or two-pass for double-sided scanning?
• Scan to email, network folder, or cloud — which do you need?
• Does it produce searchable PDFs?
• Fax: needed, or not?
• Is the touchscreen something the whole team can use?
• Can common jobs be saved as shortcuts?

Frequently asked questions

What does single-pass duplex scanning mean?

The machine scans both sides of a page in one movement through the feeder, instead of feeding the stack through twice. On a double-sided document it's usually about twice as fast, with fewer jams.

Can a multifunction printer scan straight into a shared folder?

Most business models can. It needs setting up once with the folder path and permissions, and after that it's a button on the screen. Worth asking your supplier to configure it at the same time as the network setup.

Is a scanned PDF searchable?

Only if the machine runs text recognition, often listed as OCR or searchable PDF. Without it you get a picture of the page, and you won't be able to search inside it later. If you're scanning for records, check this before you buy.

Do I need fax in 2026?

Most offices don't. Clinics, legal practices and some government departments still do. Since fax adds very little to the price of a multifunction printer, take it if there's any chance you'll need it.

Next step

Browse our multifunction printers and compare the two models above or ask us which one fits the way your team actually scans.

Majool Inc ships genuine hardware with full manufacturer warranty from Van Nuys, California. If you're buying for a team, an office or an agency, send us the list and we'll come back with pricing, availability and lead times.