Multifunction Printer

An MFP (Multi Function Printer/Product), multifunctional, all-in-one, or mopier, is an office machine that includes the following functionality in one physical body, so as to have a smaller footprint in a home or small-business setting (the SoHo market segment), or to provide better document management/distribution/production in a large-office setting: An MFP can work both as a computer peripheral (using a computer port, like ethernet/Wi-Fi-LAN, USB, FireWire, etc.) and autonomously (with no need for the computer connection; for example, to copy, fax and so on). Home or SoHo MFPs are usually ink jet-based, and thus allow colour printing and copying, but most large-office and a small number of relatively expensive SoHo units use a laser print engine for high-quality, low cost-per-page output at large volume. Some home units have sockets for various memory cards, allowing printing of pictures directly from digital cameras, without using a computer in between. Early models (in the 1990s) developed a poor reputation for compatibility and reliability, but have improved since. Some current MFPs cost less than the same as a good quality inkjet printer and a scanner, but cannot offer the same print quality, compatibility, and flexibility, and incur a higher cost of ownership (as a failure in any of the individual sub-systems requires that the entire unit be replaced). They do, however, take up less room than the equivalent separate components, can be used autonomously (with the computer turned off) and are popular for that reason. MFP manufacturers/brands include Brother, Canon, Dell, Epson, Hewlett-Packard, Konica Minolta, Lexmark, Ricoh, and Xerox.

Document Management Software

Large-office MFPs can be integrated into Document management systems, whereby storage, distribution, indexing, and printing of large volumes of paper documents can be managed electronically, through scanning by the MFPs and OCR reading by optional or third-party software.

Open drivers

Multifunctionals need scanner (SANE) and printer (CUPS) drivers, sometimes referred to in combination (SANECUPS).

See also

  • PictBridge: a standard to print photos in the multifunctional without using the computer.
  • Wi-Fi is a device that allows wireless connection between two electronics.
  • memory card slot

External links

 

<< PreviousWord BrowserNext >>
harrison bergeron
minamoto no sanetomo
black panther (disambiguation)
daugavpils
modesty blaise
lucia rijker
donald neilson
hot dark matter
percivall pott
biophilia
bishops' wars
uss langley
lbg
jamaican free zones
sanguine
tenn
ion iliescu
holodeck
ulm
canal du midi
new britain
chaim weizmann
clinton plaza
exxon valdez
viper
thai aircraft carrier chakri nareubet
crwth
augment (linguistics)
norman fowler
indo iranian
lydian language
lycian language
list of footballers (canadian football)
list of american football players
saguenay river
anorthite
guillemot
doug flutie
lac saint jean
postage stamp gum
uniform commercial code
saguenay, quebec
emden
longueuil, quebec