What to Look for in an Office Printer Scanner Combo

One machine, many uses

Budget is always top of mind when you’re running a small- to medium-sized business, and one way to cut costs is by investing in equipment that can perform several different office functions. Office printer and scanner units can cover a lot of tasks necessary for the day-to-day operations of your business, but which model should you get? Well, that depends on what you consider crucial, what you can compromise on and what you can afford to live without.

Here’s what you should look for as you review different types of office printers and scanners.

Office printers & scanners: 4 elements to consider

1. What do you need it to do?

The obvious answer to what you need from an office printer and scanner is printing and scanning, but think more precisely about your business’s needs. 

How much printing do you need to do in a day or a month? Are you printing in black and white only, or will you also need color capabilities? Will you be scanning a high volume of documents, or just something every now and then? The more specific you can be with your needs, the more precisely you can zero in on a printer scanner that will help your business. 

These questions aren’t limited to printer scanner combos, of course. You can also apply them to office copier printers, or any other multifunction machine. The key is to think about each part of the unit’s core functionality and understand how your business will take advantage of it. 

2. Printing & scanning speed 

Generally speaking, when it comes to office printer scanners, you trade quality for speed—the better the output, the slower the process to create it. Office paperwork doesn’t usually require the highest possible image quality from a scanner or precision from a printer, but if you’re going to be scanning photos or printing very small text, you’ll likely appreciate the finer detail. 

Quality is one factor that impacts speed; quantity is another. The bigger the print, scan or copy job, the longer it takes to complete. If multiple employees will be sharing a single office printer scanner, think about how long they might have to wait for each project to make its way through the machine. If they’re working in high quantities or at high quality—or both—you may need to invest in more units to avoid bottlenecks. 

3. Security

Any device equipped with WiFi is a potential entry point hackers can use to gain access to your network, and office printer scanners are no exception. Even the printer’s memory can be a gold mine of information, especially if you print documents with financial details like invoices or scan personal information from driver’s licenses or social security cards. 

Look for a multifunction printer that contains industry-standard data encryption made in partnership with a security tech brand you trust. Choosing office printer scanners that have password protection capabilities to restrict access to settings and information—like print job history—is a great way to know things are secure while still equipping employees with the tools they need to do their best work for you.

4. Simple controls

Some of your employees are probably very tech savvy while others aren’t, but your office printer scanner has to work for all of them. Simple controls are especially important in machines that perform more than one function—someone trying to scan a document shouldn’t have to figure out how to bypass the printing commands.  Look for models with easy-to-understand interfaces both in their app and on the machine itself. Large, clear touch control screens make it easy for anyone to use the office printer scanner without having to consult the user manual.

Let Walmart Business help you find what you need

Now that you know what to consider when it comes to choosing the right office printer and scanner for you, check out the selection at Walmart Business. If you already have a Walmart Business account, upgrade to a Walmart Business+ membership for free shipping with no order minimum.¹ You’ll also get free delivery from local stores on orders over $35² and 2% back in Walmart Business Rewards on orders of $250 or more.³ That could add up to over $500 in savings every year,⁴ allowing you to reinvest more money in your business. Click here to learn more.

¹ Excludes most Marketplace items, freight and certain location surcharges.

² Restrictions apply. 

³ Rewards can only be used toward future purchases on Walmart Business. Additional terms apply.

⁴ Savings based on 1 free $35+ delivery order vs. $9.95 fee and 1 free shipping order under $35 vs. $6.99 fee biweekly, plus 2% Walmart Business Rewards on monthly order >$250 (average value of $400).