All for one, and one multifunction printer for your wallet

While multi-functions were originally designed to do the work of four machines – copy, fax, print and scan - recent models do a whole lot more.

Here is an overview of multi-function inkjets that will give you more bang for your buck. Click on the links to get more product information.

HP Photosmart Premium C309a

Boasting a lot of features, the HP Photosmart Premium C309a will cover everything you need out of a multi-function.

While it does the usual print, copy, scan and fax, the Photosmart offers double-sided printing, direct printing from various memory devices and has wireless connectivity, although the Wi-Fi is limited to existing networks.

The machine's print speeds are quite fast - it prints draft colour documents in 16.9 seconds and 5.6 pages per minute (ppm) when using normal quality. Printing standard 4x6-inch photos take a quick 26 seconds, while an A4 photo took roughly 1 minute 9 seconds.

At 21.2c per A4 page, the Photosmart is reasonably budget-friendly but isn't the cheapest inkjet multifunction when compared to other models.

Canon PIXMA MP980

One of the major issues you are most likely to come across with the Canon PIXMA MP980 is the agonisingly slow print speeds - but if you're willing to wait, it could pay off.

Normal black and white documents print at around 9.6ppm and colour documents print at 3.2ppm on average. This is very slow, especially when other multifunctions within this price range have faster speed.

A handy feature of the PIXMA P980 is the film negative/35mm scanning, which provides excellent quality digital versions, which is handy for photographic enthusiasts. It offers direct printing options from selected media and also comes with integrated Wi-Fi and touch screen panels.

The PIXMA is also quite expensive in the long term and will cost you around 22c a page.

Brother MFC-6490CW

The Brother MFC-6490CW is great for those who do not like being shackled to standard A4 sheets. If you have a yearning to print high quality A3 documents, then this is the printer for you.

While it is not the fastest A3 printer available, it has a host of features and is relatively cheap to run.

Printing speeds are on par with entry-level printers, with a mono document printing at 16.4ppm and a normal quality document printing at 8.1ppm. Colour documents were slower, at 14.9ppm using draft quality and 3.5ppm using normal quality. A3 mono documents averaged 6.3ppm; and normal quality at 3.4ppm. Colour A3 draft documents also ran at 6.3ppm, but using normal quality slows printing to 2ppm.

Epson TX700W

When you start using the Epson TX700W you will soon realise that the company has sacrificed quality for quantity, and lacks the essential features when compared to similar devices.

It has comprehensive connectivity, including Wi-Fi, Ethernet, media card reader, and USB; but the TX700W lacks a fax function.

One good thing about this machine is that it prints quickly. Mono text documents in draft quality will print at an average of 24.2ppm and slows to 8.7ppm when using normal quality. Graphical documents print at 25ppm in draft and 8.9ppm in normal quality mode.

It may be fast, but the TX700W doesn't provide the greatest quality.

When choosing your multifunction it is essential to take the running costs into consideration, particularly in the long-term. Ink cartridge replacements can be expensive, particularly if you print a lot. So choose wisely for your needs, and your wallet will thank you later.