printer and another guide

Muratec MFX 3050

With the Muratec MFX-3050 you can get all the features of four office machines into one chassis thanks for multifunction technology. These kinds of devices are becoming increasingly popular as they offer savings on space, money, power and time.

The MFX-3050 is a monochrome printer, copier, scanner and fax all in one. It is ideal for the sole trader, small office or workgroup being both quick and quiet. Noise travels a long way in small spaces, but Muratec thought of that with this device.

The printing function is good, and quick. It can produce prints up to a resolution of 600 dpi at a rate of 30 pages per minute. The print quality is very good, with text on our test document sharp, with crisp, clear edges and good toner fill, especially in larger points.

Images were equally promising, with no banding, distortion or fading. They were accurate and clear, with the shading even, what more do you need from a mono office printer?

The same can be said for the copier, which uses the same elements as the printer. The ability to copy to or from the desktop is also a neat feature to have. Both the printer and copier are served by a 500 page paper drawer which is unfortunately not expandable.

Scanning can be done at a native resolution of 4800 x 600 dpi, which produces good results. You can scan to or from a USB drive or from the network. The software package includes tools to scan straight to pdf or email too.

The fax is fully featured, with all the features you would expect from one. Fast dial, phonebook, broadcast and the ability to email faxes to specific workstations. There is a 50 page document feeder on the top and enough built-in memory to store up to 600 pages of faxes should you run out of paper.

The enclosed toner is good for around 1000 pages, replacements will go to 8000. As the MFX-3050 is aimed at the lower duty cycle user, running costs should be minimal. The cartridges are readily available from online retailers like Quikshiptoner.com who offer much better prices than the manufacturer or other retail outlets.

As a multifunction device, the MFX-3050 is a good prospect. It produces quality documents, is cheap to own, with a reasonable cost per page. It doesn’t take up too much room and is pretty quiet when it’s working. This is one device that a home worker should be able to work with.