If you never print in color, there's no reason to spend money on this feature. Keep in mind, however, that many color laser MFPs can print at high enough quality to let you print your own marketing materials. This could be less expensive than printing small quantities at your local print shop, which may be a sufficient reason to choose a color laser, even if you don't need its color output for anything else.

The vast majority of inkjet AIOs are color printers, and they should be avoided if you don't specifically need color output. Even if you never print a single color image, an inkjet AIO will use up some of its color ink for cleaning nozzles and similar housekeeping tasks. And when those colors run out, many models will refuse to print at all, forcing you to buy more color ink just to print monochrome pages. Note that a few mono-only inkjet AIOs are available on the market; they are designed to compete with mono laser printers in offices. The least expensive of these is roughly $300.

One useful way to categorize MFPs is by intended use: (1) for home, including printing photos in particular; (2) for an office, focusing on text and graphics; or (3) for both. If you're looking to print photos at least at the level of quality you can get from your local pharmacy—whether the printer's for home use only, or intended for home and home-office—you want an inkjet AIO. Even most models that are aimed at office use offer good enough photo quality to clear that bar. That includes some aimed for business use that manufacturers have tried to discourage us from running through our photo tests, on the grounds that they weren't designed to handle photos well.

If you're looking for an AIO strictly for the office, you probably care more about text and graphics than photos, and you also likely need higher paper capacities than most inkjets that focus on photo quality typically offer. In that case, the choices include both inkjets and lasers. (The latter category also includes LED printers, which differ only in the light source they use.)

Between inkjets and lasers, each has its own distinct advantages. Inkjets can produce text that's almost as high quality as lasers, but laser-printed text has the advantage of not smudging if it gets wet. For graphics, most color (but not mono) lasers can deliver higher-quality color graphics on plain paper than most inkjets can. If, however, you take advantage of inkjet heavyweight (and more expensive) matte and photo papers, most inkjets can deliver higher-quality graphics than laser printers. (Read more about the inkjet versus laser question.)

For office use, if scanning, copying, or faxing multipage documents is on the agenda, you'll want an AIO that includes an automatic document feeder (ADF). And if the documents are printed on both sides of the page, you'll want an ADF that can handle duplex scanning, as well.

Faxing is usually considered an office function, but it can be even more valuable for home use. Medical offices typically require faxing rather than email due to HIPAA regulations, so it can be a welcome convenience to have an AIO at home that can also send and receive faxes. Consider insisting on standalone faxing in your AIO, although there is much to be said for using an online fax service instead, whether for home or office use.

Also consider how often you print, and how long you might leave your AIO sitting unused. Although inkjets are generally considered the default choice for home use, even if you're not interested in printing photos, a laser AIO can be a better choice if you don't print frequently. Inkjets tend to get clogged nozzles if left sitting unused, and nozzle-cleaning routines can waste a lot of ink when you need to print again. Lasers can sit unused for months, then work without problems when you fire them up again. Avoiding the cost of that wasted ink could actually save you more money than the extra cash you might pay for a fitting laser model.