Both of these estimates assume you’re using the extra-large 206X replacement toner cartridges; if you use the smaller 206A replacement cartridges, replenishing costs less up front, but you pay more per page. HP’s toner cartridges feature an integrated drum, so you don’t have to worry about buying a new one after a couple of years.2 And the M255dw defaults to duplex printing, which brother hl l2395dw will save you on paper costs, as well. We also tested the flatbed scan quality of each multifunction printer using a glossy test photo printed on our inkjet all-in-one pick, the HP OfficeJet Pro 9015. We scanned at all available resolutions and looked for notable qualitative differences in each machine’s output, in everything from sharpness to color rendition to contrast.
This machine feels pretty flimsy, but the upside is that it’s light and compact for its class, which makes it easier to fit into your space. When you first set it up, just be sure to check for any plastic pieces that might have jumped out of place, and run a few print and scan jobs to make sure everything is working properly. If it’s not, give Brother’s epson workforce customer support a call before returning the machine; the fix might be really simple. He interface is easy to navigate overall, if not quite as user-friendly as the one on our top pick, the HP M255dw. It comes with a number of handy built-in apps, including Dropbox and Google Drive, so you can walk up and print directly from your cloud accounts.
Like our top pick, the M479fdw requires official HP toner cartridges. HP’s one-year warranty for the M479fdw is shorter than what some rivals offer—Canon in particular provides three years of coverage on its machines—but it may actually be better than competing policies. That’s because it provides on-site service within one business day, while other warranties require you to ship your printer to a service center, sometimes at your own cost. For professional-looking brochures or presentations, you’d probably want to use a printer like our upgrade pick, the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M479fdw, or punt the job to a pro print shop instead. The HL-L2350DW works with Windows PCs, Macs, and even Linux systems. It’s also compatible with all major mobile printing standards, including Google Cloud Print, which means it’s a solid pick for Chromebook owners.
Many laser printers employ PIN- and password-protected printing to keep sensitive and confidential data safe and secure. Laser printers use non-liquid-based toner instead of the ink tanks used by inkjet printers. As a result, laser printers have faster print speeds, print sharper text, and prints don’t smear when wet. Laser printers cost more to refill than inkjets, though, and can’t print on glossy paper. The HP Color LaserJet Pro M255dw is fast, powerful, flexible, and refreshingly easy to use.
Built-in wireless and Ethernet network interfaces enable you to share this printer with multiple users on your network. With built-in photocopying and fax functions, an all-in-one Brother digital color printer is versatile. Some models have an advanced scanning function and an automatic document feeder , enabling speedy and accurate two-sided scans. Consider a model with a Gigabit Ethernet port for seamless printing over your wired local network. Brother multifunctional laser printers often have a robust paper tray that accommodates many pages for seamless multipage document production.
Laser printers don’t have the problems with output quality that ink causes for printing on plain paper. Toner particles, often chemically grown to uniform size and shape, are tiny bits of plastic. Unlike ink, they can’t bleed into the paper to soften sharp edges for lines and graphics.