In terms of resolution, most modern lasers can render graphics at up to 2400 dots per inch . However, for general text printing, resolutions of 300 to 600 dpi are perfectly adequate. Most reputable brands, such as Brother laser printers, render these resolutions. Both their laser and inkjet printers tend to yield brother monochrome laser printer many pages before you need to replace their ink or toner cartridges. It’s great if you’re constantly printing off several pages at a time. For our best budget pick, we chose the Brother MFC-J1205W. This color inkjet model is a great option for people who print a little more than the occasional one-off projects.
These workhorses are ideal for bulk printing black-and-white documents quickly, at a low per-page cost. With laser printers, little maintenance is required beyond replacing cartridges. Moreover, since the toner comes as a powder, there’s no waiting for documents to dry. HP’s LaserJet MFP M234dw and LaserJet MFP M234dwe are the same model with the same specs. We didn’t test either because they have flatbed scanners rather than automatic document feeders.
The L2350DW reliably maintained a connection throughout testing—even several rooms away and a floor below our router. You can operate this printer over USB if you prefer, but in that case you have to supply your own cable. If you want an Ethernet port for wired Internet, you can upgrade to the otherwise nearly identical HL-L2370DW. A basic inkjet can cost as little as $40, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a laser at that price. This gives the MFC-805DW a slim appearance that lacks the elegance of a large color touchscreen, although the physical buttons are probably more reliable than the virtual buttons on many touchscreens.
It also has just 25 percent as much onboard memory and runs a little slower. The Canon imageCLASS MF113w is limited by its flatbed scanner; we prefer models with automatic document feeders. The affordable brother hl l2395dw HP LaserJet Pro M118dw can print really fast and has positive owner reviews. Unfortunately, its cost per page is relatively high, and we saw multiple reports of iffy graphics and photo quality.
If youdon’tneed them, you can often find an identical or similar model for less from the same manufacturer, minus only the PCL or PostScript support. “Duty cycle” is a specification for the monthly page count a printer is rated for. Some printers don’t offer one, which is not an issue if you don’t print much. If you print enough to wonder if you might overtax the printer, however, don’t buy one that doesn’t offer the spec. Almost any printer will include a USB Type-B connector for a direct wired connection to a single PC. And even if that’s the only connector, Windows will let you share the printer on a network.
It works by your printer detecting low ink supply levels, and sends for a new batch of toner cartridges. At 32 pages per minute, iIt’s printing speed is also considerably fast, compared to that of competitors like the HP OfficeJet 5255. The laser printer also has a toner save mode that can be used to reduce the resolution and use fewer dots per inch, and this produces lighter images that still remain clear. One of the most powerful models on the list is Brother DCP-L5500DN Printer. This printer can process up to 42 pages for “print and copy” a minute making it perfect for small business owners. If you’d like more options for functions, the Canon imageCLASS MF267dw may suit your needs.
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.
It can print both from your wireless network connected to your PC or Mac, or you can print from iOS and Android phones via Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Brother iPrint&Scan, and Wi-Fi Direct. For copying, you can copy up to 36 pages per minute with a resolution of 600 x 600 dpi and you can do two-sided copying as well. When it comes to scanning, brother hl l2395dw this model can do two-sided scans with a maximum optical scan resolution of 1,200 x 1,200 dpi, which is good for most work use cases. This unit comes with a 2,000-page starter ink cartridge and the replacement ink cartridges have yields of 3,000 or 8,000 pages, either of which can make sure you don’t need to replace cartridges too frequently.