To test printing speed, we ran off four copies of the four-page ISO document in both duplex (two-sided) and simplex (one-sided) modes. We timed the whole process, from our hitting the print button to the last sheet coming out of the feeder, so it included any warm-up time required from a cold start. We also tried duplex printing at the highest quality setting for each printer. The advantages of black and white all-in-one printers are that they can print, scan, copy, and fax, all from one machine. Depending on your needs, all-in-one monochrome printers can offer a convenient and affordable way to access a broader range of document management features.
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 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.
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 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.
(In this situation, other printers would try, fail, and jam.) When we put exactly 250 pages in, it printed normally; same with just a single sheet in the tray. If you ever do run into a jam, however, the printer’s back has a convenient access hatch for you to remove it. If you have a home office or run a home business, you may be more conscious of printer speed than those who don’t. Our laser picks can pump out as many as 27 pages per minute; the fastest inkjets we’ve tested maxed out at 13 pages per minute. We think laser printers are best for people who need to print a lot, such as small-business owners.
It stands out from the competition with an easy-to-use, smartphone-style touch interface and 21st-century mobile and PC software that makes daily use far less frustrating than on other printers we’ve tried. In our tests, it produced sharp black text, vibrant full-color graphics, and even photos good enough for a school report. It’s fast, topping out at around 17 pages per minute, and it can print on envelopes, labels, and other odd-size media thanks to a handy bypass slot. If you have up to five users printing less than 2,000 pages a month, consider our home or small office monochrome printers. These small black and white printers delivery top quality output along with Brother reliability, with a compact footprint. The 250-sheet paper capacity helps improve efficiency with less refills and the manual feed slot offers professional prints on a variety of papers and sizes, such as card stock, envelopes, etc.
As with the HL-L2350DW, print quality degrades on this machine when you initiate jobs from Brother’s iPrint&Scan app, so you should use your operating system’s native print dialog instead. Google Cloud Print doesn’t work from the get-go—or didn’t for us, anyway—but you can fix that by disabling IPv6 in the Web control panel’s networking options. You don’t really need to install any extra software for the HL-L2350DW because it has native Windows and Mac drivers. It also works automatically with AirPrint on iOS, and you can add it with the Brother Print Service on Android. It’s perfectly functional, if not as well-designed as HP’s software. Unfortunately, in our testing, printing from iPrint&Scan resulted in horrendous quality, regardless of the quality setting we selected.
Since it runs on a 600MHz processor, you can count on smooth, consistent performance. Perfect for offices that demand high volume work, the Brother HL-L2395DW features advanced printing tech that can deliver the first page of a printing task within 8.5 seconds and print up to 36 pages brother hl l2395dw per minute. You won’t have to worry about quality because it’s print resolution of up to 2400 x 600 dpi translates into professional, smudge-free documents. The unit includes built-in Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing it to accept print jobs from anywhere in the office.
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 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.