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.
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.
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.
Also in this category are print-volume tracking and access controls that might, for example, let you to limit who is allowed to print in color . For more of these business-focused features, see our guide to the best business printers, which covers both laser- and inkjet-based models. Finally, note that some models of both single- and multi-function printers support office-centric security and convenience features that may or may not be useful for any given office. “Maximum duty cycle” is the most you can print in a given month without shortening the printer’s life, as defined by the maximum number of pages it can print in its lifetime.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 monochrome laser printer 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.