Brother Color Printer Scanner Copier: Laser or Inkjet for You?
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Brother has a strong reputation for dependable office printers, and its color all-in-ones cover everything from a spare-room home office to a busy business team. “All-in-one” means one machine that prints, scans and copies, and often faxes too. If you are shopping for a brother color printer scanner copier all in one, the first decision is the printing technology: color laser, which uses powder toner and handles lots of text pages quickly, or inkjet, which sprays liquid ink and usually starts smaller and lighter.
These six models line up neatly: three color laser machines (the MFC-L3720CDW, MFC-L3780CDW and the heavy-duty MFC-L8930CDW) and three inkjets (the business-focused INKvestment 5010, the compact INKvestment 4355 and the simple Work Smart 1410), with speed, paper handling and screen size rising as you move up each group.
Brother Color All-in-One Printers Compared
| Model | Type | Print speed (listed) | Document feeder | Fax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brother MFC-L3720CDW | Color laser | Up to 19 ppm | 50 sheets | Yes |
| Brother MFC-L8930CDW | Color laser | Up to 33 ppm | 80 pages, two-sided | Not listed |
| Brother MFC-L3780CDW | Color laser (digital color) | Up to 31 ppm | Single-pass duplex, capacity not listed | Yes |
| Brother INKvestment 5010 (MFC-J5010DW) | Inkjet | 28 ppm black / 26 ppm color | 50 pages, single-pass duplex | Yes |
| Brother INKvestment 4355 (MFC-J4355DW) | Inkjet | 20 ppm black / 19 ppm color | 20 pages, single-sided | Yes |
| Brother Work Smart 1410 (MFC-J1410DW) | Inkjet | 16 ppm black / 9 ppm color | 20 sheets, single-sided | Not listed |
Brother MFC-L3720CDW Wireless Color Laser Printer for First Color Laser Buyers
Brother
Brother MFC-L3720CDW Wireless Color Laser Printer, Scanner, Copier, Fax, Auto Duplex, 250-Sheet Capacity
Price and specifications are read from the Amazon product page and can change.
Brother MFC-L3720CDW Wireless Color Laser Printer
Best for: Home offices moving to color laser
Pros
- Print, scan, copy and fax
- 50-sheet ADF, 250-sheet tray
- Dual-band Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct
- 5-inch touchscreen
Cons
- Slower 19 ppm
- Heavy at 44 pounds
The Brother MFC-L3720CDW Wireless Color Laser Printer is the entry point to Brother’s color laser all-in-ones here. The brother mfc-l3720cdw prints, scans, copies and faxes, with print speeds up to 19 pages per minute and scan speeds up to 29 images per minute in black and 22 in color. It has automatic duplex printing (printing on both sides of the paper without you flipping it), a 50-sheet auto document feeder for scanning stacks and a 250-sheet adjustable paper tray.
Connection options include dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz), Wi-Fi Direct for printing without a router, and USB 2.0. A 3.5-inch color touchscreen offers 48 customizable shortcuts and direct access to cloud services such as Google Drive, Dropbox and OneNote, and the companion app lets you check toner levels and manage the printer from your phone. It weighs 44 pounds and measures 17.5 inches wide, 16.1 deep and 15.8 tall.
This suits a home office that prints mostly documents and wants crisp, smudge-free text with occasional color. If you print large volumes every day, the faster MFC-L3780CDW is the step up.
Brother MFC-L8930CDW Business Color Laser All-in-One for High-Volume Teams
Brother
Brother MFC-L8930CDW Business Color Laser All-in-One Printer with Duplex Print, Scan, Copy, Low-Cost Printing, and Advanced Security Features
Price and specifications are read from the Amazon product page and can change.
Brother MFC-L8930CDW Business Color Laser All-in-One
Best for: Busy teams with heavy scanning
Pros
- Up to 33 ppm
- 104 ipm two-sided scanning, 80-page ADF
- 7-inch touchscreen, NFC badge reader
- Super high yield toner option
Cons
- Fax not listed
- Largest at 71.2 pounds
The Brother MFC-L8930CDW Business Color Laser All-in-One is the heavy-duty machine of the group. The brother mfc-l8930cdw prints and copies at up to 33 ppm, scans two-sided at up to 104 images per minute through an 80-page document feeder, and has a legal-size scanner glass. The listing highlights print, scan and copy; it does not list fax.
It includes standard-yield toner (3,000 pages black, 1,800 pages color) and accepts TN635XXL super high yield cartridges rated at 7,500 pages black and 6,500 color, which helps lower running costs for heavy users. A 7-inch touchscreen supports up to 64 shortcuts and scan preview, and connections include dual-band Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet. Triple Layer Security features and an NFC card reader for badge sign-in target shared offices. It is EPEAT Gold rated and ENERGY STAR certified, and Brother says it is 25% smaller than the previous model, though at 71.2 pounds and 21.6 inches tall it is still the largest here.
Choose this for a team that shares one printer and scans often. For a single home user, it is more machine than needed.
Brother MFC-L3780CDW Wireless Digital Color All-in-One for Busy Small Offices
Brother
Brother MFC-L3780CDW Wireless Digital Color All-in-One Printer
Price and specifications are read from the Amazon product page and can change.
Brother MFC-L3780CDW Wireless Digital Color All-in-One
Best for: Small businesses wanting faster color laser
Pros
- Up to 31 ppm
- Single-pass duplex copy and scan
- Gigabit Ethernet and dual-band Wi-Fi
- Print, scan, copy and fax
Cons
- Heavier at 47.8 pounds
- Needs space for a laser footprint
The Brother MFC-L3780CDW Wireless Digital Color All-in-One sits in the same family as the MFC-L3720CDW but is faster. The brother mfc-l3780cdw prints at up to 31 ppm and scans at up to 29/22 ipm, with single-pass duplex copying and scanning, which reads both sides of a page in one pass instead of flipping it. It prints, copies, scans and faxes.
Brother calls it “digital color” with laser-quality output, and the specifications list it as a laser printer. It adds Gigabit Ethernet to dual-band Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct and USB. It uses TN229 toner in standard, high and super high yield sizes, and works with Brother’s Refresh EZ Print subscription for automatic toner delivery. It has a 3.5-inch touchscreen and weighs 47.8 pounds.
Pick it for a small business or busy home office that outgrows 19 ppm. If you want a much bigger scanner feeder and badge security, the MFC-L8930CDW goes further. You can read more in our Brother color laser all-in-one guide.
Brother INKvestment 5010 Wireless Color Inkjet for Fast Business Inkjet Printing
Brother
Brother INKvestment 5010 Wireless Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer with Automatic 2-Sided Copy & Scan with 2.7” Color Touchscreen (MCF-J5010DW)
Price and specifications are read from the Amazon product page and can change.
Brother INKvestment 5010 Wireless Color Inkjet
Best for: Small businesses preferring inkjet speed
Pros
- 28 ppm black, 26 ppm color
- 50-page single-pass duplex ADF
- Legal-size duplex printing
- Ethernet, Wi-Fi Direct, USB
Cons
- Description mixes in 5110 specs
- Smaller 2.7-inch screen
The Brother INKvestment 5010 Wireless Color Inkjet (listed as MCF-J5010DW, likely meaning MFC-J5010DW) is the brother inkvestment 5010. It prints, copies, scans and faxes at up to 28 ppm black and 26 ppm color, with a 250-sheet paper tray, a 50-page single-pass duplex document feeder and automatic duplex printing on paper up to 8.5 x 14 inches.
INKvestment is Brother’s name for inkjets built around higher-yield cartridges; this one includes a 1,800-page black cartridge and 750-page cartridges in cyan, yellow and magenta, and uses LC506 ink. The PerfectPrint Auto Detection System aims to keep quality consistent. It connects by Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, Ethernet and USB and has a 2.7-inch touchscreen with cloud app access. Be aware that the description talks about the INKvestment 5110, with a 500-sheet two-tray capacity and a 4.3-inch screen; the title and features describe the 5010 with one 250-sheet tray and a 2.7-inch screen, so rely on those.
It suits a small business that wants inkjet color with near-laser speed at 30.9 pounds. For lighter home use, the 4355 is smaller.
Brother INKvestment 4355 Wireless Color Inkjet for Compact Home Offices
Best for: Compact home office with fax needs
Pros
- Print, copy, scan and fax
- Auto duplex printing
- Manual feed slot
- Compact 7.1-inch height
Cons
- Small 1.8-inch display
- 20-page single-sided ADF
The Brother INKvestment 4355 Wireless Color Inkjet (MFC-J4355DW) prints, copies, scans and faxes in a compact 7.1-inch-tall body weighing 19.6 pounds. Speeds are up to 20 ppm black and 19 ppm color. It has automatic duplex printing, a 150-sheet tray, a 20-page single-sided document feeder and a 1-sheet manual feed slot for envelopes or special paper.
It includes the same starter ink yields as the 5010 and also uses LC506 ink. Connections are Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct and USB, plus cloud apps such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Box and OneDrive through a 1.8-inch color display. Page Gauge monitors ink use, and a Refresh subscription trial is included.
This fits a desk-side home office that still needs fax. The small screen and single-sided feeder are its trade-offs against the 5010. For other compact options, see our compact wireless all-in-one printer guide.
Brother Work Smart 1410 Wireless Color Inkjet for Light Family Printing
Best for: Light family and student printing
Pros
- Lightest at 16.8 pounds
- 7-inch touchscreen
- Auto duplex printing
- Cloud app printing
Cons
- Slow 9 ppm color
- No fax listed
The Brother Work Smart 1410 Wireless Color Inkjet (MFC-J1410DW) is the simplest and lightest printer here at 16.8 pounds. It prints, copies and scans; fax is not listed. Speeds are up to 16 ppm black and 9 ppm color, with automatic duplex printing, a 20-sheet single-sided feeder and a 150-sheet tray.
A 2.7-inch touchscreen connects to cloud apps, and the Brother Mobile Connect app lets you print, scan and track ink. It uses LC501 ink and includes a Refresh subscription trial. Connections are Wi-Fi and USB.
It suits students, families printing homework and calendars, or a gift for someone who prints occasionally. Heavy printers will find the color speed slow.
How to Choose the Right Brother Color All-in-One Printers
Laser or inkjet first. Color laser machines handle text-heavy volume and toner does not dry out between uses. Inkjets are lighter and smaller.
Next, check fax. The L3720CDW, L3780CDW, 5010 and 4355 fax; the L8930CDW and 1410 do not list it.
Then consider scanning. For stacks of two-sided pages, a single-pass duplex feeder (L3780CDW, 5010, L8930CDW) saves time.
Finally, measure your space. The inkjets are 7 to 11 inches tall, while laser models range from 44 to 71 pounds.
FAQ
Which Brother color all-in-one is best for beginners?
The Work Smart 1410 is the simplest, while the 4355 adds fax and faster speeds.
What is the difference between MFC-L3720CDW and MFC-L3780CDW?
The L3780CDW is faster (31 vs 19 ppm), adds single-pass duplex scanning and Gigabit Ethernet.
What does INKvestment mean?
It is Brother’s name for business-minded inkjets with higher-yield cartridges.
Do these printers work with phones?
Yes. All six list smartphones and tablets as compatible devices.
Which models print on both sides automatically?
All six list automatic duplex printing.
