Printer model numbers can make choosing a new machine seem more complicated than it needs to be. In practice, most businesses can narrow down the options by answering a few straightforward questions.
How much do you print? Do you need colour? Will you scan and copy? Do you require A3? Will the printer sit in an office, or does it need to travel with you?
Use the questions below to identify the type of Brother printer that best fits your workplace.
1. How Much Do You Print Each Month?
Brother’s business product selector begins by asking whether you print more than 2,500 pages per month. That is approximately five standard reams of paper.
This is not a strict limit, but it is a useful starting point.
If you print fewer than 2,500 pages, a compact office printer may provide everything you need without taking up too much space or budget.
If you regularly print more than 2,500 pages, it becomes more important to consider:
- Print speed
- Toner or ink yield
- Paper capacity
- Cost per page
- Reliability under regular use
- The number of people sharing the machine
You can usually find your current page count in the printer’s settings or on a printed status report. Alternatively, estimate how many reams of paper your workplace uses each month.
2. Do You Need Colour?
If most of your printing consists of invoices, forms, contracts, reports, shipping documents or internal paperwork, a monochrome laser printer may be the most economical choice.
A colour printer is more suitable when you regularly produce:
- Presentations
- Reports with charts and graphs
- Certificates
- Educational resources
- Property documents
- Customer-facing material
- Simple promotional material
Avoid choosing colour simply because it might be useful one day. However, if staff regularly send colour work elsewhere or avoid printing useful documents because the current printer is mono, a colour machine may be worthwhile.
3. Do You Need Printing Only or a Multifunction Device?
A print-only machine is a good choice when your team simply needs fast, dependable document printing.
A multifunction printer can also scan and copy, with many business models including fax capability. It is usually more practical for reception areas, administration teams and shared offices.
Consider a multifunction model if your team regularly:
- Scans invoices, contracts or forms
- Copies customer or identification documents
- Digitises paperwork
- Processes multi-page documents
- Sends scanned files to email or network folders
If scanning forms an important part of your workflow, check the automatic document feeder and two-sided scanning capabilities. A printer may have excellent print performance but still feel slow if staff regularly scan large document batches.
4. Do You Need A3?
Most businesses only need A4 printing. A4 machines are generally more compact and are suitable for invoices, letters, forms, reports and everyday office documents.
An A3 printer may be useful if your business handles:
- Large spreadsheets
- Property documents
- Site paperwork
- Educational material
- Booklets
- Larger diagrams
- Posters and promotional material
If you need A3 printing, scanning and copying from one machine, an A3 multifunction inkjet such as the Brother MFC-J6975DW may be a suitable starting point.
If you only require A3 occasionally, compare the cost and convenience of having it available in-house against ordering the work externally.
5. Will the Printer Be Shared?
For a printer used by several people, look for Ethernet or business Wi-Fi connectivity rather than relying only on a direct USB connection.
Other useful shared-office features may include:
- Secure print release
- User authentication
- Mobile printing
- Multiple paper trays
- Automatic two-sided printing
- Scan-to-email or network folders
- Expandable paper capacity
A compact printer may be suitable for one or two people, while a busy shared device needs sufficient paper capacity and consumable yield to avoid constant interruptions.
6. Do You Need to Print While Travelling?
Some businesses need printing outside a traditional office.
Brother PocketJet portable printers are designed for mobile workers who may need to produce documents from a vehicle, customer location or temporary workspace.
They may suit:
- Field service technicians
- Transport and logistics teams
- Mobile sales staff
- Emergency services
- Inspectors
- Workers producing forms or reports on location
The PocketJet range includes different resolution and connectivity options, including USB-C, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Direct. The right model depends on the device being used to print and the type of connection required.
Brother Printers for Lighter and Moderate Office Use
Businesses printing fewer than approximately 2,500 pages per month can use the following as starting points:
- Colour printing, scanning and copying: MFC-L3755CDW
- Colour printing only: HL-L3280CDW
- Mono printing, scanning and copying: MFC-L2920DW, MFC-L2880DW or MFC-L2820DW
- Compact mono printing: HL-L2445DW or HL-L2464DW
- A3 colour multifunction capability: MFC-J5740DW, MFC-J6560DW, MFC-J6959DW or MFC-J6975DW
- High-yield ink tank printing: DCP-T580DW
- Portable document printing: Brother PocketJet range
The differences between models may include print speed, faxing, paper capacity, scanning features and connectivity. Start with the type of printer you need, then compare the individual features.
Brother Printers for Higher-Volume Workplaces
If your workplace regularly exceeds 2,500 pages per month, Brother’s selector moves towards machines designed for more frequent business use:
- Colour laser multifunction printing: MFC-L9630CDN, MFC-L8900CDW, MFC-L8390CDW or MFC-L8690CDW
- Colour laser printing only: HL-L8360CDW or HL-L8240CDW
- Mono laser multifunction printing: MFC-L6720DW or MFC-L5915DW
- Higher-volume mono printing only: HL-L6210DW, HL-L5210DW or HL-L5210DN
- A3 colour multifunction printing: MFC-J6975DW or another suitable Brother A3 business inkjet
These models provide different combinations of speed, paper capacity, scanning performance and consumable yield. The largest or fastest machine is not automatically the best choice. The goal is to find one that comfortably handles your normal workload.
What If Your Business Has Even Higher Requirements?
Some workplaces need more than a standard office printer. This could be because several staff share the machine, printing is continuous throughout the day, scanning volumes are high or long-term running costs need closer management.
In these situations, it may be worth comparing Brother’s standard business range with selected models available through a Brother Managed Print Services Partner.
For example, the MFC-L9630CDN and MFC-L8900CDW are strong starting points for colour multifunction requirements. A workplace with heavier workloads, greater paper-capacity needs or a stronger focus on cost per page may also consider the business-exclusive MFC-L9670CDN.
Other partner-supported options include:
- MFC-L8970CDW and MFC-L9570CDW colour multifunction printers
- HL-L9470CDN colour print-only model
- MFC-L6915DW mono multifunction printer
- HL-L6415DW mono print-only model
These models are not automatically necessary for every business. They become worth considering when print volume, multiple users, consumable costs, service requirements or future growth justify moving beyond a standard office machine.
Do Not Choose on Purchase Price Alone
A low purchase price can be appealing, but the ongoing cost of ink or toner is usually more important over the life of the printer.
Before deciding, compare:
- Replacement cartridge yield
- Approximate cost per page
- Drum and maintenance requirements
- Included ink or toner
- Paper capacity
- Warranty coverage
- Expected servicing
- The time staff spend refilling or managing the machine
A slightly larger printer may provide better value if it supports higher-yield consumables and requires less attention. Equally, a small business with modest printing needs should not pay for capacity and features it is unlikely to use.
Narrowing Down Your Options
Before comparing individual Brother models, write down:
- Your approximate monthly page volume
- Whether you need colour
- Whether you need scanning and copying
- Whether you require A3
- How many people will use the printer
- Whether it will be used in an office or while travelling
These answers should reduce the range to a manageable number of options.
You can then compare the remaining machines based on print speed, paper handling, connectivity and ongoing running costs.
Explore the current Brother business printer range or learn more about Brother Managed Print Services.
If you are still uncertain, contact Hunter Office Technology with an estimate of your print volume and the functions you require. We can help you compare suitable models without adding capacity or features your workplace does not need.