How to Connect Your Printer to the WiFi Network

How to connect your printer to the WIFI network

In a fast-paced working environment, having an efficient workflow and reliable office equipment are extremely important to keep up with the demanding workloads and to ensure maximum productivity.

Printers, for example, have been an integral part of every office and even at home. With the continuous advancement of technology over the years, regular wired printers have already undergone so many improvements – and one of which is their “wireless” feature.

Wireless printers have been changing the looks and workflow of offices. One of the best and the most obvious advantages that most people like about wireless printers is the freedom from wires and cables, cutting down the potential risk of fires due to electrical faults. Apart from this, wireless printers allow multiple connections, therefore, the need to connect and disconnect the printer from every user when needed has been eliminated.

Brother Wireless Printers

Whether you are looking for a guide to kickstart your new wireless printer or link your devices, we have a step-by-step guide for you.

Setting up Brother Machine on a WiFi Network

1. Find the WiFi Network Settings of your Wireless Router or Access Point

Look for the current wireless network settings which includes the network name (SSID or ESSID) and the network key (Security Key or Encryption Key) and note them down.

You can normally find these pieces of information on the base or side of your wireless router or access point.

WiFi SSID and Password - Wireless Printer Set Up

2. Configure the settings of the Brother Machine

After locating the WiFi network settings of your wireless router or access point, you can start the set-up the Brother machine following these steps:

How to connect wireless printer to WiFi network

3. Download and Install your Brother Machine’s software

After setting up your Brother machine, install the full driver and software package from this page – https://www.brother.ae/en/support/products. The software is available for both Windows and Mac.

When the connection of your Brother machine to the WiFi network is done, you can now link your devices to the printer for an easier and more convenient printing experience.

Connecting your Computer/Laptop to a Wireless Printer

Different devices and models have different methods of connecting to a wireless printer. For a non-tech savvy, doing the process may be a bit challenging, but note that setting up is only done once, so the next time you use your printer, it will be just a piece of cake. 😊

Here is the detailed procedure on how to connect your device to the printer.

1. Connect your device to the same Wifi network your printer is connected to.

2. Go to Windows Start Menu then look for Settings.

Windows settings - Wireless Printers

3. Choose Devices, then select Printers and Scanners.

Windows settings - Wireless Printers

4. Add a Printer or Scanner and wait for your computer to scan the available machines.

5. Click your printer’s name and Add the Device. The selected printer will be added to the list of your printers.

6. To test if it works properly, you can run a test print on your selected device.

Connecting your Android to a Wireless Printer

With the everyday rush, some people also opt to connect their mobile device to a wireless printer for fast, convenient, and highly accessible printing. This helps them save and maximize their time for more important tasks.

To connect, make sure your wireless printer and Android phone are connected to the same Wifi network.

1. Go to your device’s settings.

2. Since printing settings option is in different locations depending on the device, it might be advisable to type “printing” on the search bar itself to make it easier for you to locate it.

3. Click “Printing” to open the menu and allow you to select a print service plugin.

4. Though most Android models come with a default print service plugin; Brother has its own plugin you can install from Google Play Store – Brother Print Service Plugin.

Wireless printing at home

5. Once installed, select the Brother print service plugin, and you can begin printing. Fortunately, some devices have the option to print preview.

Connecting your iOS device using AirPrint

If you’re an iPhone or iPad user, this means that your device is running Apple’s iOS; and that you have the access to your device’s integrated mobile printing feature called AirPrint. This feature allows iOS devices to send print jobs directly to a compatible Brother machine.

Here’s how it works:

1. Determine if your device is compatible with AirPrint. You can check compatibility here by inputting your device’s mobile name or number – Downloads, Manuals & FAQs | Brother Gulf.

2. Open the file you want to print by tapping the curved arrow, share or tab icon.

3. Select the Print option. Your device will automatically search for printers connected to your network.

4. Select your chosen device and choose additional options such as number of copies, color or duplex printing.

5. Click the Print button in the top right corner to initiate printing.

To meet the never-ending demands of users and constant development of printers; Brother delivers wide range of wireless printers designed to handle jobs from simple home printing to high-volume printing in offices.

Brother’s variety of wireless printers come in multiple functions (print, scan, copy and fax); like the MFC-L3750CDW Color LED Printer and MFC-2340DW A3 Inkjet Printer. In addition, MFC-2340DW supports printing of wide documents up to A3 paper size; making it a very good option for businesses printing posters, banners, brochures, etc.

Brother MFC-L3750CDW Color LED Printer with Wireless Connectivity

As for home use and even for small offices, the Brother DCP-T520W Ink Tank Printer can be a good match. It has print, scan and copy functions for an effective and continuous collaboration and production of any document. It’s wireless, compact, and (most importantly) affordable features make it your perfect printing buddy.

Please check our pages about wireless printers and technical support for more information.

Get that Best Budget-friendly Printer for your Home with these Tips

Get that Best Budget-friendly Printer for your Home with these Tips

If you are reading this, we assume that you are a professional working from home, or you have kids with lots of printing requirements, and you are thinking of getting yourself your own printer at home.

With your busy schedule, going somewhere else for printing needs might be a hassle, especially if you frequently need them. Like many others, using your time efficiently for more important chores is preferable.

Owning a printer could cost you a bit initially, but it will save you time, energy, and money in the long run. Besides, there are hundreds of affordable printers on the market nowadays, so you don’t need to worry too much financially to get one!

So, how do you choose the best budget-friendly printer for your home?

In this guide, you will learn the key and quality factors to consider in choosing the best budget-friendly printer for your home.

Choosing a Budget-friendly Printer for your Home

When you think of buying just about anything, including a printer, price is the first thing you will consider. You will surely look for the cheapest in the market, sometimes overlooking and compromising the quality.

But is the price the most considerable factor when buying a printer? Remember that a printer is more of an investment, expecting it to give you some returns or at least help you save some money after some time.

Instead of the cheapest, go for a printer that gives the best value for your money while solving your printing needs.

To get the best value for money from your printer, you should also look for the following features and functions:

  • Single or Multiple function
  • Monochrome or Color Printer
  • Type and cost of printer (Laser or Inkjet)
  • Cost of ink and toner cartridges
  • Page yield
Multifunction printer

Single or Multifunction

­Printers come in different quality, features and multiple functions such as scanning, faxing and copying. When deciding to choose between a single function or a multifunction printer, always take into consideration your need for the other functions beyond just printing.

If you simply need a printer and not the other features, then go ahead and save yourself some money. For this purpose, Brother HL-L2375DW may likely be your cheapest and best option.

On the other note, if you think you would also require fax machine, scanners or photocopier, then it may be more cost-effective to buy all in one printer like the Brother DCP-L3551CDW Multifunction LED Laser Printer instead of buying them individually.

Monochrome or Color Printer

Monochrome printer is obviously significantly less expensive than color laser printer as it is limited to generating only black and white printouts compared to multi-colored prints that a color printer can produce.

The decision to buy either mono or color printer simply boils down to what type of document you assume to print. If you mostly print simple text documents or black and white images, then it is wise to keep your costs low by choosing a monochrome printer like DCP-L2550DW. However, if you produce pictures, brochures, flyers, and other promotional materials, then a color printer such as DCP-T520W would be the most suitable option for you.

Type and Cost of Printer (Laser or Inkjet Printer)

Laser printer or Inkjet printer are both good options for home use. Once again, it all depends on your requirements as the other type may be more appropriate than the other in some ways or features.

To help you understand better, here is a cost comparison of these two printers:

Printer Cost

Inkjet printers use liquid ink from separate ink cartridges or internal ink tank and are expelled onto the paper. On the other hand, laser printers use toner powders which are melted onto the paper to add colors.

Generally, Inkjet printers are less expensive than laser printers. However, although a laser printer is more expensive on the initial investment, the features such as exceptional speed and lower printing cost, make up for its initial investment and still make it a value for money option in the long run.

Cost of Ink and Toner Cartridge

Cost of Ink and Toner Cartridges

One of the critical factors to consider when buying a printer is the cost of the ink or toner cartridges.

While inkjet printers are cheaper than laser printers, the ink cartridges of inkjet printers are relatively more expensive than the toner cartridges of laser printers. However, several factors affect the printing cost so you will have to consider the document type and printing frequency.

Assuming you will be printing frequently and in high volume, Brother DCP-L3551CDW Laser Printer is the best and value for money option for you as it requires affordable toners. And since toner cartridges are in dry powder form, laser toners last longer than ink cartridges, thus, you can avoid unnecessary wastage when left unused for long.

Whereas, if printing is an occasional task for you, then an inkjet printer may be a better choice. To help you save even more, some like DCP-T420W come with an internal ink reservoir that can be easily refilled. Keep in mind though that if left unused over a prolonged period, dried ink might cause issues to the printer.

Page Yield

So what exactly is page yield?

Page yield is the approximate number of pages you can print with a cartridge. When buying a printer, you need to consider and compare the page yield to minimize your overall printing budget. You can easily find this information on online catalogs, or on the boxes of the cartridges.

Page yield is usually based on a 5% page coverage, which means a page worth of short paragraphs or emails. Hence, if you are printing more full-bodied prints or a full-page color photo, then the page yield will decrease. Remember that the actual number of prints changes depending on the volume and the type of documents to print.

In general, laser toner cartridge has a higher page yield than an inkjet cartridge. A toner cartridge can print roughly 3,000 to 20,000 pages, whereas an ink cartridge can do between 135 to 1,000.

If high page yield is your requirement, consider the DCP-T220 Ink Tank Printer, which offers 7,500 page yield.

Tips for Extra Money-saving Printer Functions

When searching for the best budget-friendly printer, try to consider other important features and look for some “hidden” extra values. This way, not only do you get the cheapest, but the most value for money printer.

Apart from the main features, printers can also help you save electricity, ink, and paper. Like the HL-L3270CDW that has a deep sleep mode so you can use it more efficiently. Or the DCP-T720DW with an auto-duplexing capability eliminating the hassle of turning the paper manually – saves you more time too!

Conclusion

There is actually no “best” budget-friendly printer on the market as it will always come down to what you need. However, with these tips and information, you can now make a well-informed decision about your new printer!

Not Sure Which Color Printer Suits You Best? Here is Your Printer Buying Guide

What to Consider When Buying a Color Printer

Decided to take the leap and invest in a color printer for your home or small office?

Perhaps you’ve created a gorgeous work of digital art and wish to share it with the world by displaying your art in your home. Or maybe you feel that having the right color images can help to improve the impact of your work documents or presentations.

But how do you choose the best color printer to meet both your professional and personal needs? After all, there are literally thousands of different color printers out there.

The good news? Color printers have evolved over the past few years—many models now offer superior photo-quality print results and convenient state-of-the-art features—so you are totally spoilt for choice. You will also be glad to know that most color printers today include multiple functions like copying, faxing and scanning

Types of color printers

When searching for a color printer, it’s generally a toss-up between an inkjet printer or a laser printer. This decision largely hinges upon what you print and how often you print.

Let’s consider inkjet printers first.

1. Qualities of an inkjet color printer

An inkjet printer is a type of printer that works by expelling ink droplets onto paper. Such printers use liquid ink from individual color ink cartridges or internal ink tank reservoir, which are then expelled through separate nozzles—each one spraying a different color of ink.

Pros of an inkjet color printer:

  • Affordability

Cost is one of the biggest advantages of color inkjet printers. Even the least expensive inkjet printers are able to produce images with great quality.

If price is a top-of-mind concern for you, then an inkjet printer would be your best bet for budget-friendly color printing in a home/small office setting.

  • Excellent Print Quality

As we have alluded to above, the advancement of ink technology has enabled inkjet printers to provide high-quality output for both images and text. Due to their finer and smoother colors and detailing, inkjet printers are built for high-resolution photo printing.

With the level of quality of most color inkjet printers today, it can be difficult to differentiate between a professionally-printed photograph and one that’s been printed using your inkjet printer – especially when printing on photo paper!

  • Smaller Footprint

Inkjet color printers also tend to be more compact in size in comparison to laser color printers. Even inkjet printers that are multi-functional do not have a large footprint. This makes them suitable for homes or workplaces that have tight spaces. 

Cons of an inkjet color printer:

  • Slower Speed

Most inkjet printers are designed for low-volume printing. Thus they may take longer to churn out large print jobs.   

The slower print speed of inkjet printers, however, is slightly mitigated by the fact that an inkjet printer can start printing as soon as the printer is turned on, without needing any warm-up time.

2. Qualities of a color laser printer

Color laser printers combine the speed of traditional monochrome laser printers with the ability to print in color. In laser printers, color is added to the page by melting toner powder onto paper.

The initial cost of laser printers may be higher than inkjet printers. Likewise, the toner cartridges used in laser printers are also pricier than the inks used in inkjet printers. However, color laser printers could still be an economical option in the long run thanks to their lower cost per page and faster print speeds.

Here is a breakdown of the main advantages and disadvantages of color laser printers.

Pros of a color laser printer:

  • Faster print speeds

Laser printers are traditionally built for speed (around 50 pages per minute!) while inkjet printers print slower at about 16-28 pages per minute.

When comparing your printer’s pages per minute (ppm) rating, do bear in mind that such ratings usually depict printing under optimal conditions—usually with documents consisting of unformatted black text sent to the printer. Once factors such as document formatting, color, and images are thrown in, print speeds will tend to slow down.

  • Cheaper printing cost per page

Everyone knows that the higher upfront costs of laser printers and toner cartridges are partially offset by their lower cost per page. This is because laser toner cartridges can print significantly more pages than inkjet cartridges—even in color.

How do we calculate the cost per page?

Cost per page is the most accurate way of measuring your printer’s cost-efficiency. To calculate your printer cartridge’s cost per page, simply take the price of the cartridge and divide it by the expected page yield of one cartridge:

For black and white printing:

cost per page = cartridge price /  cartridge page yield

For color printing:

cost per page =(black cartridge price /  black page yield) +( 3x color cartridge price / color composite page yield) + (drum price / total composite page yield)

  • High-volume print jobs

Color laser printers are known to be workhorses—they simply come built with the capacity to quickly churn out large numbers of documents and pages.

  • Good color print quality 

With the technological advancements in laser printers, the quality of the color prints has seen vast improvements in recent years. As such, whether you’re printing photos for personal use or professional use, you can expect excellent color prints from your laser printer.

Cons of a color laser printer:

  •  More suited for document printing

Color lasers are designed for printing documents. While they can also handle graphics-and-text documents like brochures and newsletters, laser printers may not be optimal for printing photographs. 

  • Larger footprint

Due to their relatively larger footprint, color laser printers function best in larger offices and other professional work settings. If space is not an issue for you, you may want to consider color lasers for your printing needs even in your home.

Quick and Easy Tips To Improve Color Print Quality

How do professional photographers and designers create high-quality color prints? This is the million-dollar question that we will address in this next section.

Vibrant color yield (RGB to CMYK Color Variances)

There are two ways to print in color: RGB or CMYK.

RGB stands for Red, Green and Blue. The RGB color mode combines these base colors in varying quantities to form just about any color you can imagine. For example, if you want to create a yellow color, you would simply combine green and red.

CMYK works quite differently from RGB—here, the printer uses subtractive colors, or Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. In CMYK mode, all of the colors are subtractive which basically means that the more colors you add together, the darker the resulting color is going to be.

When printing documents on CMYK printers, do ensure that you are creating your documents in CMYK color mode. If they are not designed in CMYK, you can convert them to CMYK through a photo editing program such as Adobe Photoshop, or layout programs such as Quark Xpress or Adobe InDesign.

Print Resolution

Print resolution is measured in DPI (dots per inch). The more dots there are in an inch of paper, the sharper the resulting image. 

Your printer needs to have a resolution of 600 dpi in order to print high-quality documents (and 1200 dpi to achieve sharp, detailed images).

When shopping around for printers, you may notice that print resolution is always shown as a set of two numbers, for example 1200 x 3600 dpi. This means the maximum resolution of that printer is 1200 multiplied by 3600 dpi.

Paper Type

Substandard paper can result in substandard color print quality so be sure not to overlook this small but important factor! Frequently, print problems such as excessive color bleeding or color dullness are mainly due to low-quality paper.   

How to Choose the Right Color Printer

Now that you’ve learned the characteristics of both color inkjet and laser printers, your next task is to choose the best color printer for your use.

1. Print Quality

If you’re expecting to print a lot of photographs on glossy or matte photo paper, a color inkjet printer may be the best fit for you as the quality of the output is superior when photo paper is used.

However, if printing on plain printer paper, the print quality of a color laser printer is on par with an inkjet printer.

2. Print Volume

Color laser printers also work well if you need to churn out many documents per day—for most home printer buyers, this usually isn’t a dealbreaker as they normally only print a few documents every few days.

Thus, as you can see, the right color printer for you really boils down to your expected print usage and your preference in terms of print quality.

Types of Color Printers from Brother 

Considering getting an inkjet or laser color printer? Take a look at these recommended models from Brother.

1. Best for Affordability

affordable ink tank printer

The DCP-T420W is an affordable color inkjet printer that offers cost savings thanks to the ultra-high-yield ink bottles; which allow you to print 7,500 pages in black and 5,000 pages in color. It also delivers professional quality prints with crisp black text and vibrant detailed images.

2. Best for Features

Best all in one printer

The DCP-T520W combines multiple functions of printing, scanning and copying into one nifty printer. It uses the same ultra high yield ink bottles as the DCP-T420W; thereby allowing you to enjoy better page yields and lower costs per page.

3. Best for Efficiency

Fast Inkjet Printer

If you have a need for speed, the HL-T4000 might be your ideal choice for a printer. It features automatic 2-sided printing, prints up to A3 size, uses ultra high yield ink bottles; and is able to print up to 22 images per minute or 35 pages per minute (in fast mode).

4. Best for Versatility and Overall Performance

Versatile and Fast Business Printer

Brother’s latest inkjet Multifunction Printers (MFPs) MFC-J3940DW delivers business-class performance at a reasonable price. With low printing costs, you can print high volumes without constantly worrying about your bottom line. Moreover, it also offers borderless A3 paper printing capabilities, so you can expand and showcase your work without having to lose any details.

5. Best for Speed

Fast color laser printer

Brother’s color laser all-in-one MFC-L9570CDW delivers excellent color performance with fast print/scan speeds. Moreover, it also offers lower cost thanks to super and ultra high-yield toners. This intelligent multi-tasking printer features a dual CIS Automatic Document Feeder; allowing you to scan up to 80 sheets directed to your preferred medium. Additionally, it also comes with advanced security features.

6. Best for Home and Small Business

Best printer for home and small office

The Brother MFC-L3750CDW color laser printer delivers superior color performance and fast print and scan speeds; making it the perfect companion for your home or small business printing needs. This workhorse is able to boost your productivity with fast color print speeds of up to 24ppm.

Conclusion

Deciding on the best color printer for your home or office will depend on your specific printing needs; and the factors that stand out the most to you. 

We hope this detailed comparison between inkjet printers and color laser printers will help you to make the right buying decision for yourself!

To find out the nearest Brother store in your region, please check our list here.

How to Drive Retail Sales with Quick and Effective Signage

How to drive retail sales with an effective signage

Every retailer knows that sales don’t happen if customers can’t find what they want. And it turns out that the best way to lead your customers to the products they’re looking for is one of the oldest: in-store signage. Printed signs and tags might not be as exciting as mixed-reality installations, digital signage and ‘click and collect’ apps, but they’re cheap, effective and, if used right, can reinforce your brand, build customer loyalty and help boost sales. Here’s how.

Signs for selling

Shopify reckons you should think of your in-store signs as “your silent but highest-selling salespeople” and suggests keeping them specific (include key details), simple (no more than five seconds to read), structured (headline, text, call to action) and direct (make sure it has a distinct goal or purpose).

Design-wise, you need to consider your branding and how it translates to signage. This includes fonts and logos, as well as creating a consistent style that’s recognisably yours. Consider the tasks you need them to perform, from basic pricing to persuasive selling, and how to produce signs that do big work for a small price.

DIY signage to build your brand

Producing catchy signage is an art. In a world saturated by advertising, you want your messages to be fresh and interesting so they ‘cut through’ and grab shoppers’ attention.

But retail can move at breakneck speeds. By the time you’ve sent your carefully crafted message off to the printers, your suppliers have released a new deal – or added a sweetener to the current offering.

This means it can be a genuine business advantage to be able to produce your own signage in-house. Not only can you create new messages faster, but you’ll also save on the cost and hassle of sending designs to a printer.

And while we love the great work a professional designer can do – and we definitely recommend it for your big campaigns and strategic marketing – there’s no reason why you can’t design tactical in-store signage yourself. Just keep in mind these rules, backed by psychological research:

  • Keep it simple.
  • Consistently use color to break through.
  • Scale the size of the sign to the environment.
  • Unique shapes generate visual interest.
  • Locate branding near the visual to create stronger brand linkage.
  • Keep headlines short.
  • Use engaging visuals.
  • Ensure the right balance between the headline and visual.

Signage printers: Bigger is better

Specifically, having an A3 printer at the ready can be a life-saver. Have you ever taped together two or four A4 sheets to make a bigger sign? Compromised on size? Lost clarity or the integrity of a design by scaling it down and printing it at the wrong size?

A good A3 printer can save you considerable time and hassle while allowing you to print visually striking signs at an effective size.

But whatever you produce, and however you produce it, one thing is for sure: if your signage isn’t working for you, you’re missing a great opportunity to build your brand, inform your customers and, ultimately, bring more people to the register.

Our market leading A3 inkjet printers have been the go-to for retails stores and restaurants to produce high-quality signage and menus, so how can we help your business?

Here’s why a compact printer is a great Work-from-Home buddy.

Compact Printers for Home

While video conferencing software, webcams, and fast internet speeds have made working from home and staying productive a lot more accessible, there are still some compromises that you must make compared to working from a physical office.

One of them is having ready access to a printing solution on hand. But with a new breed of compact, yet feature-rich printers available today, that’s all set to change.

Why print at all in a digital age?

Rather than an archaic and fading technology, printers are the ideal complement to today’s digital processes. For one, it is far easier and faster to make edits and add comments to a hardcopy document and scan it directly to your colleagues’ emails.

Additionally, printing out your weekly or daily job schedule allows you to quickly take stock of your work-in-progress without having to sort through emails and chatgroups.

For those in sales, marketing, or who own small businesses, you can even print professional-quality booklets, manuals, pamphlets, brochures and other promotional materials from the comfort of your home.

Choosing the best printer for home use

Now that we’ve explored the benefits of having a printer as a work-from-home buddy, what should you consider when choosing one?

Obviously, it should be compact enough to fit on a desktop, but there are some other important qualities that you should be looking out for.

Print Performance – When it comes to print speeds, not all desktop printers were made equal. Many budget options take a painfully long time to start up, begin printing, and to complete a print, making it a hassle to print even a single page – not to mention multiple copies of a document! So, make sure you choose a solution with a decent print speed to help boost your productivity rather than hinder it.

Running Costs – Due to their affordable prices and compact sizes, inkjet printers are often chosen for home use. However, once you start printing in greater volumes, your running costs could start to add up. To help keep that in check, consider ink tank printers like those from Brother which can be refilled via ultra high-yield ink bottles instead, as these can deliver an extremely low cost-per-page for black and white documents – all while producing impressively vibrant printouts.

Mobile & Wireless Connectivity – In this connected world, businesses have gone agile with smartphones, tablets and mobile-connected laptops. Taking full advantage of this new era of global connectivity, Brother printers with mobile and cloud solutions make it easier than ever before to scan, print, share your information wherever your business needs take you. You can even troubleshoot problems and manage your fleet remotely from the comfort of your desk.

User-friendly design – While we’ve established that having a compact printer in your home is great for productivity, it’s not all just about print speeds and connectivity. Brother’s printers are thoughtfully designed with the user in mind and come with in-built paper trays to help keep your printouts neat and tidy. And, unlike many other brands, Brother printers feature a user-friendly LCD screen, which makes performing various printing functions a breeze.

So, if you’re thinking of purchasing a printer for working-from-home, just remember; even though there’s no shortage of options around, there are only a few that can truly deliver great value, design, and productivity in a compact, affordable package – and you can find some of the best home printers right here.

Looking for upsized possibilities? Here’s why you should consider an A3 printer.

Why A3 Printer

If you are in search of a printing solution for your home or office, the common choice would most likely be the regular A4 printer. After all, they are widely available and will enable you to start printing standard documents without much fuss. As with any purchase, it would be great if you could enjoy more functionality and productivity on your investment, and that’s why we believe that you should consider getting an A3 printer instead.

A4 or A3 printers – what’s the difference?

Simply put, an A3 printer is a device which is capable of handling paper sizes up to A3 size (29.7 x 42 cm).

This means that A3 printers can not only print at up to double the dimensions of a standard A4 office document, but everything in between as well.

This gives you greater versatility when it comes to your printing options while ensuring that your everyday printing needs are well-covered too.

Make a bigger impact without the bulk

When it comes to making an impact, nothing beats a large, vibrant printout. Whether it’s creating an attention-grabbing marketing poster, a presentation chart, or even a sales brochure, having the ability to print A3 materials in-house can truly open up a world of creative possibilities.

Best of all, rather than being the bulky, space-eating devices that you might expect, today’s A3 printers and MFCs can be found in sleek, compact designs that barely take up more space than the average A4 printer, making them suitable for not only office environments, but within your home workspace too.

Types of A3 printers available

Although there are some A3 laser printer models in the market, it is much more common to find an A3 inkjet printer.

With fast print speeds of up to 28 images per minute1, the ability to print vibrant color graphics and images, crisp lines and clear text, and cost-saving features such as Brother’s Refill Tank System which allows for quick and fuss-free refills using ultra high-yield ink bottles, Brother’s inkjet printers offer a unique blend of performance, print quality, and cost-effectiveness that simply cannot be beaten.

Best of all, these modern A3 printers come packed with the latest wireless and mobile connectivity to ensure that you have the freedom to stay productive from wherever you are.

Finding the perfect A3 printer for your needs

Now that you’ve gained a better understanding of the many benefits of an A3 printing solution, where can you find the right device for your specific needs? Brother recently released its latest lineup of A3 Business Printers. Find yours today here.


1.     Based on ISO/IEC 24734.

What is an Inkjet or Laser Printer, and which is ideal for your needs?

inkjet-printers-vs-laser-printers

For someone who is looking for a printer, you may end up purchasing a printer that suits your budget but is the wrong fit for your needs if you are unsure about what to look out for.

Thankfully, this article will guide you through the benefits of both printing technologies; so that you can make an informed decision and make the right choice for your needs.

What is an inkjet printer?

Inkjet printers are one of the most readily available printing solutions around; and they work by precisely spraying millions of tiny ink drops onto the paper to form text or images.

This meant that although they produced bright and vivid color images and documents; earlier inkjet printers used to suffer from slower print speeds and the need to wait for prints to dry before handling them.

However, with major advancements in inkjet printing technology, today’s inkjet printers are capable of significantly improved print performances.

That, along with their low purchase price and compact size, make today’s inkjet printers the perfect choice for printing affordable color documents at the office, or vibrant photos at home.

Super affordable to run and maintain

While printers that use the inkjet technology have been around since the 1970s, they were generally considered to be more expensive to print on a regular basis compared to large copiers.

In recent years however, that has all changed with today’s inkjet printers being far more cost-effective to print at higher volumes.

What’s more, thanks to lower machine price, affordable ultra high capacity ink cartridges or ink bottles for ink tank printers; and vastly improved reliability to cut down on repairs and maintenance, choosing the right inkjet printing solution could be significantly lighter on your wallet than with an A3 color floor standing copier. Many are even capable of automatic 2-sided printing to help cut down on paper waste.

Brother DCP-T520W Ink Tank Printer

  • Do more in less time with fast print speed of up to 17/9.5 ipm.1 From printing professional reports to outstanding brochures, you can create business materials in no time at all.
  • Handle a variety of print jobs with a 150 sheets paper tray adjustable for different paper sizes and an additional single-sheet manual feed slot for various paper types.
  • Lower your cost per print with Brother’s Ultra High Yield Ink bottles. Print up to 7,500 pages in black and 5,000 pages in color.2
  • Print from Anywhere with flexible connectivity options. Built-in Wi-Fi and direct mobile print offer a variety of ways to print wirelessly.

A compact companion for your home or small office

One of the biggest advantages of an inkjet printer is the compact footprint that allows it to fit comfortably on a desk or shelf. This means that whether you are working from a small office space or department, or from a home office, you can enjoy the ability to print color documents and photos without sacrificing valuable space. Best of all, despite their compact size, modern inkjet solutions can pack some advanced features that will elevate your work productivity and allow you to do much more than just print documents. In fact, some inkjet A3 printers are able to print large eye-catching marketing materials while still being compact and space-saving!

Packed with productivity, connectivity and performance

One of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to inkjet printers vs color copiers is that inkjets are slow and offer less functionality. However, this simply isn’t the case anymore with modern inkjet multifunction and all-in-one printers capable of not only printing, copying, scanning and faxing, but of delivering high print speeds as well. What’s more, many inkjet printers today feature multiple connectivity options that allow you to easily connect to your printer via the built-in wireless and Ethernet connectivity. Many also feature mobile printing capabilities; allowing you to instantly print directly from your iPhone, iPad, Android™, or Windows® Mobile device through an app or through your phone’s built-in print driver – you can even scan and send documents anywhere around the world with the touch of your screen.

Professional print quality from your desk

When printing presentation documents or marketing collaterals, or even photos and images; the last thing you want are dull and flat colors. Inkjet printers are designed to deliver professional print quality that results in impressive, eye-catching prints with bold colors and fine text, and sharp, high-resolution color photos of up to 1,200 x 6,000 dpi.

Brother MFC-J3930DW Inkjet Printer

  • Fastest in its Class3 with an impressive First Print Out Time (FPOT) of 6 seconds4, 22ipm for black and 20ipm5 for color.
  • Low Cost per Page with Brother’s super high-yield InkBenefit cartridges. The InkBenefit cartridge yields up to 3,000 pages for black and 1,500 pages for color.6
  • Meet high volume print demands with a 250 sheets standard paper tray, 100 sheets multi-purpose tray; and the ability to increase paper capacity with a 250 sheets lower paper tray for a total capacity of up to 600 sheets.
  • Connectivity at your fingertips with the 3.7″ color LCD touchscreen that allows users to navigate effortlessly. Built-in Ethernet and wireless capabilities also allow you to connect all your devices to one machine for extra convenience.

What is a laser printer?

Rather than using ink drops, laser printers use focused beams to transfer text and images onto paper; allowing them to print at high speeds. This makes them ideal for large departments and enterprises that require fast, dependable, high-volume document printing on a daily basis.

These days however, laser printers are increasingly used by smaller businesses and workgroups that need a printing solution that can grow and evolve with their needs; as well as by college students for the ability to print large volumes of lecture notes quickly and reliably.

The flexibility to evolve with your needs

The traditional floor-standing copier can still be found across large enterprise departments these days. However, this is a costly and unpractical option for smaller businesses or home users.

Instead, today’s business mono laser printers offers versatile alternatives that can be expanded with optional paper trays and accessories; allowing you to increase your input capacity and add mailboxes to sort and collate to adapt to your evolving needs.

Enjoy more ways to connect and print

Just like with modern inkjet printers, the latest laser printers offer a variety of connectivity options allowing you to easily share your device with colleagues or family members.

Whether it’s through the built-in wireless or Ethernet connectivity, or through mobile printing capabilities; you can effortlessly connect and print however you wish. For business users, you can even look for NFC-enabled printers for hassle-free printing and scanning with just a tap.

Performance that boosts productivity

When it comes to home or office printing, print speeds are often considered as a printer’s most important characteristics. However, while laser printers do offer speedy print performance for both color and black prints, there are other crucial benefits to consider as well.

These include the ability to create shortcuts for common, everyday tasks that can be executed with a single touch; the capacity to multitask and perform other tasks even when there’s an ongoing print job; or the time-saving convenience of scanning a stack of documents with an automatic document feeder.

Brother DCP-L2550DW Laser Printer

  • Impressive print performance with business-class print and copy speeds of up to 34ppm; and fast first page out in less than 8.5 seconds.
  • Keep your running costs low with high-yield 3,000-page replacement toner cartridges that deliver lower costs-per-page.6
  • Expanded paper handling capacity allows you to stay productive longer with a 250-sheet default paper tray and 50-sheet ADF.
  • Print conveniently from anywhere with wireless and mobile printing connectivity for on-the-go business productivity.

Reliable and affordable to run and maintain

The biggest hidden costs from printing, are the toner and paper supplies, repairs, and maintenance. But with our advanced laser printers, expect a host of cost-saving technologies implemented to help keep those costs in check.

Features like automatic duplex printing that helps cut paper wastage by 50%; a toner save mode to reduce frequent toner replacements; and high-yield toner supplies that offer significant savings on the cost of each printed page.

What’s more, with its award-winning commitment to reliability and durability; Brother printers are robust and dependable devices that cut down on costly repairs, maintenance, and downtime.

Brother MFC-L8690CDW Laser Printer

  • Reduce your total cost of ownership with ultra high-yield cartridges that deliver up to 9,000 pages of printing.
  • Protect What Matters to Your Business with advanced security capabilities (SFL 3.0, Active Directory) which authorize users and functions.
  • Advanced Paper Handling that grows with your business. Expand your paper input through the optional 250 or 500 sheets paper trays.
  • Wirelessly print from any device with Brother iPrint&Scan, Apple’s AirPrint™, Mopria™ and Google Cloud Print™.

Discover the perfect printer for your home and office

After learning the differences between inkjets and laser printers, the next step is choosing the best option for your needs.

Thankfully, Brother has a range of inkjet and laser printers to meet the needs of any home or small office.

Start adding greater productivity into your life and find yours today at https://www.brother.ae/en/products/all-printers.


1. Based on ISO/IEC 24734. For more information, please refer to www.brother.com/rd/printspeed

2. Quoted approx. yields are extrapolated based on Brother original methodology using Test Pattern ISO/IEC 24712. Quoted approx. yields are not based on ISO/IEC 24711.

3. Accurate at time of print

4. Based on ISO/IEC 24734

5. Based on ISO/ICE 17629

6. Approximate cartridge yield is declared in accordance with ISO/IEC 24711

The Perfect Printer To Suit Your Lifestyle or Business

printing at home

Which Printer Should You Buy? Fit Them To Your Lifestyle Or Business Needs

Are you still searching for the perfect printer? Which printer should you buy for your family at home, a home office, a corporate office with multiple users, or business?

Having too many choices can be confusing. This is why we’ve done the legwork for you and curated a list of Brother printers that perfectly suit these 7 different personal and professional uses:

  1. Families with student kids
  2. Home office (work from home)
  3. Corporate office with multiple users
  4. Industrial/Manufacturing production work
  5. Budget friendly
  6. Techies
  7. Photography fanatics

1. Families with student kids

Growing up in a household equipped with a printer makes family and school life so much easier. You can print out handwriting/coloring worksheets, mazes, and puzzles for your younger kids, while your older children can print articles and school assignments at the click of a button.

If you have school-going children under your wing, your ideal printer should be able to handle a wide variety of needs, such as:

  • Printing in color
  • Photocopying worksheets and assignments
  • Scanning artworks and articles
  • Printing multiple pages of reports, double-sided
  • Printing from a mobile device

Considering the diversity of needs, an all-in-one printer may be your best bet.

Home Family Printer

Brother MFC-T920DW Ink Tank Printer:

  • Able to print, scan, copy, and fax
  • Has up to 6 sec (Mono) / 6.5 sec (Color) first print-out time
  • Has automatic 2-sided printing
  • Holds up to 150 sheets in the standard paper tray
  • Holds up to 80 sheets in the Multi-Purpose Tray
  • Holds up to 20 sheets Automatic Document Feeder
  • Has wireless connectivity
  • Supports mobile printing with Brother iPrint&Scan, Apple AirPrint, Mopria, Wi-Fi Direct
  • Has up to 1,200 x 6,000 dpi print quality

Say goodbye to expensive printing costs from print shops! With this versatile printer, your family can enjoy effortless printing at home.

2. Home office (work from home)

The best printers for home offices are ones that are able to keep up with your business workload. You may need to scan invoices, print reports, photocopy documents or fax secure information to a coworker, a client or a supplier. Having a printer that can support your workflow will maximize your work efficiency and save you unnecessary headaches.

In choosing the best printer for your home office, you should keep an eye out for the following qualities: 

  • Fast printing speed for work efficiency
  • Automatic duplex printing and scanning for productivity
  • Large paper capacity to reduce frequency of reloads
  • Printing from different devices—mobile, laptop & tablet

To achieve optimal work efficiency and productivity, you should choose a multifunction printer.

Brother MFC-L3750CDW Laser Printer:

  • Able to print, scan, copy and, fax
  • Has automatic 2-sided printing and scanning
  • Has fast color print speed: up to 24ppm
  • Has fast scan speed: up to 27ipm
  • Has multi-tasking capabilities
  • Holds up to 250-sheet default paper tray
  • Holds up to 50-sheet Dual CIS Auto Document Feeder
  • Holds up to 30-sheet manual feed slot
  • Has integrated NFC and USB reader
  • Has wireless and mobile connectivity
  • 3.7” LCD touchscreen to support easy-to-program shortcuts

With this printer in your home office, you can look forward to enjoying a fuss-free and more productive workflow.

3. Corporate office with multiple users

In a workplace with multiple staff, you’ll need to be able to set up a large printer network for different users. Each user may have different needs, ranging from printing and photocopying, to scanning and faxing.

Your printer will also need to be easily accessible by users across the office, either through wired or wireless network connections. The perfect printer for medium to large enterprises also needs to cater to many users and be able to keep up with multiple print jobs.

Essential things to look out for include:

  • Network connectivity for multiple users
  • Printer sharing across multiple users
  • Fast printing speed for work efficiency
  • Automatic duplex printing and scanning for productivity
  • Large paper capacity to reduce frequency of reloads
  • High-volume & low-cost printing
  • Reliability to prevent downtime

To ensure maximum efficiency and minimal fuss, the best printer for your corporate office is a multifunction center or a business printer.

Brother MFC-L8690CDW Laser Printer:

  • Has automatic 2-sided print, scan, copy, and fax
  • Has Gigabit Ethernet and wireless connectivity
  • Has up to 31/33 ppm print and copy speed
  • Has up to 28/28 ipm scan speed
  • Holds up to 250 sheets Input Tray (Standard)
  • Holds up to 50 sheets Multi-Purpose Tray
  • Holds up to 250 sheets Output Tray
  • Ultra high-yield toner available (BK & C/M/Y 9,000 pages each)
  • Drum available (30,000 pages)
office inkjet printer

Brother MFC-J3930DW Inkjet Printer:

  • Has automatic 2-sided print, scan, copy, and fax
  • Connectivity includes: Wireless Network, Wi-Fi Direct, Mobile Print, WebConnect, Brother Cloud Apps & NFC
  • Print speed of up to 22ipm (mono) and 20ipm (color)
  • Copy speed of up to 12ipm (mono) and 9ipm (color)
  • Scan speed from 2.7 seconds (A4 size, 100×100 dpi)
  • Fax speed 33.6 kbps
  • Holds up to 250 sheets Input Tray (Standard)
  • Holds up to 250 sheets Lower Paper Tray
  • Holds up to 100 sheets Multi-Purpose Tray
  • Holds up to 100 sheets (A4) and 50 sheets (A3) Output Tray
  • Super high-yield ink cartridges available (BK up to 3,000 pages & C/M/Y up to 1,500 pages)

Investing in a reliable printer will help to create a seamless experience for your staff and boost the productivity of the company.

4. Industrial / Manufacturing production work

When your business heavily relies on printing work, the quality of these prints is of the utmost importance. The costs can easily add up when printing large volumes of fliers, brochures, posters and pamphlets. Hence, you need to carefully balance between the cost-efficiency and the quality of these prints.

The ideal printer should be able to keep your print quality high and running costs low.

  • High print quality to ensure business standards
  • Fast printing speed for production efficiency
  • Versatile print trays for different-sized prints
  • Multiple types of print media
  • High-yield cartridges to keep high-volume printing affordable

The perfect printer to keep your production work running smoothly is a high-capacity multi-function center.

industrial laser printer

Brother MFC-L6900DW Laser Printer:

  • Able to print, scan, copy, and fax
  • Automatic 2-sided monochrome printing
  • Has up to 50/52 ppm print speed
  • Has up to 1200 x 1200 dpi print quality
  • Has N-in-1 Printing
  • Media types include: Poster Printing, Watermark Printing & Header-Footer Printing (Windows® only)
  • Holds paper sizes of 76.2 to up to 215.9 mm (W) X 127 to 355.6 mm (L)
  • Media sizes include: A4, Letter, A5, A5(Long Edge), A6, Executive, Legal, Folio, Mexico Legal, India Legal
  • Ultra high-yield toner available (up to 20,000 pages)
  • Drum available (up to 30,000 pages)

Alternatively, if color is required, you can consider the following:

industrial ink tank printer

Brother MFC-T4500DW Ink Tank Printer:

  • Able to print, scan, copy, and fax
  • Automatic 2-sided monochrome / colored printing
  • Has up to 22 ipm (mono) & 20 ipm (color) print speed
  • Has up to 1200 x 4800 dpi print quality
  • Holds up to 250 sheets Input Tray (Standard)
  • Holds up to 100 sheets Multi-Purpose Tray
  • Holds up to 100 sheets (up to A4/letter) & 50 sheets (over A4/letter) Output Tray
  • Media types include: Plain, Inkjet, Glossy (cast/resin), Recycled
  • Media sizes include: A3, A4, LGR, LTR, EXE, LGL, Folio, A5, A6, Photo(102x152mm/4×6″), Index card (127x203mm/5×8″), Photo-2L(127x178mm/5×7″), C5 Envelope, Com-10, DL Envelope, Monarch
  • Ultra high-yield ink available (BK up to 6,500 pages & C/M/Y up to 5,000 Pages)

Owning such a printer might mean a bigger upfront investment but lower running costs and improved productivity.

5. Budget friendly

Looking for a pocket-friendly printer? Do not just rush to buy the cheapest printer on the market. Here’s why: The costs of consumables can add up to a hefty amount over time!

Instead, you should carefully consider both the printer cost as well as the cost of its consumables to find out which printer is the most economical over a specific timeframe.

Your usage of the printer may not be heavy duty, but you still need one that is cost efficient. Hence, the printer you choose should have these characteristics:

  • Low average cost of printer and consumables 
  • Low-maintenance printer 
  • Small in size

A low cost and reliable printer may be just what you need:

cost efficient laser monochrome printer

Brother DCP-L2550DW Laser Printer:

  • Able to print, scan, and copy
  • Automatic 2-sided monochrome printing
  • Has energy saving mode
  • Has toner saving mode
  • High-yield toner available (up to 3,000 pages)
  • Drum available (up to 12,000 pages)
  • Dimensions: 410 x 398.5 x 318.5 mm (W x D x H)
  • Weight: 11.8kg
cost efficient refill ink tank printer

Brother DCP-T420W Refill Tank Printer:

  • Able to print, scan, and copy
  • Ultra high-yield ink available (BK up to 7,500 pages & C/M/Y up to 5,000 Pages)
  • Dimensions: 435 x 439 x 195 mm (W x D x H)
  • Weight: 9.7kg

The good news is you won’t be burning a hole in your pocket with these printers!

6. Techies

Do you want a technologically advanced printer that makes your life easier, more productive and fuss-free? In this digital age, connectivity is one of the defining successes of our era.

Maybe you want a printer that can print anything from anywhere or one that can easily manage your print jobs according to your everyday tasks.

With various technologies combined, this printer should have advanced features to meet all your modern needs:

  • Network connectivity in multiple forms like wifi or the ethernet.
  • Control remotely, possibly through your mobile device
  • Intuitive (so you can avoid reading the manual!)
  • Modern technology such as touch screen
  • Memory function for repeated tasks
  • Automated tasks to replace usual manual ones
  • Fast printing speed

Meet the most advanced printers in our collection:

Brother MFC-L9570CDW Laser Printer:

  • Automatic 2-sided print, scan, copy, and fax
  • Connectivity includes:
    • Hi Speed 2.0 USB
    • Gigabit Ethernet (10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T)
    • Wireless (IEEE 802.11b/g/n)
    • WiFi Direct (IEEE 802.11g/n)
    • WebConnect (Brother Cloud Apps)
    • NFC (Card Reader / Print&Scan / Link to Solutions Center / NFC Shortcut)
  • Up to 31/33 ppm print and copy speed
  • Up to 28/28 ipm scan speed
  • 2.5 sec fax transmission speed
  • 600 x 600 dpi, 2,400 dpi class (2,400 x 600) print quality
  • Has secure print function
  • Display: 17.6cm TFT Color LCD Touchscreen
  • 1GB memory space
  • Supported Operating Systems include:
    • Windows: Server 2008 (Network only), Server 2008 R2 (Network only), 7, 8, 8.1,
    • Server 2012 (Network only), Server 2012 R2 (Network only),10, Server 2016 (Network only)
    • Mac: OS v10.10.5, 10.11.x, 10.12 (Download only)
    • Linux: CUPS, LPD/LPRng (x86/x64 environment)
smart inkjet printer

Brother MFC-J3930DW Inkjet Printer:

  • Able to print, scan, copy, and fax
  • Automatic 2-sided printing and copying
  • Connectivity includes:
    • Wireless Network (IEEE 802.11b/g/n)
    • Wi-Fi Direct (IEEE 802.11g/n)
    • Mobile Print (Brother iPrint&Scan, Airprint, Mopria, Google Cloud Print)
    • WebConnect (Brother Cloud Apps)
    • NFC (Card Reader / Print&Scan / Link to Solutions Center)
  • Up to 22ipm (mono) and 20ipm (color) print speed
  • Up to 12ipm (mono) and 9ipm (color) copy speed
  • From 2.7 seconds (A4 size, 100×100 dpi) scan speed
  • 33.6 kbps fax transmission speed
  • Up to 1200×4800 dpi print quality
  • Display: 3.7” LCD Touchscreen
  • 256MB memory space
  • Supported Operating Systems include:
    • Windows: Vista / 7 / 8 / 8.1 / 10 / Server 2008 / Server 2008 R2 / Server 2012 / Server 2012 R2
    • Mac: OS X v10.9.5 / 10.10.x / 10.11.x

With these printers, you will be breezing through your print jobs in the least amount of time and effort!

7. Photography fanatics

As a photographer, colors, shadows and light are key elements in your photographic art pieces. In order to do justice to these details, the quality and resolution of your printer is of the essence. As such, your needs are specific to its output quality.

  • Vibrant and high quality color prints
  • Photo quality inks that are long-lasting and smudge-proof
  • Allow printing across a range of sizes
  • Allow printing from camera, laptop, phone, tablet

The following printer will help to bring your photographs to life.

photo ink tank printer

Brother HL-T4000DW Ink Tank Printer:

  • Able to print, scan, copy, and fax
  • Automatic 2-sided printing
  • Up to 1200×4800 dpi print quality & 1200×6000 dpi PhotoCapture Centre print quality
  • Allow for borderless printing
  • Allow for color enhancement (Brother image enhancement)
  • Connectivity includes:
    • Hi Speed 2.0 USB
    • Wireless Network (IEEE 802.11b/g/n)
    • Wi-Fi Direct (IEEE 802.11g/n)
    • Mobile Print (Brother iPrint&Scan, Airprint, Mopria, Google Cloud Print)
  • Media types: Plain, Inkjet, Glossy(Cast/Resin), Recycled
  • Media sizes: A3, A4,LGR, LTR, EXE, LGL, Folio, A5, A6, Photo(102x152mm/4×6″), Indexcard(127x203mm/5×8″), Photo-2L(127x178mm/5×7″), C5 Envelope, Com-10, DL Envelope, Monarch

Using this printer will guarantee that the quality of your artworks will never be compromised.

Discover the latest all in one printer that is perfect for your home or office printing needs!

How to Print Photos From Your Phone With a Portable Printer

Affordable Photo Printer

Looking for a Nifty Photo Printer? We’ve Got You Covered

Picture this — You’ve taken tons of photos of your kids, your family home, and even your two cats. You’ve shared them on social media, and occasionally, get to relive those special moments as you scroll through the memories that your smartphone throws up.

Wouldn’t it be nice to hold physical prints of those precious photos in your hand? Or to frame your priceless captures to be hung on that empty wall in the hallway?

In today’s Internet, smartphone and wireless-powered age, making physical photo prints can be as easy as snapping your fingers. You can send photos directly to your home printer (no computer or wires needed), or better still, print photos on a portable printer with a few taps on your phone.

Thinking about investing in a portable photo printer? Photo printers in UAE come in all shapes, sizes, and specifications. How do you buy the right photo printer for your home or office? What kind of inks do you need to consider? More importantly, what features should you consider?

In this article, you’ll learn all about the different types of photo-friendly portable printers, how to choose a portable printer, as well as the range of printers small and lightweight enough to be easily transported yet robust enough to handle your everyday printing needs.

Types of Portable Printers

Portable printers come in three main flavors:

  • Inkjet Printers: These are the most common portable printers, and are commonly used for home printing of photos and other image-based documents.
  • Dye-sublimation Printers: While dye-sublimation printers in commercial settings tend to be larger in footprint, there are a few such printers designed for portability and accurate photography reproduction.
  • Pocket Photo Printers: These are specifically made for printing photographs, and are often carried around for events like weddings, parties and other occasions where “instant” photos are needed.

If you need to print out documents as well as photos, an inkjet printer is likely to be your best bet.

Dye-sublimation printers, on the other hand, are more specialized printers. Used to produce high-quality photo prints, they are ideal for professional photographers. The downside is that such printers are expensive and are not suitable for printing text documents.

Meanwhile, pocket photo printers are more suited for once-off uses — such printers are unable to handle a large variety of printing jobs.

Now size can be misleading — you might think that the smaller the printer, the cheaper it is. This simply isn’t the case. On the contrary, portable printers that have an extremely small footprint may cost more than larger multifunction printers.

portable printer brother

Brother DCP-T520W is one of Brother’s most popular ink tank printers, suited for printing high-quality and long-lasting photos, while also capable of handling document printing jobs.

This refillable ink tank printer features a transparent cover that allows for easy front access to the embedded ink tank, and handles a variety of print jobs speedily and efficiently. With a document print speed of up to 17/9.5 inch per min (ipm), this nifty printers will empower you to print more in less time. It also works with Brother’s Ultra High Yield Ink bottles, which roughly translates to 7,500 pages in black and 5,000 pages in color!

Considering a pocket photo printer?

The Kodak Photo Printer Mini is a pocket-sized printer that can print wallet-sized photos from iOS or Android devices.

At just 0.9 by 3 by 6 inches, the Mini’s star quality is definitely its portability. You can easily slip it into a handbag or even a large pocket, making it a useful companion for parties or events where you want to snap photos and give out to friends.

How Does Portable Printing Work?

Most portable printers in the market today come with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology to enable seamless communication with your laptop, smartphone or tablet.

Some of these are also battery-powered, which allows for even more freedom in printing documents, photos and other materials when you are on-the-go.

In short, portable mobile printing no longer requires you to lug heavy printer cables to connect from your device to a printer. What a relief!

What To Look Out For in a Portable Printer

In this section, you will learn all about the key features and functionalities of portable printers, as well as what you should consider prior to buying a portable photo printer.

Size/Portability of Portable Printers

Portability is one of the biggest decision-making factors when choosing a portable printer. While they may be easier to carry, smaller printers usually result in a trade-off in print quality. Hence, you have to balance the need for easy transportation with your ideal print quality output.

While small pocket-sized printer options do exist, you will experience some limitations in your print sizes. In the long run, you may get more bang for your buck by investing in a compact desk printer that can handle document printing while printing consistently high-quality photos.

Print Resolution of Portable Printers

Most photo printers — be they inkjets, sublimation-dye, or pocket-sized — offer good resolution, providing better-quality prints relative to traditional printers. A photo printer with a resolution of 1,200 x 3,600 dpi or even higher would suffice for crisp-looking photos and images.

Inkless vs. Ink Cartridges

Another important consideration is the type of cartridges or ink used.

Today, most printers use Zero Ink (or Zink for short), which involves embedded dyes in the photo paper itself. Zink saves money in the long-run but has trade-offs in print resolution or the ability to reproduce a rich black color.

A traditional inkjet printer, on the other hand, shoots microscopic dots of ink to produce an image or a printed page. Only the necessary ink for the image is used, and the remaining ink in the cartridge can be used for subsequent prints.

For Brother ink tank printers that work with ultra high-yield ink bottles, you can enjoy printing up to 7,500 pages in black and 5,000 pages in color on a single round of ink bottle!

A dye sublimation printer works by heating a special ribbon containing solid inks. The ink sublimates (becomes a gas without liquefying first), laying down varying amounts of the three primary colors onto the paper. The gas then solidifies on the page, resulting in full-color images.

The dye sublimation process tends to result in lower efficiency in terms of ink: the printer transfers only a portion of the ribbon’s color panels onto the page. The ink that remains on the panel cannot be reused.

color print photos

Paper used in Portable Printing

Inkjet printers work with copier paper, envelopes, labels and other forms of office media. They offer greater flexibility as inkjet printers can accommodate specialty paper with matte or glossy finishes for photo printing.

Dye sublimation printers, on the other hand, require specially-coated paper. Beyond postcards and photo prints, dye sublimation printers can also be used to print novelty items such as T-shirts and tote bags. All these are fine and dandy at the beginning but your printing costs can chalk up quite easily.

Print Speed of Portable Printers

If you require high-volume printing, look out for print speeds shorter than 10-15 seconds per print when you choose your portable printer.

The longer the print time, the slower your workflow will be.

Wireless or Mobile Connectivity

There are several ways to connect to a printer. Some printers offer direct connections to your computer, laptop or mobile device using a USB port, while also supporting Bluetooth or WiFi.

Most printers will also support both Android and iOS devices. Remember to consider the devices you would be using with your portable printer, and double-check the compatibility before making a purchase.

Price of Portable Printers

How much do portable printers cost? Well, it varies. Do remember though that cost price only covers the printer and the initial round of ink, and excludes the costs of consumables such as paper (or other media) and ink, as well as their power consumption.

Be sure to include the longer-term costs of these consumables in your budgetary considerations.

How to Print Photos From Your Phone

There are various ways to print photos directly from your smartphone.

Apple Airprint

For iPhone users, Apple Airprint is the easiest, most fuss-free way to print from your device to any wireless printer that is on the same wireless network. You do not even need to download and install additional software (drivers).

Here is a step-by-step guide:

  • Make sure your phone and your printer are on the same Wi-Fi network
  • Open the Photos or Gallery app
  • Select the photo you wish to print and tap the Share icon
  • Scroll down the options and select ‘Print’
  • Tap on Select Printer
  • Select your printer from the list
  • Change the paper size, if necessary, specify the number of copies), and send your print job off!

Major printer makers—such as Brother, Canon, and HP—cover iOS devices and are compatible with AirPrint.

For Android users, you can utilize a range of wireless apps for direct printing from most printer vendors. There are also printing apps, such as Mopria Print, that you can download and use.

Brother iPrint&Scan

Whether you are team iOS or team Android, Brother’s iPrint&Scan app allows you to print or scan effortlessly from your smartphone, tablet, or notebook – without the hassle of wires.

The app also comes with a range of advanced features such as document editing, faxing, and machine status updates.

iPrint&Scan is also compatible with AirPrint, Mopria, and Windows Mobile Print.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to choose a photo printer, and are acquainted with the key essentials that make a good portable photo printer, what will your choice be?

A pocket photo printer for fun and spontaneous moments or a practical desktop inkjet printer that can meet your other printing needs as well as churn out good quality photos before you can even say “Cheese”?

Let us know which you prefer!

Confused About Auto Duplex Printing On Laser Printer? Here’s how

How to do Auto Duplex Printing

Clueless about auto duplex printing on laser printers? Don’t worry we’ve got you covered. Auto duplex printing is basically printing on two sides of the paper automatically. Yes, it means that you don’t have to flip the pages manually when you want two-sided printed pages.

But how do you do that? Is there a special switch that you need to flip? Read on to find out!

Manual VS Auto Duplex Laser Printer

Manual duplex printing can achieve the same result as automatic duplex printing — the only difference is that you will have to turn the page over yourself to print the other side.

On the other hand, in auto duplex printing, the printer does the flipping for you. This saves you time, money, effort, and paper!

An auto duplex laser printer helps you to enjoy higher print quality, faster print speeds, cleaner prints, lower print costs, and more efficient printing.

Check out some of Brother’s best Laser Duplex Printers:

Here are some additional tips to enhance your printing efficiency:

Two Ways to Optimize Printing Speed

1. Use a Laser Printer

Compared to inkjet printers, laser printers usually print more quickly, regardless of whether your prints are in color or monochrome (black and white).

2. Use Auto Duplex

As mentioned previously, auto duplex printing saves you the hassle of manually flipping the pages. Just press print, make yourself a cup of coffee, and come back with double-sided prints!

How To Do Auto Duplex Printing

Setting up duplex printing can change your printing routine and reduce costs. All you have to do is to follow the steps below:

Windows

1. Select the print command in your application. Click File > Print – options may vary depending on your application.

2. Select Brother HL-XXXX Series (where XXXX is the name of your model) and click Properties or Preferences button.

Some programs have a different Print window and Properties or Preferences may not be listed. You may need to click on another button (ex. Setup) or tab before accessing the printer driver settings.

3. Next to Duplex / Booklet, select ‘Duplex’.

4. Click the Duplex Settings button.

5. Select the desired Duplex Type – Portrait/Landscape.

6. Select Binding Offset if you want to specify the offset for binding in inches or millimeters.

7. Change any other printer driver settings if desired.

8. Select OK and Print.

Mac

  1. Select the print command in your application. Click File > Print – options may vary depending on your application.

2. Select Brother HL-XXXX Series

3. If Printer and Presets are the only options on the Print Window, click the Show Details button on the bottom to expand the Print Window. Then, click the blue down arrow to the right of the printer name to expand the Print Window.

4. Click on the drop menu (Copies and pages or the name of the application and click on Layout).

5. Choose ‘Long-edge binding’ or ‘Short-edge binding’.

6. Change any other printer driver settings if desired.

7. Click Print to print the document.