For small business owners and home offices seeking a robust and efficient printing solution, the Brother MFC-L3780CDW colour laser all-in-one printer emerges as a top-tier upgrade. While it represents a greater investment than some alternatives, its enhanced speed, superior print quality, and expanded features justify the cost for users with demanding printing, scanning, and even faxing needs. In the realm of colour laser printers offering comprehensive productivity features akin to leading inkjet models, the MFC-L3780CDW stands out as a competitively priced option.
Brother MFC-L3780CDW, our upgrade pick for the best laser multifunction colour printer, highlighting its speed and advanced features for business use.
Despite its generally user-friendly menu navigation, individuals with visual impairments might encounter challenges with the interface. The black menu bar at the footer tends to blend into the black display screen, potentially hindering visibility. However, the Brother MFC-L3780CDW compensates with a generous 250-sheet paper tray capacity and a robust 4,000-page monthly duty cycle, readily accommodating the demands of most small and home office environments.
Exceptional Print Speed and Quality
The Brother MFC-L3780CDW excels in print speed, boasting an impressive output of up to 31 pages per minute, according to Brother’s specifications. This significantly surpasses the 22 ppm average observed in our tests with the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301fdw, our leading pick in another category. In terms of print quality, the MFC-L3780CDW maintains comparable text sharpness and graphics crispness to the 3301fdw, delivering consistently clear and professional documents without banding. Like most laser printers, it may render images with a slightly flatter appearance. For users prioritizing photo printing, dedicated photo printers might be a more suitable choice.
However, in direct comparison to top-rated inkjet all-in-one printers, the MFC-L3780CDW demonstrates limitations in reproducing high-fidelity prints from scanned documents. Graphics often appear somewhat duller compared to the original source files, a characteristic inherent in laser printing technology across different brands and models.
Built for Durability and High-Volume Tasks
The MFC-L3780CDW is engineered for longevity and can handle substantial print volumes with minimal wear and tear. Its rapid spooling capability and a recommended monthly duty cycle of 4,000 pages—nearly double the 2,500 pages of the 3301fdw—make it well-suited for demanding home offices and small businesses with multiple users. This higher duty cycle ensures reliable performance even during peak periods like audit season, allowing for thousands of pages to be printed without stressing the machine.
Standalone Functionality and Versatile Media Handling
For situations requiring quick prints without computer access, the MFC-L3780CDW offers a convenient USB port. It supports direct printing of various file formats including JPEGs, PDFs, and TIFFs, and also enables saving scans directly to USB drives. Furthermore, this printer adeptly manages diverse media sizes. The foldout bypass paper tray accommodates letter, legal, executive, and postcard-size media, while the automatic document feeder also supports legal-size documents, enhancing its versatility for various printing tasks.
Enhanced Security Features
Security is a paramount feature of the MFC-L3780CDW, positioning it as a more secure option than many inkjet and laser printers tested. Mirroring other laser printer selections, it incorporates firmware integrity and encryption protocols, mitigating the risk of unauthorized access. Additional security measures include directory authentication, secure fax holding until credential entry, and role-based access control for multi-user environments. An integrated NFC card reader further bolsters security, enabling badge authentication for print job release in workplaces utilizing NFC-compatible badges.
Economical Operation Over Time
The long-term operational costs of the MFC-L3780CDW are notably economical, especially when utilizing super-high-yield toner cartridges. Per-page printing costs approximate 2.5¢ for black and white and 12.9¢ for colour, rendering it more cost-effective than the 3301fdw and comparable to the black-printing costs of recommended monochrome Brother models. While the initial investment for super-high-yield toner cartridges is substantial at around $530, users can opt for lower-capacity high-yield or standard-yield cartridges (priced at $402 or $290 respectively) to reduce upfront costs, albeit with a corresponding increase in per-print expenses.
User-Friendly Interface with Minor Drawback
The colour touchscreen interface of this printer is designed for ease of use, proving less cumbersome than interfaces found on some competing models. However, a potential usability concern exists: the touchscreen features a black-background footer, which testers with limited vision found difficult to see, unlike the monochrome Brother MFC-L2900DW which has a more visible interface.
Warranty Considerations
Brother provides a one-year warranty for the MFC-L3780CDW, which is less extensive than some competitors in this printer class. Canon, for instance, offers a three-year warranty on its home-office machines, and HP includes on-site service within one business day in its one-year warranty. Nevertheless, Brother offers the option to purchase extended warranties for the MFC-L3780CDW, starting at $103, which encompass free repairs at authorized service centers or next-business-day shipping of a refurbished replacement unit.
