The Brother HL-L3295CDW is a fast and efficient color laser printer designed for home offices and small businesses. If you need vibrant color documents, reports with charts, and sharp images, this printer might be the perfect fit. This review dives into the HL-L3295CDW’s performance, features, and value to help you decide if it’s the right printer for your needs.
Design and Features
The color touchscreen of Brother
The Brother HL-L3295CDW is a compact, off-white single-function printer with a footprint of 17.6 by 15.7 inches and a height of 10.8 inches. Despite its small size, it’s a robust machine weighing 36.8 pounds. The output bin is conveniently located on top, contributing to its compact design.
A 2.7-inch color touchscreen sits on the top left, fixed at a 20-degree angle. While this angle is suitable for standing use, it can be difficult to view when seated. An adjustable screen would have been a welcome improvement.
For added convenience and security, the front left side houses a USB-A port for thumb drives, topped by an NFC card reader. While perhaps unnecessary for home use, this NFC feature is valuable in a shared office environment.
The printer boasts a 250-sheet main paper tray and a 30-sheet multipurpose tray for envelopes and labels, eliminating the need for frequent paper swaps. Connectivity options include USB-B, Ethernet, and dual-band Wi-Fi.
Printing Performance and Quality
Brother
The HL-L3295CDW offers impressive speed, printing up to 31 pages per minute (ppm). While faster than the Canon imageClass MF654cdw (22 ppm), it’s slightly slower than the Canon imageClass MF753cdw (35 ppm). It’s important to note that both Canon models are all-in-one printers, while the HL-L3295CDW is solely a printer.
This Brother printer delivers excellent color document quality with duplex printing for paper saving. While images are generally good, this isn’t ideal for photo printing, as colors can appear slightly washed out. Inkjet printers remain superior for photo printing.
Brother
Monochrome printing is both sharp and fast, with a first-page-out time of around 13 seconds. The robust media tray handles various paper types, including envelopes, labels, and thicker stock, though some curling was observed, particularly with heavier paper.
Scalability and Business-centric Features
The HL-L3295CDW
Designed for scalability, the HL-L3295CDW supports an optional second paper tray, increasing capacity to 500 sheets. The printer stacks neatly on top of this expansion tray.
The USB drive port enables direct printing without software installation, while the NFC card reader adds a layer of security for business environments. The Brother Mobile Connect app allows remote printing, toner level checks, and supply ordering. Cloud printing from services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and Evernote is also supported.
Software, Compatibility, and Setup
The HL-L3295CDW could print envelopes from my computer but not my phone.
Setup is straightforward, with toner cartridges pre-installed. The printer is compatible with both Windows and Mac computers, ensuring seamless integration. Mobile connectivity with iOS and Android devices is also available via the Brother app.
However, printing envelopes from mobile devices presented a challenge, as the No. 10 envelope size was unavailable in the app or via AirPrint.
Pricing and Running Costs
The HL-L3295CDW comes with thousands of pages worth of toner.
The HL-L3295CDW retails for around $370, making it a more affordable option compared to similar all-in-one models. The printer offers standard, high-yield, and super-high-yield toner cartridges, impacting long-term costs.
The included standard-yield color cartridges print approximately 1,200 pages, while the starter high-yield black cartridge yields around 2,300 pages. Opting for high-yield or super-high-yield cartridges significantly reduces the cost per page.
Final Verdict
The Brother HL-L3295CDW is a reliable color laser printer with robust business features and scalability options. While the fixed display and lack of swipe gestures are minor drawbacks, its speed, print quality, and cost-effectiveness make it a strong contender for small businesses. However, users primarily needing photo printing or seamless mobile envelope printing might want to explore other options.
