Brother MFC-885CW Ink Cartridges

Brother MFC-885CW Printer Review

The Brother MFC-885CW can print documents, send a scan, create a duplicate and receive a fax, but due to its low price and fairly simplistic design, this multifunction inkjet device is only a good solution for home offices. While its output performance is slow when comparing it to more advanced small office units, the MFC-885CW's ability to print up to 22 pages per minute for monochrome documents and 20 pages per minute for color make it relatively quick for home use. Although features like its small media capacity and low-yielding Brother MFC-885CW printer ink will limit this device to light-duty use, it benefits from a user-friendly interface and inexpensive 4-in-1 functionality.

The MFC-885CW's features are spread evenly across its multiple functions, providing users with a numeric pad and phone handset for faxing, a 10-sheet automatic document feeder for unattended scanning and dedicated buttons for standalone copying. Much of the tools for managing jobs can be found on its large control panel, which includes a 4.2-inch color LCD that can be used to preview documents and navigate menus, buttons to choose whether a copy needs to be color or monochrome and to select the destination for a scan. The panel also comes with a memory card slot that supports direct photo printing and a PictBridge port for direct connection with a camera.

The MFC-885CW measures just 18x14x7 inches, which makes it a much more sensible and compact solution for multifunction needs than users purchasing multiple devices. However, this means the device needs to cut down on certain features such as its media handling, which includes only one input tray that can store a maximum of 100 pages.

Each function's output performance is good enough to support internal jobs, with the scanner achieving a maximum interpolated resolution of 19,200x19,200 dpi and documents copying with a detailed resolution of 1200x600 dpi. The device can print anything from text documents to full-color photos with sharp detail and a maximum resolution of 6000x1200 dpi.

The unit's print system uses 4 printer ink colors that are located in separate Brother MFC-885CW ink cartridges, which means users can save money by replacing them individually. Each cyan, magenta and yellow supply can yield up to 400 pages, while the black Brother MFC-885CW ink cartridge has a maximum capacity of 500 pages.

There was once a time when all-in-one printers were made exclusively for offices with high volumes, but as of late models like the MFC-885CW have emerged to cost-efficiently support single users or families with less demanding needs. This type of inkjet unit is labeled as a home office printer, primarily because it can tackle both business-oriented and personal jobs, printing family photos at lab quality and receiving faxes from coworkers.