Brother HL-L3290CDW Wireless Color Printer [Review]

 

Brother is one of the key players in the printing space. Brother printers are known for their reliability and features. But as we know, not all printers are made equal; the same goes for Brother printers. Some offer great value for their price, while some need more claims. In this blog, we will take a closer look at Brother HL-L3290CDW to determine whether it's worth investing in. So, without any further delay, let's begin.

 

All About Brother HL-L3290CDW

HL-L3290CDW is a color laser-class All-In-One printer that is very similar to MFC-L3770CDW in terms of printing speed and output quality. The AIO is designed for light-duty use in home-based and small offices. HL-L3290CDW can't be called small as it measures 14.5x16.1x18.7 inches (HWD) and weighs 47.8 pounds. Like its sibling MFC-L3770CDW, the HL-L3290 CW is not truly a laser printer in the traditional sense.

 

The HL-L3290CDW uses LED arrays instead of a traditional laser mechanism to tell the printer where to fuse toner to the paper. These LED arrays are traditionally smaller and cheaper than their laser counterparts. Unlike MFC-L3770CDW, Hl-L3290CDW lacks an automatic document feeder, so you won't be able to scan multipage documents. Also, the control panel on Hl-L3290CDW is easy-to-use and consists of just a handful of buttons for navigating the drill-down style menus and making copies.

 

The control panel also features a dual-line monochrome display. Still, from the HL-L3290CDW" s integrated website, you can monitor and configure the printer. It also lets you set up users and security features. The LED printer features a 250-sheet main drawer and a one-sheet override tray above the main drawer. HL-L3290CDW also features a 30-sheet multipurpose tray. The printer has a maximum monthly duty cycle of 30,000 pages, with a recommended monthly print volume of 1,500 pages. The duty cycle is the same as its competitors.

 

 

Connectivity and Security

HL-L3290CDW features a USB 2.0 port, Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi Direct for peer-to-peer network connection. Wi-Fi Direct enables the printer to connect with mobile devices without connecting to a network or router. Besides Wi-Fi Direct, the printer also supports Apple AirPrint, Mopria, Google Cloud Print, and Brother's iPrint&Scan app. Sadly, the Ethernet port is also missing from HL-L3290CDW, which is highly unusual for a laser-class printer and does not support near-field communication.

 

The HL-L3290CDW gives you basic security features such as personal identification numbers to encrypt documents. Brother takes this feature up a notch by enabling you to assign PINs to the scanner. You can restrict or deny use based on usernames, groups, or IP addresses. You also get the standard SNMP and other network security protocols.

Print Speed

For both black and white pages, Brother rates the HL-L3290CDW at 25 ppm (pages per minute). During our tests, the printer churned out a 12-page Microsoft Word text document at 23.6 ppm. It is slightly slower than MFC-L3770CDW. The printer spits out complex color Excel, Acrobat, and PowerPoint documents containing graphs, charts, other business graphics, and photos at a speed of 10.3 ppm. Its printing speed is the same as MFC-L3770CDW and surpasses several other Brother wireless printer setup .

Output Quality

One consistent feature all Brother LED-array printers share is the ability to consistently produce good-looking documents. Like its sibling, the HL-L3290CDW's text was clear, crisp, and highly readable down to roughly 6 points, which is more than enough for most business documents.

 

The prints of graphs, charts, and other business graphics produced by HL-L3290CDW contained solid fills and evenly flowing gradients with flaws that were hardly noticeable. Hairlines and other rules were well-defined, and the attached photographs were accurately colored and detailed.

Running Costs

The HL-L3290CDW's black cost per page (CPP) of 2.6 cents and its color CPP of 15.5 cents align with competitive models. These costs are all right, but stretching your printing numbers to the recommended print volume will cost you in the long run. Also, the consumables for entry-level color lasers, such as toner and imaging drums, are more expensive than higher-end, high-volume laser-class AIOs, and inkjet printers.



Conclusion

The Brother HL-L3290CDW is a fast and fine color LED printer that can consistently produce excellent output quality. However, the printer lacks an ADF and Ethernet port, making it an outcast among color laser printers. It's a fast and reliable printer, but if you need to scan or copy multipage documents or need a printer with multiple connectivity options, you should look for another option. But remember, these additional features will be costly.

FAQs

What are the advantages of Brother HL-L3290CDW?

One of its highlighting features is that it's a fast and reliable printer capable of consistently churning out high-quality output. Also, it supports various mobile apps, including Brother's iPrint&Scan, Mporia, Apple AirPrint, and more.

What is the difference between HL-L3290CDW and MFC-L3770CDW?

They both are LED printers and use the same technology. They are very similar in terms of printing speed and output quality. But unlike MFC-L3770CDW, HL-L3290CDW does not come with an ADF and Ethernet Port.

How to troubleshoot the HL-L3290CDW printer problem?

If your HL-L3290CDW printer runs into some technical glitch and you need to troubleshoot it, you can try these methods mentioned below:

 

  1. Ensure the printer is 'Set as Default Printer.'
  2. From Brother Driver, Easy Applications update outdated drivers.
  3. Inspect Printer Spooler error-Clear Print Queue.
  4. Uncheck the offline status.



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How to Setup Epson EcoTank ET-4850 Printer on a Computer?

How to Setup Samsung Wireless Printer on Windows Device?

How to Do Brother Printer Firmware Update? [Complete Method]