Question Need help choosing new printer after upgrading to win11 old one no longer works.

[Coyle]

I've had this printer for 15yrs, worked fine and cartridges were cheap on eBay. So now need to buy a new one and have no idea where to begin. Just need a basic AIO (printer & scanner combo.) can be inkjet if can work with just the black cartridge as I typically just print in b&w. Am open to laser etc but for my basic usage reliability is most important. Price isn't main concern but considering I hardly ever use it less would be preferred. Thanks!

 

[Paperdoc]

A lot depends on your budget. Here's one big question: ink jet or laser? And second questions: colour or B/W? I assume form your post you do need colour at times, but often not. Well, on most printers you DO have a choice via its print options under Windows whether or not to use the colour inks. I always choose NOT unless I need the colour. HOWEVER, watch out for the really low priced ink jets. They use ONLY three colours and NO Black, so you ALWAYS use all three colours for any print job and go through ink fast!

Ink jet printers are cheaper than laser to buy for sure, and individual ink cartridges are less expensive that laser toner. But most toner carts last for a LOT more prints, so the cost per printed sheet (B/W only or coloured) tends to be less for laser printers.

Most laser printers now come with a NATIVE resolution of 600 dpi. Do not confuse this with "enhanced" resolution specs that really are software manipulation of the image while the actual ink or toner deposition system can only do the native resolution. Cheaper ink jets will do only 300 dpi often, although that is pretty good. Higher-quality ink jets can do 600 dpi. 600 dpi is sharper on fine details and edges. Even higher native resolution specs can be found in much more expensive printers of either type, but those are used almost always solely for VERY high quality graphics art work.

One BIG difference is in maintenance especially for printers NOT used frequently, and this DOES impact you.The fine jets in the ink jet print head tend to get clogged when the ink dries out when not in use. In many cases this can be fixed with a head cleaning cycle of the printer, but what that means is it forces a LOT of ink out of the head, trying to dissolve and flush out the dried ink. That wastes your ink. If that works you're OK, but if not you have to resort to more complicated efforts to dissolve the clog, OR to replacement. On some printers the ink head with its jets is part of the ink cartridge, so replacing all of the clogged cartridges does that job. That means you LOSE all the ink in them. In others the print head is a separate part, so you remove the ink carts temporarily and replace the print head in its carriage. A laser printer with cartridges of dry toner powder never has this issue. Such a printer used infrequently just keeps on printing when needed until the entire cartridge is empty. Then you replace the one empty cartridge - same as you would do with ink jet.

Saving money on ink or toner replacement cartridges, compared to buying genuine printer maker's carts, gets tricky. For sure the printer maker will tell you (with good reason) that you void your warranty on printer performance and problems when you use any non-original ink. And realistically many people have had problems with third-party inks or toners, although many do not. I have had a lot of success with third party inks and toners after some searching. With ink jets at one time you could buy kits to refill old cartridges. Almost all printer makers now put a small chip in each cartridge that does two functions. It carries a code to identify it to the printer as genuine, and it stores updated print use counts so it "knows" when it is "empty". To refill such a unit also means you need some way to alter the chip data to show no use / full cartridge. Alternatively you can buy third party cartridges with their own chip that mimics the one in a genuine cart. Sometimes those work, sometimes not. A related scheme is in my Brother laser printer - although its toner carts have a chip for identification, apparently the print count is kept in the printer's RAM and can be reset when a new toner cart is installed. Another scheme some have used is to pry the chip out of an old genuine cart and install it in a new third-party one, but that may or may not work. With ALL of these ways to evade the "genuine cartridge" chip system, you still have to deal with whether the ink or toner will work without causing problems like clogging jets or clumped toner, AND whether the ink density (and resulting fine colour tones) are correct. I have been fortunate over several ink jet and laser printers in using third-party ink or toner carts with no trouble, with the exception of some Epson dedicated 4" x 6" snapshot printers. For them I have found the genuine paper / ink cart packs are the most reliable and do yield the number of prints claimed.

One thing that colour laser pinters can NOT do (but a good ink jet can) is high-gloss photo prints. A good ink jet printer using the proper gloss paper can make excellent photos, and some more complicated ones with extra ink cartridges for light tones (5 to 9 carts total) are impressive! But the toner in a laser printer cannot fuse to most high-gloss papers, and the toner itself actually has little gloss, so you cannot nake such prints on that machine. You DO get very good MATTE finish photos on plain paper, though. I put mine in a frame behind a glass front to look better.

Bottom line: in my experience a colour laser printer does a great job on most of my work at a lower per-print cost, although the up-front cost of the printer is a REAL factor in making that choice. I am careful always on each document I print to specify in the print configuration options whether to use or not to use the colour toners. That saves a bunch of money on those carts.

 

[Muadib]

What about LED printers?

 

[Paperdoc]

I expect the label "LED Printer" is the technology in Brother "laser" printers, for example. In the general technology called Xerographic printing, light is focused on a special drum surface that has an electrical charge. In the original Xerox copier machines this was a bright light reflected off the original document. The light removes the charge, leaving charges on the drum surface only where there was NO light. As the drum rotates it then picks up fine toner particles on those charge sites, creating on the drum a toner image of the original document. Next that drum surface contacts a paper sheet supported by another drum with an opposite charge so that the toner is all transferred to the paper surface. The last step is for that paper on its drum to pass by a very hot wire, and the heat melts the tiny bit if adhesive coating on the toner particles to make then stick to the paper surface.

In a LASER printer, a single narrow beam of light from a laser is scanned by a moving mirror back and forth across a moving drum while signals from the printer's computer system switch the laser beam on and off extremely rapidly, thus serving the function of removing drum surface charge where there ought to be NO ink on the final print. The rest of the Xerographic printing process is the same. In most Brother "laser" type printers that light is not a single scanning laser beam. it is from a single stationary straight line of MANY tiny LED lamps (600 per inch!), all of them switched on and off to put light exactly where it is needed on the passing charged drum surface. Again, the rest is the same.

Full colour printing actually use FOUR inks or toners to make all its colours. They are printed onto the paper surface right tight up to each other and in varying densities (in terms of dots per inch) to create the various shades of all the colours. Those four colours are Cyan (a slightly greenish blue), Magenta (slightly purplish red), Yellow and Black. The short acronym is CMYK. This is the same technique used in commercial full-colour printing for magazines etc. So an Ink Jet printer uses four sets of ink jets to spray dots of ink on the paper. A laser printer (or an LED printer) uses four separate identical drum units, one for each toner, to create the array of toner dots on a transfer belt that goes onto the paper surface to be fused on permanently.

 

[Paperdoc]

I forgot to mention one limiting factor in most printers, ink jet or laser. They do a lot of self-monitoring to detect problems and alert you. One result is that you need to have valid cartridges containing ink (or toner) in ALL FOUR cart holders. Most such printers will not let you print anything if any of the carts are missing. So even if you print mostly black ink only documents, you still need all four cartridges in place in case they might be needed next time. And that is how the three colour carts in an ink jet printer used infrequently for colour can get clogged ink nozzles.

 

[BoomerD]

I've had this printer for 15yrs, worked fine and cartridges were cheap on eBay. So now need to buy a new one and have no idea where to begin. Just need a basic AIO (printer & scanner combo.) can be inkjet if can work with just the black cartridge as I typically just print in b&w. Am open to laser etc but for my basic usage reliability is most important. Price isn't main concern but considering I hardly ever use it less would be preferred. Thanks!

The manufacturer doesn't have an updated driver for W11?

 

[Coyle]

Thanks for the in-depth reply. I don't really need color copies so I guess a laser printer would be the way to go.

Any suggestions on a good AIO laser printer to buy?

Here's a couple I've found so far: I like the size of this Canon imageCLASS MF3010 VP, but maybe the Brother DCP-L2640DW would be a better choice?

Or perhaps I'd be better off with a separate scanner, that's what I had before.

 

[mindless1]

Get a B&W Brother laser AIO. Hardly ever using it is even more reason to go laser, so your ink/heads don't dry out or clog.

IF you pay enough, you can get better scan quality from a standalone scanner, but if you're only scanning 2D documents then it doesn't matter.

My Brother AIO with the built in scanner, gains a couple nice features over a standalone scanner, depending on what software comes with the standalone.

1) Network connected, does not depend on any one computer running, yet can push scans to any running windows system on the lan, that has their software installed to listen for the send and receive/save the file.

2) One touch copy machine function - doesn't need a computer's assistance to do it.

 

[BoomerD]

Thanks for the in-depth reply. I don't really need color copies so I guess a laser printer would be the way to go.

Any suggestions on a good AIO laser printer to buy?

Here's a couple I've found so far: I like the size of this Canon imageCLASS MF3010 VP, but maybe the Brother DCP-L2640DW would be a better choice?

Or perhaps I'd be better off with a separate scanner, that's what I had before.

I had a Canon AIO laser printer for about 15 years. Worked great for all that time...finally donated it to a local thrift store, not because it didn't work, but because it was just so damned big.

Nowadays, I have a Brother AIO that's half the size. Bought it 5 years ago...I've only had to replace the toner cartridge one time...about 2 years ago.

 

[Coyle]

I had a Canon AIO laser printer for about 15 years. Worked great for all that time...finally donated it to a local thrift store, not because it didn't work, but because it was just so damned big.

Nowadays, I have a Brother AIO that's half the size. Bought it 5 years ago...I've only had to replace the toner cartridge one time...about 2 years ago.

Which Brother AIO do you have? The one I'm looking at seems ok but is larger than the Canon.

 

[mindless1]

If you have the room for it, and it's within the budget, larger is often better.

Larger usually means the paper path isn't as tight, so less likely to jam, and can print thicker stock, and with larger gears and rollers, a longer life.

It also means more room to put in a normal scan engine instead of CIS which is only good for 2D (flat object) scanning, and more height could mean it has a duplex function for scanning and/or printing - which I hardly use but some people find it very handy, especially to automate scanning a stack of pages, or save paper in the case of printing.

Larger also tends to mean that it uses larger cartridges which usually reduces cost per page, and in some cases means a separate drum so you're not paying to replace the drum with every cart change - only when it's worn out.

~15 years I've been happy with my Brother MFC-8890DW, but of course it's no longer made. It's footprint is no larger than needed for what it is, and to have a full (legal+ page) length scanner bed.

 

[mikeymikec]

One thing to be aware of, and this surprised the hell out of me in that I wouldn't have thought I'd need to check for it since like 10 years ago, but the Brother DCP-1610W AIO BW laser printer cannot do AirPrint.

Otherwise it's an OK printer, though the LCD screen is a bit of a "you can view it at one angle" situation.

 

[Paperdoc]

OP, my comments on the two printers you linked to. (Canon and Brother).
1. I see you have abandoned getting colour printing. This can work fine if you can use some local service for infrequent colour prints.
2. Both printers can be connected to one computer via a USB2 cable. (At least one says not to use a USB Hub for this.) IF you have a local network in use, it is possible to make the printer available to others through the only one connected to that printer as long as that one computer is running. HOWEVER, it is much smoother to have the printer connected directly to the network so that all computers in the network have access to it directly. This can be done only with the Brother printer because it has also both a wired network cable port and built-in 2-band WiFi for cable-free connection. (My Bother is connected this way to our home network because its location makes a cable connection harder.)
3. It appears the native resolution of the Canon is 300 dpi but you can get 600 dpi (by simulation, I think) from it. The Brother has native resolution of 600 dpi, or MAYBE 1200 - not clear from their specs.
4. Both recommend you use genuine toner carts made by the printer maker. For the Brother I am sure you can find on the internet a way to manually reset the printer to recognize a new cart, even one from a third party, so it will work. (This is NOT the same as a complete "factory reset" of the printer that changes all of its settings.) I do not know whether this can be done with the Canon, but I doubt it.
4. The Brother includes an automatic document feeder for the top scanner which you may not use often. However, you do NOT have to use it - normally you can lift it to insert a single sheet if you wish or to custom-position one sheet.
5. If you are working with a heavy stiff sheet of paper (or sometimes a sheet of labels) using the custom feed tray at the front, the Brother allows you to open a rear panel and let the printed sheet exit straight out the back.
6. The Brother can do double-sided printing automatically'; the Canon does not appear to do this.

Relevant to any printer: in ordering replacement toner carts, compare prices and claimed page yields. Most of the the high-yield carts are better per page, and for this (laser type) you do not need to worry about clogging on a cart used less frequently. You may not get exactly the page count they suggest per cart, but the high-yield ones DO give you a much higher yield. Sometimes buying on sale even when you do not need it yet is a good deal.

For the Brother unit, you can get a VERY complete Manual to be downloaded to your computer as a .pdf document by searching for "dcp-l2640dw toner manual" on the internet. It should get you to here

https://support.brother.com/g/s/id/htmldoc/mfc/cv_dcpl2508dw/use/PDF/PDF.pdf

From that use the little "save" icon at upper right to set where it should put that doc on your computer.

 

[BoomerD]

Which Brother AIO do you have? The one I'm looking at seems ok but is larger than the Canon.

HLL2395DW​

It's a bit bigger than most inkjets, but is MUCH smaller than the old Canon laser.

 

[tcsenter]

I've had this printer for 15yrs, worked fine and cartridges were cheap on eBay. So now need to buy a new one and have no idea where to begin. Just need a basic AIO (printer & scanner combo.) can be inkjet if can work with just the black cartridge as I typically just print in b&w. Am open to laser etc but for my basic usage reliability is most important. Price isn't main concern but considering I hardly ever use it less would be preferred. Thanks!

You sure it won't work under W11? You stated "after upgrading" the OS so it caused me to think of all the ways that in-place upgrades of Windows have borked device installations particularly printers over the YEARS (like EVERY Windows version)! Have you tried uninstalling all printer software and drivers, running cleanup of registry entries, restarting, then installing the latest versions?

 

[mikeymikec]

Brother lists a Win11 driver for that model:

Downloads | HL-L2395DW | United States | Brother

support.brother.com

 

[Coyle]

You sure it won't work under W11? You stated "after upgrading" the OS so it caused me to think of all the ways that in-place upgrades of Windows have borked device installations particularly printers over the YEARS (like EVERY Windows version)! Have you tried uninstalling all printer software and drivers, running cleanup of registry entries, restarting, then installing the latest versions?

It might have worked, I bought a laser printer and had the same problem but it suggested trying a different usb port--I had tried a different one with the old printer as well, but not as thoroughly--the new one still didn't work in a different usb port, but when I tried a port in a different row it worked.

 

[Coyle]

OP, my comments on the two printers you linked to. (Canon and Brother).
1. I see you have abandoned getting colour printing. This can work fine if you can use some local service for infrequent colour prints.
2. Both printers can be connected to one computer via a USB2 cable. (At least one says not to use a USB Hub for this.) IF you have a local network in use, it is possible to make the printer available to others through the only one connected to that printer as long as that one computer is running. HOWEVER, it is much smoother to have the printer connected directly to the network so that all computers in the network have access to it directly. This can be done only with the Brother printer because it has also both a wired network cable port and built-in 2-band WiFi for cable-free connection. (My Bother is connected this way to our home network because its location makes a cable connection harder.)
3. It appears the native resolution of the Canon is 300 dpi but you can get 600 dpi (by simulation, I think) from it. The Brother has native resolution of 600 dpi, or MAYBE 1200 - not clear from their specs.
4. Both recommend you use genuine toner carts made by the printer maker. For the Brother I am sure you can find on the internet a way to manually reset the printer to recognize a new cart, even one from a third party, so it will work. (This is NOT the same as a complete "factory reset" of the printer that changes all of its settings.) I do not know whether this can be done with the Canon, but I doubt it.
4. The Brother includes an automatic document feeder for the top scanner which you may not use often. However, you do NOT have to use it - normally you can lift it to insert a single sheet if you wish or to custom-position one sheet.
5. If you are working with a heavy stiff sheet of paper (or sometimes a sheet of labels) using the custom feed tray at the front, the Brother allows you to open a rear panel and let the printed sheet exit straight out the back.
6. The Brother can do double-sided printing automatically'; the Canon does not appear to do this.

Relevant to any printer: in ordering replacement toner carts, compare prices and claimed page yields. Most of the the high-yield carts are better per page, and for this (laser type) you do not need to worry about clogging on a cart used less frequently. You may not get exactly the page count they suggest per cart, but the high-yield ones DO give you a much higher yield. Sometimes buying on sale even when you do not need it yet is a good deal.

For the Brother unit, you can get a VERY complete Manual to be downloaded to your computer as a .pdf document by searching for "dcp-l2640dw toner manual" on the internet. It should get you to here

https://support.brother.com/g/s/id/htmldoc/mfc/cv_dcpl2508dw/use/PDF/PDF.pdf

From that use the little "save" icon at upper right to set where it should put that doc on your computer.

I ended up getting the Brother and am very happy with it. Huge upgrade from my old printer & scanner. Was very easy to set up and works great!