Welcome back, readers! Today we’re diving into an important question for anyone looking to buy a new printer – does the Brother MFC-7420 print in color? As an affordable all-in-one printer with scanning, copying, and fax capabilities, the MFC-7420 is a popular choice for home and small office use. However, with color printing being such a standard feature these days, it’s natural to wonder whether this model can handle color documents and photos. Read on as we examine the MFC-7420’s specifications and capabilities to determine if color printing is supported.
Brother MFC-7420 Overview
The Brother MFC-7420 is a multi-function printer released in 2007. Here are some key features and specs:
- Functions: Print, copy, scan, fax
- Print technology: Laser
- Max print resolution: 2400 x 600 dpi
- Print speed: Up to 20 ppm for black and white
- Paper capacity: 250 sheets
- Connectivity: USB 2.0, Ethernet
- Supported media types: Plain paper, envelopes, transparencies, labels, cardstock
As a laser printer, the MFC-7420 utilizes a laser beam to fuse toner onto the page during printing. This allows it to print crisp, professional-looking text documents. The 20 ppm print speed is quite fast for general home and office purposes.
Color Printing Capabilities
Now let’s look specifically at whether the Brother MFC-7420 can print in color. Unfortunately, the answer is no. The MFC-7420 is strictly a monochrome laser printer, meaning it can only print in black and white. There is no support for color inks or toners.
Some key indications that the MFC-7420 does not handle color printing include:
- All product descriptions only reference monochrome, black and white, or grayscale printing
- The printer only has a single black toner cartridge slot
- Print resolutions are provided in black and white terms only
- Brother markets the printer for professional black and white documents, not creative color projects
While the MFC-7420 has many great features for an affordable price point, high-quality color printing is not one of them. For full color printing capabilities, you would need to look at a different Brother inkjet model like the MFC-J895DW or a color laser printer like the HL-3170CDW.
Print Quality
Lack of color printing doesn’t necessarily mean the print quality is poor, however. As a monochrome laser printer, the MFC-7420 can produce sharp, professional-looking documents with rich black tones. Here’s an overview of print quality specifications:
- Resolution up to 2400 x 600 dpi
- Output bit depth of 1 bit (black and white only)
- Print speed up to 20 pages per minute
- Toner saver mode to conserve resources
The 2400 x 600 maximum dpi resolution allows for crisp text and defined image outlines when printing black and white documents. The standard resolution is 600 x 600 dpi which is still suitable for most general office printing needs.
Cost Effectiveness
One of the biggest advantages of the Brother MFC-7420 is the cost-effective monochrome printing. Here is a comparison of costs between the MFC-7420 and some color laser printer models:
Printer | Print Technology | Toner Cartridge Yield (pages) | Toner Cartridge Price |
---|---|---|---|
Brother MFC-7420 | Monochrome Laser | 3,000 | $60 |
Brother HL-3170CDW | Color Laser | 1,000 black 1,000 CMY |
$75 black $167 CMY |
HP Color LaserJet Pro M255dw | Color Laser | 1,500 black 1,300 CMY |
$102 black $225 CMY |
As you can see, the monochrome laser toner for the MFC-7420 yields 3,000 pages per cartridge and costs around $60. Comparable color laser printers require replacing the black, cyan, magenta, and yellow toner cartridges much more frequently, at a higher cost.
If you don’t need to print color documents often, the Brother MFC-7420 can save you considerable amounts on toner over time. It’s a great option for printing predominantly black text documents at home or in a small office environment.
Connections and Setup
Connecting the MFC-7420 printer is quick and easy with the included cable and drivers. Here are the steps to get set up:
- Remove the printer from packaging and install the toner cartridge and drum unit.
- Connect the power cord and turn on the device.
- Connect the USB 2.0 cable from the printer to your computer, or connect via Ethernet for network usage.
- Insert the software and drivers CD and follow the on-screen prompts.
- Select the appropriate connection method and follow the instructions to finish setting up the device.
- Load paper into the 250-sheet capacity tray.
- Run a test print page to ensure everything is functioning.
The included CD has Brother’s easy-to-use print drivers and software suite for Windows and Mac operating systems. You’ll be up and running with the MFC-7420 in no time!
Key Features and Benefits
We’ve covered the lack of color printing, but the Brother MFC-7420 offers many other beneficial features. Here are some of the key advantages of this printer:
- Affordable price – Great value for a monochrome laser printer under $200.
- Fast monochrome printing – Up to 20 ppm speeds for black and white documents.
- Duplex printing – Print on both sides of the page to save paper.
- 250-sheet paper capacity – Good for high volume print jobs.
- Reliable laser technology – Laser printers handle lots of text documents with ease.
- Full function capabilities – Print, copy, scan, and fax with one small footprint device.
If you don’t require color and want excellent value, the MFC-7420 delivers reliable, high-quality monochrome printing and so much more. The automatic document feeder,built-in phone line for faxing, and flexible paper handling add even more versatility.
Drawbacks
The Brother MFC-7420 does have a few limitations to note as well:
- No color printing capability
- Slower speeds for copying and scanning vs printing
- Manual duplexing for copies and scans
- No support for specialty paper types
- Maximum paper size of 8.5 x 14 inches
If you need color printing, faster copying/scanning, or specialized media support, the MFC-7420 won’t meet your needs. But for general black and white documents, it works very efficiently.
Alternatives to Consider
If the lack of color printing is a dealbreaker, here are some alternative Brother printers to consider:
Printer | Key Features |
---|---|
Brother MFC-J895DW | All-in-one inkjet printer Prints up to 11 x 17 inches Automatic duplex printing Wireless networking |
Brother HL-3170CDW | Color laser printer Prints up to 21 ppm color and black 250-sheet paper capacity Wireless and Ethernet |
Brother INKvestment MFC-J995DW | Inkjet printer with low ink costs Prints up to 11 x 17 inches 20-sheet auto document feeder Automatic duplex printing |
These printers offer fast color printing with the convenience of wireless connectivity and expanding media capabilities. The higher print resolutions also allow for vibrant color photo printing. Just be prepared for the increased cost and maintenance of color ink/toner cartridges.
Final Verdict
In the end, the Brother MFC-7420 is a highly capable monochrome printer for home and small offices. It provides excellent print quality, speed, and cost efficiency focused on black and white documents. However, the lack of color support makes it unsuitable if you frequently need color printing.
For predominantly text-based documents with some graphics, the MFC-7420 is a reliable performer. But the absence of color may be a hurdle for businesses, creative needs, or photo printing. Assessing your specific printing requirements will determine if this budget-friendly model hits the mark.
Thanks for reading! We hope this breakdown helped explain if the Brother MFC-7420 can print in color. Please let us know if you have any other questions.