Brother MFC-J690DW Wireless Color Inkjet All-in-One Printer REVIEW

A good, quality budget-conscience all-in-one printer.

At my place of work, I have access to two large industrial sized printers. They are great for big jobs, but I spend a lot of time working on layouts so I do a lot of proof printing. The color printer is in a completely different part of the building so it becomes a hassle when I need to print a single proof. So, I was looking for a smaller printer that I could use exclusively for proof printing in color. I’ve always liked Brother printers as the equipment holds up well over time. So, when I was given the option of using this Work Smart Series All-in-One Printer, I jumped at it. 

DETAILS

The Brother Work Smart Series WFC-J690DW is an affordable printer with a built-in scanner, fax machine, and copier. It’s an inkjet printer that can deliver high-quality printing from desktops, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. The device has an automatic document feeder with a 100-sheet capacity paper tray. There are also bypass and 4×6 photo tray that can handle a variety of specialty papers. The Brother Work Smart Series printer supports duplex printing, which is great for saving paper stock. The printer has a compact design, which is ideal for home or small office use. It’s a wireless printer and connects directly to your WiFi network.

SPECS

• Supports Brother Cloud Apps and other Cloud Services like Google Drive, OneNote, Box, Evernote, and Dropbox
• Compatible with Mobile Devices: AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, Brother iPrint&Scan
• Wireless 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Hi-Speed USB 2.0
• Black & White or Color Printing
• Copy resolution: 1200 x 600 dpi
• LCD Display: 2.7″ Color Touchscreen
• Paper Handling Size: Letter, Legal, Executive, A4, A5, A6, Index Card (5″x8″), Envelope (C5), Envelope (DL), Envelope (Monarch), Photo (4″x6″), Photo (5″x7″)
• Paper Sheet Weight: 17-24lbs.
• Printing Speed: Black 12ppm, Color 10ppm
• Print Resolution: 6000 x 1200 dpi

USER EXPERIENCE

The printer itself is the perfect size for a smaller office setting. It measures 15.7 inches wide, which is only a fraction wider than most professional-grade laptops. It fits on the end of my desk really well at work. When it’s not in use, you can fold the paper tray up so that it’s not intruding on your workspace. The printer is designed in such a way that it’s perfect for compact desk spaces. When it prints, it has a minimal shake so your work isn’t disrupted by that printer’s tasks. 

Set-up of the printer was very simple. I have a real love-hate relationship with office equipment – especially fax machines – but Brother makes the process very simple. Once you connect it to power, the directions on the screen display the start-up instructions. You will be shown how to insert the ink cartridges and how to connect to your WiFi network. This printer is network capable and compatible with Apple AirPrint – both of these are features I was enthused about. Within about 5 minutes, I was ready to start printing. You will likely be instructed to update your device’s firmware once it’s connected to an internet signal and this might take up to 5 minutes on its own. 

I was impressed by the display’s responsiveness to touch commands. It’s small (2.7 inches), but it works really well. The printer does not have an Ethernet port, but it does connect well to wireless really easily. I’ve never had an issue with it disconnecting once it’s connected. There is one main paper tray that fits letter and legal size sheets of paper and with the bypass tray, you can feed 4×6” photos and other specialty paper, which is really good for my purposes. 

I thought the printer did a good job of printing text documents and images. If you are planning on using this for professional quality graphics, I think that might be a little out of the printer’s reach. While it does a good job with clarity, it’s just not meant for high-quality print jobs.

CONCLUSION

For me, when I print a proof of a layout, I’m mostly looking for a reference. So for that, it’s perfect. I think for everyday printing jobs and basic office tasks, this is an ideal workhorse for those types of jobs. If you are looking for a good budget-conscience printer, this is a good machine for that type of purpose. 

For more information, visit brother-usa.com.