Brother DCP-120C Ink Cartridges

Brother DCP-120C Printer Review

The Brother DCP-120C is a compact multifunction printer designed for the home or small office user. It takes the fast printing speeds and compact size of DCP-110C, and adds the convenience of a basic automatic document feeder. Print speeds are quite fast, at up to 15 pages per minute for color and 20 pages per minute for black. The cost of Brother DCP-120C ink is low, and page yield is high, though not as high as HP 60XL Tricolor ink, which combines cyan, magenta and yellow in one tank.

While not quite as compact as its smaller brother, the unit measures 5.3 inches by 14.7 inches by 17.8 inches and weighs 12.1 pounds. The ADF adds only a little extra to the size of the machine, and it is still one of the most compact machines in its class. The page yield of the black Brother DCP-120C ink cartridge is either 500 or 900, which is more than some of the competition, such as HP 98 ink, and each color Brother DCP-120C inkjet cartridge has a yield of around 400 pages.

Along with its excellent printing, scanning, and copying abilities, the unit also includes media slots, allowing users to plug their digital camera media card directly into the printer and print their photos. The unit can connect via USB 2.0 and supports both Windows and Mac platforms. It includes 8 MB of memory, allowing it to handle some graphics-intensive printing without slowdowns.

In their "First Take" review of the Brother DCP-120C inkjet, Cnet Asia praised its inclusion of memory card slots and its individual print cartridges. They also praised its many features. They criticized its dull design and lack of faxing capabilities. In comparison to other models in its class, the machine tends to be a bit more expensive than some, but it is more compact, and its ink costs are lower. Canon CLI-8Y ink and the other colors give other models the edge.

Overall, the Brother DCP-120C is a good choice for a home or small office user with limited space. For a bit more money, users can get a model with faxing and better photo quality, but it won't be as compact.