Brother HL-4050 Toner Cartridges

Brother HL-4050 Printer Review

The Brother HL-4050 is a color laser printer designed for the small to medium office environment. With built-in networking and a convenient USB port, it has a lot to offer. Duplexing capability is available in some models. These features, among others, sets this unit above the competition.

The HL-4050 is built for the networked small office. It has an ethernet network port built in, and includes a web interface that can be accessed from anywhere on the network via a web browser for changing settings and options, viewing the printer's status, or managing print jobs. The printer also has USB and parallel connections for connecting directly to a computer.

The Brother HL-4050 also features some nice bonuses. A front-mounted USB port allows users to print directly from a USB flash drive or camera without the need for a computer. This can be a very convenient option for users with a laptop that may not have access to the network, or guests who need to be able to print documents. Included in some models of the HL-4050 (any model with a "d" in the model number) is duplexing, or two-sided printing. Duplexing not only conserves paper by printing on both sides of a sheet, but also allows for more printing options, such as booklets, brochures, and others.

Paper capacity is 250 sheets for its main tray and 50 sheets for its multipurpose tray. An additional 250-sheet tray can be added later for expansion. Standard Brother HL-4050 toner cartridges have a capacity of 2,500 pages for black and 1,500 pages for each color cartridge, but high-yield Brother HL-4050 toner cartridges are available with capacities of 5,000 pages for black and 4,000 pages for each color.

Print speeds are fast, around 20 pages per minute in both color and monochrome. Print quality is also impressive. Text is sharp and dark, even at small font sizes. Color printing is above average, with generally accurate colors and no major flaws evident.

Overall, the Brother HL-4050 is an impressive small office printer with great print quality and solid speed. With an array of options, it should provide an adequate solution to most printing needs. For an upgraded model, see the Brother MFC-9420 toner printer.