Brother MFC-J5910DW review-ProgrammingStorm

This hulking inkjet multifunction peripheral (MFP) from Brother is big for a reason: it's able to print on paper sizes up to A3. This flexibility makes it suitable for small businesses or home users who may appreciate the extra size for complex worksheets or graphics. It can also scan, and copy or send multi-page faxes using its 35-sheet ADF but, unlike some other models in Brother's line-up, these functions only work with paper up to A4 or Legal size.

It seems odd to pair a large printer with a smaller scanner, but the MFC-J5910DW is the cheapest of Brother's A3-capable inkjet MFPs, and it's still loaded with features. Users can connect via USB, wired or wireless networking, or print directly from a memory card using the colour touchscreen controls on the front panel. Considered alongside its fax capability, ADF and duplex (double-sided) A3 printing, that's a lot for the money.

Unfortunately, the MFC-J5910DW isn't the prettiest device, and it feels almost as cheap as it is. It's made from hard plastics that don't feel as pleasantly tactile as those found in typical home MFPs, while its large paper tray isn't especially easy to load and it slots in and out of the printer with a clatter. The colour screen is rather small, and although it's possible to angle it up for easier visibility, it's easy to push it back down again by mistake when tapping its controls. Like several other Brother inkjet MFPs, the USB and Ethernet ports are hidden away under the scanner bed, requiring a foot or so of extra cable just to reach them.

If it doesn't make the best first impression, the MFC-J5910DW makes a better case for itself in use. With the exception of slow photo printing it's a quick all-round device, printing more than 12 pages of text or more than four pages of colour graphics each minute. It's also comparatively quick when duplex printing on both sides of A4 paper, printing 10 colour sides onto five sheets of paper in less than four and a half minutes.

Brother’s print interface is clearly laid out and simple to use

Photocopies were similarly fast, with single-page copies from the scanner glass taking less than 20 seconds each, and a 10-page colour ADF copy completing in just two minutes and 24 seconds. High-resolution scans in particular were unusually fast for a network-attached device, with our 1,200dpi test completing in just 40 seconds – one of the quickest results we've seen.

It’s not the most sophisticated scan interface, but Brother’s TWAIN panel is easy to understand

Quality-wise, while universally competent, the MFC-J5910DW didn't excel in any area. Scans exhibited sharp focus, but suffered from a slightly cool colour bias and some noise suggestive of compression, most visible in areas of solid colours. Plain paper text and graphical prints were reasonable, although areas of saturated colour lacked vibrancy, while photocopies were good, particularly in mono.

It's common to find that the cheapest printers have the highest running costs, but Brother has created a notable exception. At 3.5p per page, colour prints from the MFC-J5910DW are inexpensive, while mono prints cost less than a penny per page. It may not feel special or perform with distinction, but this competent MFP is very good value to buy and run.

Basic Specifications

Rating

***

Maximum native print resolution

1,200x6,000dpi

Max optical resolution

1,200x2,400dpi

Output bit depth

24-bit

Tested Print Speeds

Time for two 10x8in photos 1.0

9m 18s

Time for six 6x4in photos 1.0

14m 44s

Physical and Environmental

Standard printer interfaces

USB, 10/100 Ethernet

Optional printer interfaces

none

Size	260x514x461mm

Weight

13.6kg

Noise (in normal use)

50dB(A)

Duty cycle

2,500 pages

Paper Handling

Maximum paper size

Maximum paper weight

220gsm

Standard paper inputs

Standard paper input capacity

250

Maximum paper inputs

Maximum paper input capacity

250

Duplex (code, cost if option)

Yes

General

Printer technology

piezo inkjet

Supported operating systems

Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7, Mac OS X 10.2.4 or later, Linux

Other inkjet features

4.9cm colour touchscreen

Other inkjet options

none

Buying Information

Price

£104

Consumable parts and prices

£14 each

Price per colour A4 page

3.5p

Quoted life of supplied black cartridge

390 pages (ISO/IEC 24712)

Quoted life of supplied colour cartridge(s)

390 pages each (ISO/IEC 24712)

Quoted life of supplied photo cartridge(s)

N/A

Warranty

one year

Supplier

http://www.amazon.co.uk

Details

www.brother.co.uk

Print Quality

Number of ink colours

Number of ink cartridges

Maximum number of ink colours

Maximum number of cartridges

Quoted photo durability

100 years

Quoted photo durability source

Brother

Tested Scan Speeds

Full scan area preview

11s

A4 document at 150dpi

11s

A4 document at 300dpi

14s

6x4in photo at 600dpi

18s

6x4in photo at 1200dpi

40s

Tested Copy Speeds

Time for single A4 mono copy 1.0

18s

Time for single A4 colour copy 1.0

19s

Time for 10 A4 copies using feeder 2.0

2m 24s

Photo Features

PictBridge support

Yes

Borderless printing

Direct (PC-less) printing

Yes

Supported memory cards

Memory Stick Pro, SD, MMC

CD printing

Copy Features

Maximum number of copies

Max mono copy resolution

1,200dpi

Max colour copy resolution

1,200dpi

Fax Features

Max mono fax resolution

400x400dpi

Fax memory (maximum mono pages)

400