Few low-priced inkjets have the ability to print at up to tabloid (11 by 17) size. The Brother MFC-J4420DW ($169.99) inkjet multifunction printer (MFP) offers this useful feature, which it shares with other models in Brother's Business Smart line. Another key strength is that it is quite fast for an inkjet MFP at its price. Its output quality could be stronger, but it is still suitable for most general business purposes.
The MFC-J4420DW ($694.49 at Amazon) can print, copy, scan, and fax. It can print and fax from, as well as scan to, a computer, including over a network; it can work as a standalone copier and fax machine; it can print directly from a PictBridge-compatible camera; and it can print from and scan to a USB memory key. It will also let you preview files from a USB key on its 2.7-inch color touch screen before printing.
Paper capacity is 150 sheets. There's also a one-page manual feed slot which, like other printers we've reviewed in the series, can accept up to 11-by-17-inch paper. It has an auto-duplexer for two-sided printing. Like other Business Smart models, it stores and feeds paper in landscape orientation to save space. It measures just 7.4 by 18.9 by 11.4 inches (HWD)—compact for a printer that can print at up to tabloid size—and weighs 20.6 pounds.
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Brother MFC-J4410DW
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Brother MFC-J470DW
There's a 20-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF) for scanning, copying and faxing multipage documents. Both the paper tray and the ADF are modest in capacity, making this model best for home-office or micro-office use, or as a personal printer in any size office.
The MFC-J4420DW connects to a PC via a USB cable, or to a network via Wi-Fi. It also supports Wi-Fi Direct, which allows for direct printing between compatible devices without the need to go through an access point. It's compatible with Apple AirPrint, Brother iPrint&Scan, Google Cloud Print, and Cortado WorkPlace for printing from mobile devices. It lacks Ethernet connectivity. I tested it over a USB connection, with the drivers installed on a computer running Windows Vista.
Print Speed
I timed the Brother MFC-J4420DW at a zippy 6.3 pages per minute (ppm) on our business applications suite (using QualityLogic's hardware and software for timing), faster than the Brother MFC-J470DW ($429.99 at Amazon) (4.9ppm), the Brother MFC-J4410DW ($607.88 at Amazon) (3.7ppm), and the HP Officejet Pro 6830 e-All-in-One Printer ($119.95 at Amazon) (3.5ppm), all of which are Editors' Choice inkjet MFPs.
Output Quality
Output quality for the MFC-J4620DW is weak across the board, with slightly subpar text, graphics, and photos. Text quality is still good enough for business uses other than ones that require small fonts.
With graphics, some backgrounds look slightly faded, and others show mild banding, a regular pattern of faint striations. There is also dithering in the form of dot patterns. The MFC-J4420DW did poorly in printing thin lines. The graphics are okay for internal business use, but weren't up to what I'd look for to use in printing formal reports and the like.
Photo quality is slightly subpar for an inkjet. While some prints are of drugstore quality, a couple has moderate banding, and one of them—a monochrome image—also show a tint.
Tabloid-size printing is an extra that sets the MFC-J4420 apart from more conventional home-office MFPs such as two Editors' Choice models, the Brother MFC-J870DW and the HP Officejet Pro 6830 e-All-in-One Printer. In compensation, those models offer better output quality and connectivity, adding Ethernet and, in the case of the MFC-J870DW, NFC, plus an abundance of photo features.
The Brother MFC-J4420DW's ability to print at tabloid size sets it apart from most similarly priced inkjets. Its speed is another big plus. It is fast for a low-priced inkjet MFP aimed at a home office or sole proprietorship, or a personal inkjet for any size of office. Its output quality could be better, but it's still good enough for typical business uses. It's faster than the Editors' Choice Brother MFC-J4410DW, though its output quality wasn't as good in our testing and it lacks that model's Ethernet connectivity and memory-card reader. But if you need to even occasionally print at tabloid size, and speed is your priority in a home-office or personal MFP, the Brother MFC-J4420DW is one to consider. It will be through with a print job when most competing models are still churning out pages.
The Brother MFC-J4420DW is quite fast for an inkjet multifunction printer (MFP) at its price and can print at up to tabloid size, though its overall output quality could be better.
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