Review on 🖨️ Optimized for Search: Brother DCP-7065DN Network-Enabled Monochrome Laser Copier with Duplex Printing Functions by Sean Maples

I bought a Brother DCP-7065DN monochrome laser multifunction printer/copier/scanner when the price dropped to $90. At this price, this is an excellent deal. PLEASANT DESIGN The design is very comfortable - almost cubic shape, without any protruding parts. This makes it easy to operate wherever there is space for installation. Unlike many other multifunction printers, there's no external paper output tray to bump into and possibly damage, nor a folding bracket to drop your pages on the floor if you forget to unfold it before printing. Instead, the pages come forward when printed (the slot shown in the product image is just above the built-in paper tray and below the control panel). Only the top inch of the printed pages protrude forward, making it easier to pick up but protecting the rest of the pages inside the device. That means even a desktop or ceiling fan won't blow off printed pages! I love it! All other printers I've had had an external output tray that leaves printed pages open where a fan can blow them out of the tray. I also like the processing of the printer. The jet black looks attractive and should hide wear better than off-white printers I've had in the past (which tend to get toner smudges and fingerprints over time). The paper tray slides in and out easily. The front toner/drum access door also opens easily and feels reassuringly secure without the harsh "pops" I've heard on other, more fragile printers. It's not overpowered or super powerful and should still be treated with care, but it feels thoughtful, not "cheap". The buttons on the panel also feel well made and responsive. The only design complaint I have is the LCD screen. When I stand directly over the printer and look down, the screen is almost blank. If I step back half a step and look at it from a smaller angle, I can suddenly see the LCD very clearly. Turn the screen contrast all the way up and you should be able to see a faint display directly above the printer (which I think most users will naturally stand while pressing the buttons), so that pretty much fixes the problem - or you can it just practice stepping back a little when pressing the keys. But Brother obviously failed to get the viewing angle right, leading to a minor inconvenience that may bother some users. EASY INSTALLATION This printer was packaged very nicely and was easy to install. It is securely packed in a sturdy box with foam inserts. Lift it out of the box, remove the styrofoam bumpers, remove the protective plastic bag, and peel off about a dozen pieces of tape holding everything together (top cover, paper tray, display, etc.). on site. Brother even carefully folds one end of each piece of packing tape so you can easily run your fingernail under that edge to remove the tape. And the adhesive tape can be removed cleanly and without leaving any residue. I know these are small details but they are really important as it would be very tedious to scratch each piece of tape with your fingernail or scrape off the remaining tape afterwards. Obviously, Brother has tried to make the unboxing process relatively painless. After unpacking the printer, put the printer back in place, connect the power cord to the back of the printer, plug it in, and turn it on. Then use the LCD to adjust some basic settings like screen contrast (which I set to full due to the viewing angle issue mentioned above). EASY NETWORK CONNECTION In our case, we set up the printer on our home WiFi network. We connected the printer to our wireless router using an Ethernet cable (which is NOT included). I don't mind that Brother doesn't include an Ethernet cable as many people (including us) already have one. However, if you plan to connect the printer to a network, remember that you need to buy one. Once the printer is connected to the router (physically with an Ethernet cable), the rest of the setup is done on your computer(s). Simply insert the installation CD, install the software, and then navigate to the Devices and Printers option on the Windows home page. Select Add Printer and then select the printer to add (Brother DCP-7065-DN). When I first tried this, I couldn't find that printer in my list, so I had to click Windows Update to update my printer list. Windows told me to wait a few minutes and when I came back I found the correct printer model in the updated printer driver list. After I selected and clicked OK, everything worked. I opened the document in Word, selected the Brother printer and clicked Print. After about seven seconds, the printer came alive and printed the document. On my wife's computer (Dell laptop), the bundled software that came with it didn't allow for proper scanning. It kept reporting a corrupted file and asking me to restart my computer. However, when she tried the Windows fax and scan software, it worked flawlessly. A few days later the Brother scanning software was up and running. I don't know why it was reporting errors at first and not working (we didn't change or reinstall anything), but now that it's working I think it was just an accident - possibly a conflict with another program running it performed . at this time. Everything works fine on my computer (Lenovo ThinkPad x220). We didn't try ultra-high quality scanning (such as scanning children's photos) but the few documents my wife scanned looked very clear. When you print them, the Brother printer will only print them in black and white or grayscale, but of course the scanner itself will scan the digital file in full color. QUIET OPERATION When the printer is idle (but powered on), it is completely silent and goes into sleep mode to conserve power. When typing, it heats up for a few seconds, then prints and then cools down for a few moments. During this time, of course, it makes noise, but it's a pleasant and rather quiet "white noise", roughly comparable to a medium-sized fan. I don't find it boring at all, and perhaps more than that, you can easily hold a phone conversation while the printer is running without feeling like you have to yell or strain to hear the printer's sound. I think it's great. CLEAR PRINT So far I've only printed text documents and (for testing purposes only) two scans/copies of a black and white brochure with graphic logo and photo. The print is very clear. Something that contains tones and finer details (e.g. an image or a complex graphic) you need to change the print quality to images (rather than just text) to capture those details. If you leave the printer in text only quality, images will flatten out and look too dark, like when you photocopy an image on a very old photocopier with poor detail. Since this is a black and white printer, I doubt anyone will see this as a major issue. I suspect most people (like me) will buy this for document printing and maybe the occasional image reproduction (like photocopying your driver's license for insurance purposes or something). The copy function works great too. You don't need to scan to a computer first. Just paste the document, then press the button and it will be copied directly without going through a computer. CONCLUSION This is an excellent printer and the only feature it lacks compared to its more expensive counterparts in Brother's range of monochrome multifunction laser printers. it is a fax machine. If you don't need a fax, get this version. It is ideal for the home office. And laser printers in general are great for people who don't print very often, as the ink doesn't dry out over time, making them a lot cheaper in the long run. I can't attest to the durability of this printer but based on what I've experienced so far I expect many, many years of trouble free service! Highly recommended!