Brother MFC-J4535DW INKvestment Tank Color Inkjet Printer, brand new and just $200, offers easy set up and robust performance for homes and small businesses. With up to one year of ink in the box, based on up to 150 pages per month, and in typical Brother fashion, this new model offers more for less than ever before. You’re going to like this printer!
I’ve used and recommended Brother printers, both monochrome (black & white) laser and inkjet, for nearly 20 years. I find them to be excellent printers as well as long lasting and more economical to operate than competitive brands.
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**WHAT’S IN THE BOX**
- Brother MFC-J4535DW COLOR inkjet printer
- Starter INKvestment cartridges in Black, Cyan, Magenta and Yellow.
- Startup guide, warranty
**THE SETUP**
What is Brother INKvestment? This is the company’s hybrid ink cartridge with internal ink tanks system. How does it work? During setup and after the four provided starter ink cartridges are installed, this printer primes and fills sealed internal tanks from the ink in the cartridges. According to Brother, “INKvestment TANK cartridges still plug into the machine like a normal cartridge. No messy bottles to worry about. Think of the new cartridges like a water cooler bottle – there are no mechanisms on the bottle – all the working parts are in the body of the cooler. The same is true with the new INKvestment TANK cartridges – they are a reservoir for ink. All the mechanisms for removal of air bubbles and feeding to the printhead are located inside the printer’s sub-tank assembly.
There is no ink waste – the cartridges are completely drained into the sub-tank. There is no remaining ink needed in the cartridges to protect the print head. Because the system is completely closed, there are no concerns about the ink drying up. As long as the machine remains connected to a power source, it is able to regulate the humidity and keep the ink fresh and ready to use.
Once the cartridges are “empty,” there are approximately 200 pages of usage in the sub-tank.
New intelligent Ink Meter… aka Page Gauge… will not only allow you to check to remaining ink volume, but you’ll also be able to see an approximate count of the number of pages remaining for each color. This can be shown as an ISO page count or User page count based on actual printing habits.”
Two sets of replacement ink are offered – standard yield said to be about 3,000 copies and high yield rated at about 6,000 pages or copies. These INKvestment models are so new that third party “compatible” replacement ink is not yet available, so price comparisons cannot be provided here.
Setup follows the proscribed path in the easy-to-follow instructions, with the emphasis on EASY.
After plugging in, follow instructions to install the provided ink. The control panel tips out and up from the bottom at about a 45º angle for easier viewing.
While waiting, I followed the advice on the 2.7″ color display to load some paper into either or both internal trays holding a total of about 400 pages, and then perform other settings during the approximate four-minute internal setup. INKvestment follows this path after the initial set of ink cartridges are installed. During the wait, this is when ink is pulled from the cartridges into the sealed internal tank system to partially fill it in readiness for print jobs. The internal setup is completed after a test copy is printed and another step is completed for the purpose of assuring that the on-board scanner performs accurately. And, of course, it did.
According to a Brother representative, another INKvestment technology advantage avoids the occasional head cleaning cycles experienced with other products and technologies. The sealed tanks and air-free delivery system is more ink efficient. When ink cartridges are replaced, there is no waste from priming as is customary with conventional color inkjet systems. Once installed, the new ink flows to refill internal tanks where required.
Next, the Brother Mobile Connect software was downloaded and installed on an iPhone, iPad and Android phone. Similarly, both Mac and Windows software for Brother printers was installed on two computers. The new printer was wirelessly connected to our home Wi-Fi network on the 2.4 GHz band only, as that is how printers and most other IoT (Internet of Things) devices join our networks. Finally, the new printer was added in the conventional way to both Macs and Windows PCs here and the printer firmware was checked for any needed updates. None was needed at the time of setup, though there has been one update since.
Note that even with our triband Wi-Fi mesh router system, the printer easily joined our Wi-Fi network. Both 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz bands are there, though transparent, and seen as only one network name. Some readers have expressed concern that they may need to do some reconfiguring of the network to show just the 2.4 GHz band for this and other IoT devices, including doorbells. thermostats and cameras. This should NOT be the case. To avoid disappointment, be sure the router firmware is up-do-date and that your router’s maker continues to provide updates. If there is a problem, it could be an outdated router. Consult their tech support. ONLY as a last resort and only if it is possible should the networks be separated.
In addition to connecting with Wi-Fi, this printer may also be connected to the network using an optional Ethernet cable and directly connected to a computer with an optional USB cable. I think it is at its most versatile when used over Wi-Fi. Of course, for faxing, a phone cable to the nearest outlet or VoIP box is required.
Compatible paper sizes in each internal tray are Letter, A4, Legal, Mexico Legal, India Legal, Folio, Executive, and A5.
The manual feed slot accepts one sheet of Letter, A4, Legal, Mexico Legal, India Legal, Folio, Executive, A5, A6, Envelopes (C5, Com-10, DL, Monarch), Photo (4″ x 6″)/(10 x 15 cm), Photo L (3.5″ x 5″)/(9 x 13 cm), Photo 2L (5″ x 7″)/(13 x 18 cm), Index card (5″ x 8″)/(13 x 20 cm)
The front-facing USB Flash Drive slot (at the left in all the photos) can scan-to-print JPEG photos up to Up to 1200 x 4800 dpi. Scan to media via the USB port file formats include JPEG, PDF (Color, Gray) TIFF, PDF (Black & White).
Scanning resolution is specified as Up to 19200 × 19200 dpi (interpolated) *1 *2 (from Scanner Glass)
Up to 1200 × 2400 dpi (optical) (from ADF) *3
Up to 1200 × 600 dpi (optical)
Single width and length single-sided document specifications include:
(Scanner Glass) Width: Up to 8.42 in. (213.9 mm)
Length: Up to 11.61 in. (295 mm)
(ADF) Width: Up to 8.42 in. (213.9 mm)
Length: Up to 13.92 in. (353.6 mm)
Printing resolution is up to 1200 x 4800 dpi.
And now, let’s put it to the test!
**PUT TO THE TEST**
This was so simple, as it should be. The “D” in its model name stands for Duplex. The “W” stands for Wireless. Duplex print, copy and scan, plus fax performed successfully, flawlessly from computer interfaces. Going deeper, documents were printed in black & white in both highest quality and normal mode. Color photos on high quality photo paper at highest quality looked beautiful, though this is not presented as a photo printer. Faxes went through without issue when sent from a digital document on a computer as well as from documents scanned in the on-board ADF with approximately 20-page capacity.
On the mobile side, Brother Mobile Connect app performed perfectly, accessing controls for printing documents and photos, scanning, copying and a maintenance button to poll ink supplies. Scan history can be stored through the app. Documents and photos were printed as well as scanned from mobile devices. Content from all the usual cloud services were printed. Also set up was Remote Print so we can print to that printer from anywhere where there is an Internet connection. It operates smoothly, easily and intuitively.
**CONCLUSION**
Ideal for high quality, low monthly COLOR printing volume, Brother MFC-J4535DW is highly recommended. Buy from Amazon.
I would be remiss without offering some sage, long-standing advice. If you do not NEED color printing, my advice is, generally, to stick with a laser monochrome printer, also from the Brother portfolio. Black & white, or mono laser copies/prints are inexpensive as compared to ink costs. Per page costs cannot be beat by any color printer regardless of the technology. For under about $150 retail, a fine brother printer or all-in-one that should last for many, many years is a tech no-brainer. A better bet from Brother is one of their Brother refurbished printer products. It might take a bit of searching, but the benefits will have been worth the search. I have purchased and helped many others find their next genuine Brother refurb without any issues. Genuine Brother refurbished printers are covered by the same duration Brother factory warranty as the new products. This is the LINK for Brother refurbished printer shopping, whether for a stand-alone printer, or an AIO (All-In-One) like this one, it’s hard to go wrong with Brother! If you don’t see a model that meets your needs, check back weekly as their stock comes and goes according to availability and demand.
**WARRANTY**
Brother MFC-J4535DW is covered by the Brother Two-Year Limited Warranty and Replacement Service.
