Customer Ratings & Reviews

---SETUP--- The setup for this Brother printer is time consuming if you’ve never used an inkvestment type printer before. The size of the printer requires two people for safe handling. The ink cartridges are easy to install and have a unique wedge per color to prevent wrong insertion. The black ink, however, must be shaken 15 times before it can be used. After that, it takes 8 minutes for the ink tanks to do their first cycle. If you do all the steps back to back and with no errors, you’re looking at a 20 minute setup with WiFi. ---FEATURES--- The key feature of this printer is that it uses “inkvestment” technology. All that means is that the ink tanks (read: cartridges) have been modified to fit more ink, require less changing, and be cheaper to replace. The box touts to have 1 year’s worth of ink included in the box printing 300 pages per month. Additionally, it works as a fax, scanner (with OCR), and copier. It has up to 4800 x 1200 DPI color resolution, the ability to air-print (iOS and Android), and scan to cloud services. ---PERFORMANCE--- The performance of this Brother printer was excellent with a few mishaps that may or may not affect you. This printer is meant for small business, but not all businesses use all features. When it comes to printing, the quality is above par. I printed a high-quality color image on photo paper with photo-quality settings and the image looked incredible. Additionally, I printed a similar image on card stock fed through the alternate multipurpose tray that can be used for envelopes or other sizes and paper types and the results were equally impressive. Printing on paper is great as well, but I did find a tiny issue with this. As my multi-paper document was printing, at some point, one of the papers didn’t land flat on the bed. Instead, it curled up causing a few others to coil up behind it (pictured). It only happens once, but I thought I should mention it since it did occur in a setting where there was no air source coming through and the printer was on a stable surface. Another thing that I noticed was that scanning an image through the feeder tray didn’t come out entirely straight, but it’s not a feature I plan on using often. Lastly, I did print using my iPhone, which didn’t require any additional apps once the printer was connected to my network. Printing via the phone, though, has limitations on the options of what tray to print from as well as other functionalities. ---EXPECTATIONS--- The product meets my expectations. This is not the first inkvestment-type printer I own. Being a teacher, I have a lot of printing needs when school printers shut down. These types of printers do live up to their name of saving you money when having to buy ink again. For my needs, it will serve a good purpose. ---VALUE--- The price for the printer in terms of value makes it a good trade-off vs. how much you will save on ink. ---APPROVAL--- I highly recommend this product for people who own a small business, educators, or people who print in large quantities monthly.

About 7 years ago I made the (reluctant) choice to try a Brother AIO printer. I was frustrated that I was wasting money on "the other guys" only to have their printers die after a year or two. I had noticed that we had Brother fax machines at the office that had been used daily and looked like they were manufactured in the 1980s, so I brushed my fear aside and gave Brother a shot. Unfortunately, 7 yrs later my entry-level AIO gave up the ghost. I was more than willing to buy another AIO and was very interested in the INKvestment Tank "technology" used in the MFC-J6545DW. Honestly, I don't know that "bigger ink" equals "technology" but the thought of not replacing a bunch of tiny ink cartridges all the time is quite nice. Regardless, when the printer arrived at my doorstep I was also shocked at how big the printer itself is. That's my fault for just shopping online and not stopping to think that a device that can scan and printer in ledger size has to be twice the size of my 8.5x11 all-in-one. First impression, size aside, is how easy the setup was. I chose to connect to wifi manually, but they offer WPS for anyone who wants the "push button" option for connecting to wifi. The longest part of setup was the 8 minute wait after loading the ink. Apparently the device needs to siphon the ink from the cartridge into internal storage tanks. Regardless, less than 15 minutes from unbox to printing for me. My Windows 10 laptop found the printer without any action on my behalf (other than clicking on "find printers"). I have been impressed with how quick, clean, and crisp the output is. Documents print about twice as fast as my old Brother personal printer...which was still pretty quick. The printer also holds about 5x as many pages of paper than my old printer which is nice. (I was always running out of paper mid-job.) To get the full benefit of the printer, like scanning documents to cloud accounts, you need to install the FULL driver. It comes on a CD in the box. Fortunately it is also available for download on the Brother website. Speaking of scanning, the ADF (auto document feeder) claims to hold 50 sheets. It is important to note that it will NOT scan/copy both sides of a sheet automatically. (You need to step up a model for that option.) Scanning speeds are just average. I tried using the ADF to scan some old 4x6 photos and had mixed results with some photos getting stuck. Additionally, the Brother scanning software isn't the greatest forcing you to set the scan size rather than "auto-detecting." There might be a way around that but I have not spent enough time scanning to know for sure. It would be nice to be able to lay photos on the glass and have the scanner detect the individual images or scan without cutting off the edge because you set the wrong size in the software. I love the scan to cloud (OneDrive, Google Drive, Evernote) options. JPEG, TIFF and PDF are the only options. I am disappointed PNG is not a built-in file format for scans. You can also scan docs with OCR. The scanner can "scan and send via email" if you don't want to save to the cloud, flash drive, or PC folder. The scan quality felt average for photos and good as a copier, and as mentioned previously, scanning is not much faster than my old scanner--but at the same time, it is scanning twice the surface area. The touchscreen is small. Icons for navigating the touch screen are large, but when it comes to selecting items or typing words on the touchscreen, it can get a bit hairy if you have big fingers or an unsteady hand. A larger touchscreen would be nice, but at least it pivots to help with glare and angles. My Android phone, which still had the old Brother printing app on it, found the printer without any effort. I was able to print direct from phone just as fast and easily as printing from the laptop. If I can get the same life out of this Brother AIO as I did my old one, it will be a good investment. There are devices out there that will undoubtedly scan more clearly and maybe even faster, but the Brother MFC-J6545DW has enough features (especially since I can forego automatic double-sided scanning) and a high quality output perfect for my needs at a reasonable price.

This Brother wireless all-in-one is a workhorse for small offices and home offices. It holds a large ink supply, is well-designed, is intuitive to use, and you can print wirelessly within a few minutes. The printer uses four large ink cartridges (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) and has an internal ink tank so does not need replacement cartridges often. It prints single-sided pages very quickly, up to 22 ppm, and easily prints double-sided documents without paper jams or misfeeds. The color and print quality are good on the “normal” setting, fine for most everyday business documents. I printed a 30-page spreadsheet double-sided with no problems, and the quality of text and graphics was good. The features that stand out the most are its ink capacity and the ability to scan and print pages up to ledger/ tabloid size (11 x 17-inch). The Brother all-in-one can print multiple pages on a single sheet of paper, allowing you to print brochures, booklets and other marketing materials. You can use different paper types and print quality settings. The printer comes ready to use. Just plug in the power cord and follow the on-screen instructions to insert the ink tanks. It takes up to 10 minutes to insert the cartridges and fill the internal ink supply. If you want to use the fax function, then open the printer and plug in the included phone cord, attach to a land line or VOIP phone, and enter your fax ID settings using the screen prompts. I recently ditched my VOIP, so did not test this function. For wired printing, connect a USB or Ethernet cable (not included) to your computer, also by plugging it inside the unit and laying it inside a cleverly-designed channel. For wireless setup, identify the network to which you want to connect your computer, smartphone or tablet. Then print... I was able to print seamlessly from my iPhone. It took a bit more work to download printer drivers for my laptop. Pros: - Ready to print, right out of the box - Intuitive controls and large color screen - Wireless and wired network capability - Auto document feeder - Large scanner bed - Print up to 11 x 17-inch documents - Fast print speed - Connects to smartphones and tablets without loading print driver software - Large ink tanks - Front paper tray plus rear paper feed path - Printer control screen has adjustable angle - Ability to scan to USB drive, email, cloud Cons: - Took bit of trial and error to get printer to work with laptop on wireless network - Large printer footprint because of 11 x 17-inch scanner bed and paper tray I recommend this printer for small offices and home offices, as it yields professional results. I would give this printer 4.5 stars, mainly because of the two issues listed above.

First, and foremost, even though Brother calls this an “INKvestment Tank” printer, do NOT confuse it with an actual ink-tank printer…it is NOT. It uses ink cartridges, just like all other traditional inkjet printers. Also, while they claim “one year of ink”, I haven’t had it long enough to prove/disprove this. That being said, I’ve never come across an ink cartridge-based printer that held up to its claimed length-of-use on the cartridges. So, let’s dig in………. UNBOXING & INITIAL IMPRESSIONS: To say the box is large is an understatement…at almost 3ft long, 2ft wide, and 1.5ft tall, it’s huge. If buying this printer, make sure you have an empty trunk, or an available seat (or the entire backseat), as you’ll need it. It’s also heavy, exceeding 44lbs, so make sure that, wherever you plan on placing the printer, it can support the weight. The printer, itself, is well-packed, but I suggest having someone assist in unpacking it, especially considering the (approx) 23”x19”x12” size of the printer. Btw, the huge size is due to it being able to scan/copy/print as large as 11x17”. The button layout is nice, plus it has a cool touch-screen (something my previous Epson ink-tank printer didn’t have). SETUP: Setup, as with most printers these days, is as smooth & simple as it gets. I remember when Brother printers could be a PitA when attempting to set up the printer on a network (wired, or wireless)…no more. To keep things simple, it’s almost a “plug & play” situation, as the included instructions, and the installation software, walks you through every step of the way…so much so that it’s almost impossible to mess things up. Additionally, you can set the printer up for remote printing. It doesn’t matter whether you use Dropbox, MS OneDrive, Google Drive, or Brother’s own mobile apps…you will be able to print from wherever you are. PRINT QUALITY: Let’s start with the “bad” news…while a reasonably-fast printer, it won’t keep up withy your laser printer. Brother claims (and, by my testing, it is only slightly slower than their “claimed” speed) 22ppm b&w, and 20ppm color. Realistically, expect a speed approx 10% less than the claims speeds. Additionally, I wouldn’t suggest using this to print photos. It does a fairly good job at printing photos within a document, but as a “photo printer”, I would barely call it “acceptable”. Ok…enough of the “bad”…how about some “good”? If you’re printing text-only documents, the 4800x1200dpi will leave you hard-pressed to tell the difference between prints done on this Brother, and prints done on a laser printer. Comparing a single-page document done on the Brother against the same page printed on my HP LaserJet Pro, the differences could only be seen when using a magnifying glass (yes, I did actually do this) – the Brother is just that good. Color me impressed. ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS: Unfortunately, there is another piece of “bad” news…NO duplex scanning. If you have 2-sided pages needing to be scanned/copied, you’ll need to do it the old-fashions way, one-side-at-a-time. Additionally, while the flatbed scanner scans at a fantastic 1200x1200dpi, the document feeder only scans at 600x600dpi. On the plus side, the document feeder can hold up to 50 pages. The primary tray holds 250 sheets, but there is a (so-called) second tray, located from the back-side of the printer (you have to pull the plastic “tray” piece up) that holds an additional 100 sheets. THE GOOD: • Easy to setup & configure • Print quality is almost equal to a laser printer • Ability to print huge 11”x17” THE BAD: • No duplex scanning • 600x600dpi ADF scanning • Photo print quality barely “acceptable” THE UGLY: • Nothing I can think of (at least right now) FINAL VERDICT: My biggest “complaint” is that it’s cartridge-based. While all the other printer manufacturers have been releasing ink-tank AIO printers for at least a few years, Brother seems to be holding back. Also, while not a “deal-breaker”, the lack of duplex scanning is a ‘problem’. AIO printers…especially printers of this side…should include duplex scanning. That having been said, if you need a printer primarily for printing photos, this is not the printer you want. Instead, allow me to suggest something made by Canon or Epson, as they both manufacture excellent printers for printing photos. On the other hand, if you need an inkjet printer for documents, the Brother MFC-J6545DW is a very good choice. If you need a reasonably-priced printer capable of printing 11”x17” and/or want an inkjet capable of producing laser printer-like text quality, then this printer should be on your “very, very short list”. Text print quality is like none I have seen before from an inkjet printer. Disclaimer: This product was provided free, or at reduced cost, for the purpose of reviewing the product. Nevertheless, the above review, be it positive, negative, or anywhere in-between, is a 100% honest review, and the price paid played absolutely no part in my review.

Brother's MFC-J6545DW is squarely aimed at home- and small-office duty. It relies on a couple of key features to differentiate it from other inkjet all-in-ones - support for larger paper sizes (up to 11" x 17") and economical consumable costs. It handles typical office printing needs very satisfactorily, but also didn't quite live up to some of my expectations. (Full transparency: my unit was provided by Brother in exchange for an honest review.) There were a few things I really liked about this all-in-one. By far the most noticeable is the larger paper size support - this machine supports tabloid-size paper, and this means it is also a fairly large machine. It's definitely the largest inkjet all-in-one I've handled, and pretty hefty as well. Of course, this means it has some extra flexibility due to its significantly larger area. For instance, it can handle scanning side-by-side pages from a bound document (like a magazine or book). I liked this feature, but would advise anyone who has limited space to consider its dimensions carefully. The INKvestment system is also appealing to me. Brother's projected costs per page are very low, and standard capacity cartridges are included in the box (no starter cartridges here). The cartridges clearly show how much liquid ink is inside. The actual consumable ink cartridges are independent of the actual print head and nozzles. While Brother isn't the only company to be trying to make ink costs more economical, they seem to have a pretty good implementation. Time will tell how accurate the usage estimates are, and how reliable the components are, but for now I am pretty pleased with Brother's goal here. I was very pleased with the speed and quality for text and simple graphics (standard office documents). Some photos on "best" mode with glossy paper, on the other hand, did take significantly longer to print. Of course, that speed/quality trade-off is understandable. I was able to get printing to the MFC-J6545DW right away from multiple computers and mobile devices via my Wi-Fi network - no drivers were strictly necessary. (I did, however, eventually install the latest drivers from Brother on both a Windows and Mac computer.) I was satisfied with the quality of scans from this machine, and it was reasonably easy to work with the scanner (on par with other networkable all-in-ones I've used). Overall, pretty decent for day-to-day office-type needs. Unfortunately, I did also run into some issues. None of them turned out to be deal-breakers, but they do keep me from recommending this printer without reservation. I've purchases three Brother color laser printers in the past decade, and all have worked really well (and are still working - I've gifted some to family as I've upgraded). My experiences were so great that the problems I did run into with this model were surprising. Happily, however, the worst issue cleared up on its own and my other criticisms are relatively minor. First of all, during the initial set-up I ran into two problems. First, there was an unexpected amount of liquid ink that got into the paper path. Cartridge installation was so easy, and they clicked solidly into place - so I am skeptical that was the cause. I was able to blot up some of the ink that my test print pages were not picking up themselves, and the printer does not seem to be leaking any further ink, so I am not worried going forward. The second issue during set-up was a pretty big source of frustration, however - during the calibration process, the printer detected jammed paper numerous times and would not complete the calibration print. Each time, there appeared to be no real issue with the paper feed (like wrinkled or "caught" paper). I even went as far as requesting warranty service - and then suddenly, after about 24 hours, it began to work fine when I tried once more. Ever since, there have been no issues at all with jams. It seems very mysterious, but now that it's working I guess I can't complain too much. My final negative impression of this machine is that it does seem to press some fine lines into photo paper. While photos look pretty good, from certain angles the light catches on these lines and they are noticeable. I suspect this is a side effect of the paper feed mechanism, and I've been unable to find a way to improve the results. Photos aren't bad, but I guess for this reason alone I would not recommend the machine for anyone that wants to print lots of high-quality photos. On the bright side here, it can print full-bleed (edge-to-edge) letter-sized photos. So, there you have it - if you want a fast all-in-one that works smoothly with many devices on a home network, and primarily do text and light graphics printing, this machine is well worth a consideration. The INKvestment system should keep consumable costs very reasonable, compared to many cheaper inket printers that make up the profit by forcing you to buy expensive cartridges after the anemic starter cartridges run out. The large paper-size support may make it too cumbersome for some home users, but I personally found it to be a nice feature. I did encounter a few issues that I don't think are endemic to this model, but wanted to relate my experience fully. I would definitely recommend this all-in-one were it not for those issues; as it stands, I would give it a tentative recommendation for people that would like the larger paper support and economical ink replacements.

Easy setup for my phone and computer but it took some time and I had to resort to the instructions manual to figure out how to scan large documents and use the duplex feature. It was not that difficult but I am not the type of guy who reads manuals until I have to. Brother promises that the MF-J6545DW ink will last up to a year, so I am also assuming that after a year, the ink will go bad or something; otherwise, it could last longer than that depending on the print volume. Print quality to me is always crucial. On that front, this Brother MF-J6545DW delivers well as long you remember to run the alignment setup first as you should with any printer and a new cartridge. I never expect fast photo printing from this type of printer but I do for document printing and I found it to be a bit slow. Still, not bad and the fact that it can print up to 11” x 17” more than makes up for the slower printing. As for photos, it is just good for brochures but this is a business printer and photo is not its specialty. Scanning was easy, with very good resolution, and relatively fast for this type of multi-function printer. I really like that you can scan tens of pages at once, which is something I need to do in a regular basis. Faxing also worked flawlessly although I rarely fax anymore. Printing from my iPhone and iPad was easier than I expected. It looks professional. Its built-in auto ordering of ink is useful but you will be ordering only Brother Ink, instead of the compatible cheaper options out there. It is optional, however, and considering it can print thousands of pages with one a set of cartridges, you might not be concerned about cheaper ink and just go with the feature. Although I do not like all the extra control software, my recommendation is to install it for Windows 7. That will prevent some issues that I encountered with duplex printing with that Windows version. Windows 10 worked fine without the software that comes with the printer but you may prefer to install it anyway since it makes some tasks a bit easier.