Best Prices
Working from home has quickly gone from a rare perk to an everyday reality for millions of us. And as we’ve adjusted our desks, upgraded our internet connections, and invested in ergonomic chairs, one tool has quietly become a backbone of productivity: the printer. But not just any printer — for many of us, Brother printers for remote work have proven to be the most reliable and cost-effective choice.
Whether we’re printing invoices, signing contracts, scanning important documents, or simply needing physical copies of meeting notes, a dependable printer makes remote work smoother. Over the years, we’ve tested and used a wide range of Brother printers, and in this guide, we’ll walk you through why they work so well for home-based professionals, how to choose the right model, and how to make the most of your printer in a remote work environment.
There are plenty of printer brands out there, but we keep coming back to Brother for a few key reasons:
Proven Reliability – Brother printers tend to keep working for years with minimal maintenance.
Affordable Consumables – Toner and ink costs are significantly lower compared to many competitors.
Mac & Windows Compatibility – Whether your remote setup is a MacBook Pro or a Windows desktop, Brother plays nicely with both.
Strong Wireless Performance – Essential for a clutter-free home office.
Business-Grade Features in Home-Friendly Sizes – Duplex printing, high yield cartridges, and scanning features without taking over your whole desk.
If you’ve ever been in the middle of a deadline and your printer refuses to connect or runs out of ink, you know how valuable that kind of dependability is.
Choosing the right printer starts with knowing your work style. We’ve used different categories of Brother printers in our own setups and can break them down for you.
Perfect for remote workers who print mostly text-based documents — contracts, reports, meeting summaries, etc.
Examples:
Brother HL-L2390DW – Simple, compact, and affordable.
Brother HL-L2370DW – Faster print speeds and solid build quality.
Pros:
Extremely low cost per page
Fast printing speeds
Long-lasting toner cartridges
Cons:
No color printing
Basic models lack scanning/copying
If your remote work involves presentations, client-facing materials, or marketing designs, color printing can be a must.
Examples:
Brother HL-L3270CDW – Compact color laser with wireless printing.
Brother MFC-L3770CDW – All-in-one with excellent scanning.
Pros:
Crisp, professional-looking colors
High volume printing capability
Durable, business-grade performance
Cons:
Larger footprint
Higher upfront cost
Ideal for remote workers who print photos, brochures, or any documents with rich color.
Examples:
Brother MFC-J4335DW – Compact all-in-one with high-yield ink.
Brother MFC-J995DW – Known for its INKvestment Tank for low ink costs.
Pros:
Great for photos and high-quality graphics
Compact size
Lower initial purchase price
Cons:
Slower than laser printers
Ink dries out if not used regularly
For those of us who need printing, scanning, copying, and faxing in one machine.
Examples:
Brother MFC-L2750DW – Monochrome laser all-in-one powerhouse.
Brother MFC-J6545DW – Wide-format inkjet for larger print jobs.
Pros:
Saves space by combining multiple devices
Easy scanning to email or cloud
Cost-effective for small business use
Cons:
More moving parts = more maintenance
Can be overkill for minimal printing needs
We’ve helped friends, family, and colleagues get their Brother printers running in home offices, and the process is usually straightforward. Here’s how we set ours up:
Unbox & Prepare – Remove all packaging materials, install toner or ink, load paper.
Power & Connect to Wi-Fi – Use the printer’s LCD screen to join your home network.
Add Printer to Your Computer – On macOS: System Settings → Printers & Scanners → Add Printer. On Windows: Settings → Devices → Printers & Scanners.
Test Print – Always run a test page to confirm everything’s working.
Install Brother Utilities (Optional) – This software unlocks scanning, cloud printing, and advanced settings.
We don’t just pick printers based on looks — here’s what we consider must-have features for remote work:
Wireless & Mobile Printing – AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, or Brother’s iPrint&Scan app.
Automatic Duplex Printing – Saves paper and makes documents look professional.
High Page Yield Cartridges – Lower long-term costs.
Fast Print Speeds – At least 20 pages per minute for lasers.
Compact Size – Especially important for small home offices.
Quiet Operation – No one wants a loud printer in the middle of a Zoom call.
Many remote workers rely heavily on cloud storage. Brother printers make it easy to print from and scan to services like:
Google Drive
Dropbox
OneDrive
Evernote
In our setup, we use the Brother iPrint&Scan app to directly upload scanned documents to a shared team folder in Dropbox. This has saved us countless hours of emailing files back and forth.
One of the realities of remote work is that you’re responsible for your own office expenses. We’ve found several ways to keep printing costs under control:
Choose High-Yield Cartridges – While more expensive upfront, they dramatically reduce cost per page.
Print in Draft Mode – Great for internal documents that don’t need perfect quality.
Use Duplex Printing – Cut paper costs in half.
Buy Generic Cartridges Carefully – Some third-party toner works well, but stick to reputable brands to avoid damage.
Monitor Usage – Brother printers often have usage reports so you can track exactly how much you print.
We’ve had Brother printers last well over five years, and we believe maintenance plays a big role in that longevity.
Keep It Clean – Dust can cause paper jams and print quality issues.
Run Test Prints – Once a week if you don’t print often.
Update Firmware – Brother regularly releases improvements.
Use It Regularly – Inkjets especially benefit from consistent use to avoid clogs.
The type of work you do influences the printer you should choose:
Writers / Editors – Monochrome laser like HL-L2390DW for drafts and manuscripts.
Designers / Marketers – Color laser like MFC-L3770CDW for proofing and client materials.
Accountants / Administrators – All-in-one with duplex scanning for financial documents.
Teachers / Trainers – Inkjet with vibrant color for handouts and lesson plans.
Working from home means you don’t have an IT department to run to when things go wrong. Here’s how we solve the most common issues ourselves:
1. Printer Not Connecting to Wi-Fi
Restart both the printer and router.
Check if the printer is within range of your router.
Assign a static IP to prevent future issues.
2. Poor Print Quality
Clean print heads (inkjet) or run a drum cleaning cycle (laser).
Use high-quality paper for professional documents.
3. Slow Printing
Switch to a lower resolution for drafts.
Use a wired Ethernet connection for large files.
4. Mac Won’t Detect Printer
Remove and re-add printer in settings.
Install Brother’s latest macOS drivers.
When we talk about Brother printers for remote work, we’re not speaking in generalities — we’ve actually used and tested these models. Here’s our breakdown of top picks for different needs and budgets.
We’ve run this printer in our home office for over three years with zero major issues. It’s fast, has duplex printing, and connects flawlessly via Wi-Fi or USB. For text-heavy remote work, it’s hard to beat.
Why We Like It:
36 ppm speed for big print jobs
Flatbed scanner for document digitizing
Works perfectly with macOS AirPrint
Who It’s For: Writers, accountants, and anyone who prints primarily black-and-white documents.
When we need to produce polished, client-facing materials, this is our go-to. Crisp colors, solid build, and business-class features in a unit that still fits on a home office desk.
Why We Like It:
Brilliant color reproduction
50-sheet automatic document feeder
NFC “tap to print” convenience
Who It’s For: Designers, marketing professionals, consultants.
We’ve found this model is ideal for smaller workspaces or shared living situations where space is tight. It’s also one of Brother’s most ink-efficient models.
Why We Like It:
High-yield INKvestment Tank cartridges
Compact footprint
Smooth wireless performance
Who It’s For: Teachers, creatives, and remote workers with moderate printing needs.
When you’re working from home, you want every part of your workflow to be as smooth as possible. Here’s how we’ve optimized our Brother printers:
We set up presets in macOS and Windows for:
Draft mode (low ink use)
Presentation mode (high quality)
Duplex office documents
This saves clicks and ensures consistency.
If you’re part of a distributed team, scanning directly to a shared Google Drive or Dropbox folder means everyone gets access instantly. We use Brother’s iPrint&Scan app for this — it’s fast and integrates well with our workflow.
We mark our calendars for quarterly maintenance:
Clean rollers
Update firmware
Check toner/ink stock
This keeps downtime to a minimum.
Working from home can actually reduce your environmental footprint — and your printer can help:
Duplex Printing reduces paper use by up to 50%.
Eco Mode on many Brother printers lowers energy consumption.
Recycling Programs let you return used cartridges to Brother.
We use duplex mode for nearly all internal documents and have cut our paper orders in half.
Some of us in the remote work world use multiple systems — maybe a MacBook for creative tasks and a Windows laptop for corporate VPN work. Brother printers handle this seamlessly with cross-platform drivers and AirPrint support.
Our HL-L2395DW switches between devices without any cable swapping or reconfiguration — a huge time saver.
Over time, we’ve learned that small adjustments can make a big difference:
Secure Printing: Use password-protected PDFs for sensitive client files.
Batch Printing: Group similar print jobs to reduce warm-up times and energy use.
Paper Stock: Keep two types of paper — everyday 20lb for drafts, heavier 24lb or coated for client deliverables.
Network Priority: Assign your printer a high network priority so it’s never slowed by streaming or downloads.
We’ve seen Brother printers fit perfectly into many home office setups:
Freelance Writer – Prints contracts, edits manuscripts, scans signed agreements.
Online Tutor – Prints lesson plans, student workbooks, and assessment sheets.
Small Business Owner – Produces invoices, marketing flyers, and reports.
Project Manager – Prints Gantt charts, status reports, and meeting notes.
Q: Can Brother printers handle heavy daily use at home?
A: Yes. Models like the HL-L2395DW and MFC-L3770CDW can handle thousands of pages per month without issue.
Q: Are Brother printers easy to set up without tech support?
A: Absolutely. Most are plug-and-play with AirPrint or offer guided wireless setup.
Q: Do I need to buy Brother brand cartridges?
A: For the best results and longevity, yes. Some third-party options work, but poor-quality toner can damage your printer.
Q: Will my Brother printer work if my Wi-Fi goes down?
A: Yes — you can connect via USB or Ethernet as a backup.
Q: How do I scan directly to email from my Brother printer?
A: Use the printer’s onboard menu to select “Scan to Email,” or configure it via Brother’s ControlCenter software.
Over the years, we’ve learned that reliable printing at home is not a luxury — it’s a necessity. When a client asks for a signed contract within the hour, when your accountant needs hard copies of financials, or when your project requires printed visuals for review, having the right printer makes all the difference.
Brother printers, in our experience, hit the sweet spot between cost efficiency, performance, and ease of use. They’re robust enough for business workloads but compact enough to fit into a home office. Add in their compatibility with both macOS and Windows, and it’s easy to see why they’ve become a go-to choice for so many remote professionals.
If you’re setting up or upgrading your remote office, investing in a Brother printer can save you countless hours of frustration — and over time, a lot of money too.