How to Choose the Best Colour Laser Printer for Your Business

The best colour laser printer isn’t always the biggest, fastest or most expensive one. It’s the one that fits the way your team actually works and the one you rely on for a quick invoice run before lunch, a proposal that needs to look polished before a client meeting or simply the one quietly keeping up with everyone’s “just one quick thing to print!” jobs. 

For some businesses, that might be a compact colour laser printer like the Brother HL-L8430CDW tucked into a small office corner. For others, it might be a colour laser multi-function printer like the Brother MFC-L8730CDW that works as a shared laser printer and scanner, helping the team print, scan, copy and fax from one dependable device. For busier departments, it may be a professional colour laser printer like the Brother MFC-L8930CDW with secure access, larger paper capacity, higher-yield toner options and predictable running costs that are easier to plan around.  

And for organisations interested in working with a Managed Print Services partner? An MPS-ready model like the Brother MFC-L8970CDW helps support contract-based print environments where long-term running costs, service support and uptime are key considerations.  

We’ve broken down the options clearly in a table below: 

Need a little more guidance? We’ve got you covered! Read on below for more practical advice on choosing the best colour laser printer that fits the way your business really works. No overwhelming spec sheets, we promise - just the key things worth knowing before you decide. 

Contents 

1. What print volume should your colour laser printer support?
2. What documents and marketing materials do you need to print?
3. How much space do you need for your colour laser printer? 
4. What print speed should you look for in a colour laser printer? 
5. What security and document workflow features should your compare?
6. How do toner options affect the running costs of your colour laser printer?
7. Are you choosing one printer or managing an entire fleet?

What print volume should your colour laser printer support? 

Think about how much your business prints in a normal month, not just on the busiest day of the year. Choosing a printer based on your one chaotic EOFY print marathon is a bit like buying a delivery van because you moved house once! 

• But if you have consistent high daily print volumes, look for: 
• Higher-yield toner options to reduce cartridge changes 
• Expandable paper capacity to reduce refills 
• Network connectivity for shared access 
• Secure print release for confidential documents 
• Serviceable components to help support uptime over the life of the device 

This is also where different colour laser printers begin to suit different business needs. Compact everyday models like the Brother HL-L8430CDW and Brother MFC-L8730CDW are a strong fit for smaller teams, shared workspaces and day-to-day office printing.  

For busier teams or departments with more regular print, scan and document workflows, a model like the Brother MFC-L8930CDW offers extra capacity, larger touchscreens, stronger workflow features and toner options designed to better support ongoing business use.  

And for managed print environments, the Brother MFC-L8970CDW is built for contract placement where predictable cost-per-page, higher in-box toner yield and long-term fleet support matter most.

Maximum duty cycle can be useful when comparing devices for heavier workloads, but it shouldn’t make the decision on its own. Your typical monthly volume, number of users, toner yield, paper capacity and service arrangements will usually give you a more realistic picture of how well a printer will fit into everyday work.

What documents and marketing materials do you need to print?

Print volume tells you how hard your printer needs to work, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. What you’re printing matters too. A business producing mostly invoices and reports will have different requirements from a café regularly printing menus, promotional sheets and point-of-sale materials.

For professional-looking colour output, consider:

• Print resolution and the quality of text, graphics and fine details
• The paper sizes, weights and finishes the printer supports
• Whether there’s a multi-purpose tray for occasional specialist media
• Automatic 2-sided printing for brochures, handouts and internal documents
• Paper capacity if you regularly alternate between plain and promotional stock
• Whether you need scanning, copying or faxing as part of the same device

For a small café or retail business, the Brother MFC-L8730CDW offers a compact way to print everyday documents and compatible A4 marketing materials while also handling scanning, copying and faxing. If those extra functions aren’t necessary, the Brother HL-L8430CDW provides speedy colour printing in a single-function design.

Both models include a multi-purpose tray that can accommodate compatible media such as thicker paper, labels, envelopes and glossy paper. Just remember to check the recommended media specifications before ordering enough menu paper to redecorate the whole café!

If your small business needs a colour multi-function printer that can keep the cost per page manageable while producing both office documents and brochures, compare how often you print with the available toner yields. The MFC-L8730CDW may suit businesses prioritising a compact footprint, while the MFC-L8930CDW adds Super High-yield toner options and expandable paper capacity for more regular or demanding workloads.

Colour laser printers are particularly well suited to crisp business text, charts and graphics. If your materials are highly photographic, require borderless output or need to be printed at A3 size, it may also be worth comparing colour laser with a business inkjet before deciding.

How much space do you need for your colour laser printer? 

If space is tight, choose a printer that gives you the functions you need without taking over the workstation.  

A single-function model like the Brother HL-L8430CDW suits print-led workflows. A compact colour laser multi-function printer like the Brother MFC-L8730CDW or the Brother MFC-L8930CDW is better when scanning and copying happen in the same place as printing. 

A good rule of thumb: if your team will walk to the device several times a day, make sure it fits the space comfortably. No one wants to squeeze past a printer just to get to the filing cabinet, especially not before their first coffee! 

This matters especially in reception desks, consulting rooms, school admin offices, counter-service environments and shared back offices where space is already working hard. A printer that’s awkward to access can quickly become everyone’s least favourite office corner.  

What print speed should you look for in a colour laser printer? 

Fast print speed helps, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you compare. A printer that’s fast on paper but confusing in practice is nobody’s idea of a productivity boost. The bigger benefit is balance: fast enough for daily work, easy to share, quick to turn on, simple to use and dependable when several people need it. 

For busy small businesses, look at: 

• Up to 31 pages per minute print speed 
• Automatic 2-sided (duplex) printing to reduce paper use 
• Flexible connectivity, including Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi, USB, AirPrint, Mopria and Brother Mobile Connect 
• Print and scan-to-cloud workflows from devices on your network 
• NFC card authentication to support secure, controlled access 
• A wide touchscreen that makes common tasks easy 
• Paper capacity that matches your team’s daily rhythm

For a small office or retail shop, you may not need the highest-duty model. The best A4 colour laser printer for you could be the Brother HL-L8430CDW that gets through common jobs and last-minute "can you print this before I go?" requests. 

For teams with repeat workflows, the touchscreen experience can also make a noticeable difference. On the Brother MFC-L8930CDW and Brother MFC-L8970CDW, the 17.6cm colour touchscreen with Dedicated UI gives each user their own Home Tab on login, with one-touch access to the workflows they use most. That means less tapping around and an overall smoother experience at the device!

What security and document workflow features should you compare?

The more people sharing a printer, the more important security and workflow management become. After all, confidential documents probably shouldn’t get the same open-access treatment as the office takeaway menu.

For a corporate colour printer, look beyond basic password protection and compare controls across three areas:

• Device security: User authentication, administrator controls and restrictions on particular functions
• Network security: Secure network protocols, current wireless security standards and tools for managing device settings
• Document security: Secure print release, print-job visibility and controls that help prevent sensitive documents being left unattended

Brother’s professional colour laser range uses triple-layer security across the device, network and document levels. Models such as the Brother MFC-L8930CDW and MFC-L8970CDW also support NFC authentication, helping organisations control access using compatible cards.

Document management matters too. Fast 2-sided (duplex) scanning, an 80-sheet Automatic Document Feeder and scan-to-cloud workflows can help departments digitise paperwork without creating a queue at the device. The larger touchscreen and Dedicated UI on the MFC-L8930CDW and MFC-L8970CDW also give users faster access to the workflows they use most.

Larger organisations may need compatible print-management software as well as built-in device security. Solutions such as Brother and PaperCut can add capabilities such as secure pull printing, central driver deployment, print policies, usage reporting and greater visibility across users, devices or departments.

For organisations comparing colour laser printers for a large corporate network, the MFC-L8930CDW is a strong option for departmental use, while the MFC-L8970CDW is better suited to contract-based and centrally managed print environments. The right choice will ultimately depend on your authentication, network, reporting and document-workflow requirements – not just how quickly the first page appears.

How do toner options affect the running costs of your colour laser printer? 

One key thing to remember: the cheapest printer upfront isn’t always the lowest-cost option over time. When comparing colour laser printers, check what toner comes in the box and which replacement yields are available. Future you, standing beside the printer during a busy week, will be very glad you checked! 

For busy teams, a professional colour laser printer with High-yield, Super High-yield or Ultra High-yield toner options can help reduce cartridge changes, make running costs easier to plan and minimise interruptions during peak periods. If your team prints reports, forms, presentations or customer documents regularly, choosing the right toner can make a real difference to cost per page and day-to-day uptime. 

For businesses considering Managed Print Services, the Brother MFC-L8970CDW supports Ultra High-yield toner, helping support more predictable running costs across longer contract terms.

Cost per page is important, but it’s only one part of total cost of ownership. Paper use, maintenance, employee time, support requirements, energy consumption and downtime can all affect what a printer really costs over its working life. Which brings us neatly to the next question: are you buying one printer or trying to keep an entire fleet in line?

Are you choosing one printer or managing an entire fleet?

Choosing one colour printer for a small office is mostly about matching the device to the team. Replacing printers across several departments is a slightly bigger beast.

For a large office or corporate fleet, compare:

• Actual monthly print and scan volumes by department
• The number of users sharing each device
• Toner yield and expected cost per page
• Paper capacity and the time employees spend refilling devices
• Device reliability, serviceability, warranty and support arrangements
• Energy use and automatic 2-sided (duplex) printing
• Security, authentication and document-release requirements
• Compatibility with central monitoring and print-management tools
• Whether standardising models could simplify toner, training and support
• The cost of downtime, not just the initial purchase price

Rather than giving every department the same printer and hoping for the best, consider how each team actually works. A reception area may need a compact colour multi-function printer, while a larger finance, operations or administration team may benefit from faster 2-sided scanning, higher-yield toner and additional paper trays.

For organisations managing their own devices, Brother BRAdmin Professional 4 can provide central visibility into compatible network-connected printers, including device status, supplies and page counts. It can also help IT teams apply settings and manage firmware across the fleet.

If your organisation would prefer ongoing monitoring, consumables, maintenance and support to be handled as part of a broader agreement, Brother Managed Print Services may be worth considering. An MPS arrangement can also support centralised management across printers and multi-function devices, providing better visibility into usage and costs.

The Brother MFC-L8970CDW is designed specifically for these managed environments. Its Ultra High-yield toner, expandable paper capacity, fast print and scan performance and five-year onsite warranty help address both cost per page and uptime – two figures that tend to matter far more than the price printed on the box.

Find the best colour laser printer for the way your team works with Brother 

Choosing the best A4 colour laser printer for your business doesn’t need to become a full office debate complete with spreadsheets and strong opinions. 

The right choice comes down to how your team works every day. Think about what you print, how often you print it, which paper and materials you use, where the printer needs to sit, who needs access and whether security, scanning, copying or centralised fleet management should be part of the setup.

Explore Brother’s range of colour laser printers and find the model that’s ready for your business and your team’s workload.