Brother Original Toner and Printhead

Spares

Brother MFC 845CW

A very versatile multifunction printer intended for home and small office use. It acts as a base station for a cordless phone (expandable to 4 handsets) and has a built in wireless print server. The heart of the machine is a 4 cartridge inkjet printer.

This machine is intended to make home-office working eminently practical handling a user's printing and scanning on the one hand and phone, fax and answering machine on the other.

Brother claim print-speeds to 27 pages per minute black and 22 ppm colour. As usual with inkjets these can be taken as maximum ever - with most real world experience being less impressive.

There is a fax-copier type control panel with a 2.5 inch flip-up colour LCD

Other features less evident from the picture are:

  • Supplied with detachable 5.8Ghz DECT handset.
  • Digital Answering Machine. Electronic messaging facility for faxes and voice mail.
  • Full Duplex Speakerphone.
  • 10 page automatic document feeder (ADF).
  • Media Cards and PictBridge Interface. Also scan JPEG, PDF and TIFF to flash cards.
  • Preview Photos and faxes on the LCD.
  • 4 Cartridge ink System with 500 page life for black and 400 pages for colour.

The MFC-845CW is essentially a full-featured home printer. The hundred sheet input tray, 50 sheet output tray and 500 page cartridge life will not suit business processes where one copy of a report can run over 50 pages. It's a matter of priorities - if you want uninterrupted printing of hundreds of pages at a lower cost point look at the specifications for laser printers.

The MFC-845CW does just about everything with a phone line. There are a couple of exceptions:

  • It doesn't have an ADSL modem. If a printer is going to act as a DECT base-station, fax and answering machine then incorporating a router might be a way to go.
  • There isn't support for Bluetooth headsets, only for the built-in DECT handset.

Control:

Fax / Copier control panel with a 2.5 inch LCD screen on the MFC 845CW. One of the main distinctions between models in this series is to have different control panels fitted.

There are a set of calibration and test utilities detailed in the service manual.

Duty Cycle:

No stated

As usual with inkjet printers there is a difference between the black-only and colour speeds

Up to 27ppm Black

Up to 22ppm Colour

Also as usual with inkjets don't expect full colour photos at high quality at anywhere near the mentioned speeds.

There is no warm-up time.

Up to 1,200 x 6,000 dpi optimised

Minimum Droplet Size: 1.5pl(when used with BrotherBP61paper)

The MFC-845CW isn't the best colour printer for photos. It has just 4 colours so both Canon and Epson produce printers that beat it on photo quality. Where the MFC-845CW and it's family have strength is in general office printing.

Scanner Abilities:

Colour Scanner: with an ADF for up to 10 sheets

Optical Resolution: Up to 600 x 2,400 dpi

Interpolated Resolution: Up to 19,200 x 19,200 dpi

Colour Depth: 36bit internal processing colour scanner

Scan Key: Yes; Scan to Image/ E-mail/ OCR/ File/ Card- Supporting: JPEG, BMP, PDF, TIFF, PNG

Scan Speed: From 4 seconds mono and from 6 seconds colour (A4 size, 100 x 100dpi)

TWAIN Compliant: Yes

Gray Scale: 256 levels

Scanning Width: 210 mm (8.26 inch)

Viewer for Windows (OCR): ScanSoft PaperPort SE with OCR

Viewer for Macintosh (Including OCR): Presto! PageManager

Copy Abilities:

Speed (Multi-Copies): Up to 20 cpm (Mono) / Up to 18 cpm (Color) Resolution

Plain, inkjet, glossy paper: Print: Max. 600 x 1,200 dpi, Scan: Max. 600 x 1,200 dpi

OHP/Transparency: Print: Max. 600 x 1,200 dpi, Scan: Max. 600 x 1,200 dpi

Reduction/ Enlargement: 25% - 400% in 1% increments

Multi Copy (Stacking): Yes (Up to 99)

Multi Copy (Sort): Yes

N in 1 Copy (2 in 1,4 in 1): Yes (A4/Letter only)

Fax Abilities:

Modem Speed: 14,400 bps - using the ITU.T-30E Colour Fax Protocol to other compatible fax machines

Transmission Speed: Approx. 6 sec

Coding Method: Mono: MH/ MR/ MMR, Color: JPEG

Gray Scale: 256 levels (colour), 64 levels (mono)

Super Fine: Enables quality transmission and reception of very small print or line drawings

Dual Access: Yes; Scan a fax for transmission whilst receiving a fax (mono only)

Automatic Redial: Automatic redial if the recipient fax is busy

Delayed Faxing: Yes

Quick-Scan (Memory transmission): Approx. 4.72 sec/page (Letter), Approx. 5.02 sec/page (A4)

Broadcasting (Max.): Yes (250 locations ).Send the same fax message to up to 250 locations

Page Memory: Up to 480 pages

Memory Transmission: Up to 400 pages (ITU-T Test Chart No 1)

Out of Paper Reception: Up to 400 pages (ITU-T Test Chart No 1)

ECM (Error Correction Mode): Yes; Where machines share the ECM feature, errors are corrected

Remote Access: Yes

Fax Forwarding: Yes; Sends a fax received in memory to another pre-programmed fax number (mono only)

Fax Retrieval: Allows the user to retrieve fax messages using another touch tone machine (mono only)

Speed Dials: 100 locations for pre-stored numbers

Group Dials: Up to 6 groups

Fax / Tel Switch: Automatic recognition of fax and telephone reception

Paper Handling:

A4 Paper Path:

The MFC845CW have a photo tray as well as the main tray.

Paper Handling Sizes: A4, LTR, LGL, EXE, A5, A6, Photo 4 x 6", Envelope plus

Paper Tray Capacity: 100 pages

Output tray Paper Capacity: 50 pages

Media Type: Plain, Inkjet, Glossy, Transparency

Standard paper tray: Up to 100 sheets

Photo paper tray: Up to 20 sheets

Borderless Printing: Available for A4, LTR, A6, Photo 4 x 6", Index Card, Postcard

Duplex:

No Auto Duplex available

Processor:

Not known

Memory:

RAM 32 MB (see the table above for how lesser models differ)

Media Card Drive: See Direct Photo Printing section for Acceptable Media Cards.

Interface:

Provides both USB and Ethernet interfaces as standard and IEEE 802.11b/g wireless

PictBridge: See Direct Photo Printing section

Network:

Supplied with a built-in 10/100 Base-TX Network interface

Ethernet 10/100BASE-TX Auto Negotiation

Wireless: Supplied with built-in 802.11b/g Wireless Technology

System Compatability:

Primarily intended for MS-Windows and Apple Mac.

Software:

Driver Software Included: Brother MFL-Pro Suite

Windows: Brother Control Centre3, ScanSoft PaperPort SE with OCR

Macintosh: Brother Control Centre2, NewSoft Presto! PageManager7

SYSTRAN Web Translator 5.0: Scan and translate document text or web pages without having to leave Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 by integrating the Brother ControlCentre and Scan-to-OCR functionality with SYSTRAN WebTranslator 5.0

Direct Photo Printing:

Photo Print: JPEG

Scan to Card: JPEG, PDF (colour), TIFF, PDF (mono)

PictBridge: Allows the user to print directly from their PictBridge compatible digital camera

PhotoCapture CentreTM Compact Flash (Type 1 only): 4MB - 2GB

Memory Stick: 16MB - 128MB (Duo with Adaptor)

Acceptable Media Cards:

Memory Stick ProTM: 256MB - 1GB

MultiMediaCardTM: 16MB - 1GB

Secure DigitalTM: 16MB - 1GB (Mini SD with Adaptor)

xD-Picture CardTM: 16MB - 512MB

xD-Picture CardTM Type M: 256MB - 1GB

xD-Picture CardTM Type H: 256MB - 1GB

Removable Disk Drive:

Save and retrieve files using any of the above listed media cards.

Image Format: Photo Print: JPEG

Scan to Card: JPEG, PDF (colour), TIFF, PDF (mono)

Linux uses the Brother "Cups Wrapper drivers for bh7 Brother Printers.

This package provide all cups wrapper drivers for models DCP-130C DCP-330C DCP-540CN DCP-750CW FAX-1860C FAX-1960C FAX-2480C FAX-2580C MFC-240C MFC-3360C MFC-440CN MFC-5460CN MFC-5860CN MFC-660CN MFC-665CW MFC-845CW. See the Brother Linux site

Dimensions:

With Carton: 475(w) x 270(d) x 451(h)mm

Without Carton: 398(w) x 370(d) x 180(h)mm ( 15.7 x 14.6 x 7.1 inch)

Weight:

With Carton: 11.6kg

Without Carton: 8.4 kg ( 18.5 lb )

Consumables:

Inkjet with integrated printhead. Capacity ?? ml. Black yield is around 500 pages at 5% cover and the colours around 400 pages.

LC1000BK - Approx. 500 pages A4/Letter size paper @ 5% coverage

LC1000C - Approx. 400 pages A4/Letter size paper @ 5% coverage

LC1000M - Approx. 400 pages A4/Letter size paper @ 5% coverage

LC1000Y - Approx. 400 pages A4/Letter size paper @ 5% coverage

DO NOT take out ink cartridges if you do not need to replace them. If you do so, it may reduce the ink quantity and the machine will not know the quantity of ink left in the cartridge.

Cost per page is said to be 2.1p for black and 7,1p for colour per page.

Brother also recommend the following paper:

BP61GLP: 4 x 6" glossy photo paper, 20 sheets, 50 sheets.

BP61GLA: A4 glossy photo paper, 20 sheets

BP60MA: A4 matt inkjet paper, 25 sheets

BP60PA: A4 inkjet plain paper, 250 sheets

Spares:

Other than the inks themselves inkjet printers use the absorber pads. Users quite often break or lose tray parts.

At the moment a search of UK distributor parts lists suggests that only the absorbers are immediately available.

LP1233001 Ink Absorber Kit

LP5186001 Ink Absorber Box Assy

LP3035001 - Ink Foam M

LP3535001 - Ink Refill Assembly - Ink Cartridges Sit in This

LP1256005 - Gray Paper Tray Extension Assembly

LP1361005 - Grey Paper Tray Cover Assembly

LS2006001 - Complete Paper Tray Assembly

UG3626001 - LG3077001 - UK Telephone Lead for Brother Fax / Multifunction Machines

Whats-In-The-Box:

Not in the Box - USB Connectivity (cable not supplied)

Warranty:

Warranty coverage does not apply to any problem that is caused by the use of unauthorized third party ink and / or cartridges. To protect your investment and obtain premium performance from the Brother machine, we strongly recommend the use of Genuine Brother Supplies.

Options:

BCLD20 - Additional Handset - Digital Cordless Handset

BCLBT20 - Battery - Replacement Ni-MH battery for BCLD20

Copyright G & J Huskinson & MindMachine Associates Ltd 2013, 2015, 2016. Some pictures derived from Brother User and Service guides. These technical pages do not constitute an offer for sale; just our knowledge at the time of writing. See the catalog. Sales pages on this Web site use cookies to store user information. We also use Google Analytics to track site usage patterns.