The Brother MFC-L8850CDW is a cutting-edge color laser multifunction printer geared towards the heaviest workloads of small to medium business offices. Besides being a reliable and fast printer, it also comes equipped with the ability to copy, scan, and fax. It is, however, the software suite that brings out the true colors of the MFC-L8850CDW in terms of efficiency,
usability, connectivity enhancements. This review, therefore, aims to showcase the different aspects of software related to Brother MFC-L8850CDW and thereby takes us through its performance, features, ease of use, and the total impact on user experience.
1. Software Installation and Setup
The software for the Brother MFC-L8850CDW can be installed with ease. A detailed installation CD accompanies the printer, but still, users are permitted to download the most recent drivers and software from Brother’s website. The wizard installation walks the users step by step and guarantees that even the ones with the least technical knowledge can successfully install the required components.
The package of installation has both drivers for printing and scanning along with the controlling software for managing and setting up the printer. The Brother ControlCenter4 which is also included in the package is the main place to manage all the multifunctional features of the printer. The installation is fast, and usually, it takes around 15 minutes or less, and hence the printer will be ready for operation immediately.
2. Brother ControlCenter4
The Brother ControlCenter4 is the central interface for the MFC-L8850CDW and is a very advanced and simple-to-use program. It makes it very simple for the user to get to all the functions of the printer like printing, scanning, copying, and faxing very quickly. The software is structured into four major tabs which are: Home, Photo, Scan, and Device Settings.
Home Tab
The Home tab gives easy access to the most used functions like scanning to email, OCR (Optical Character Recognition), and file management. It also shows the printer’s status, tint levels and maintenance alerts. This overall view is very helpful for users who keep an eye on the printer’s status all the time.
Photo Tab
The Photo tab is meant for people who print pictures often. It contains the basic photo editing tools, like cropping and resizing and the print settings that are most suitable for photos. Even though they are not as sophisticated as professional photo editing programs, these tools will do just fine for basic modifications of the images.
Scan Tab
The Scan tab is one of the greatest features offered by ControlCenter4. It provides a variety of scanning choices such as scanning to email, file, image, and OCR. Apart from that, users are able to personalize the scan characteristics, for example, resolution, color depth, and file format. The software also allows for batch scanning which means it can be used for quick digitization of large document volume.
Device Settings Tab
The Device Settings tab is the gateway to the printer’s configuration options. The user can change the settings about quality of the print, management of paper, and connectivity to the network. Also, under this tab, there are the functions of maintenance such as updating the firmware and the cycles for cleaning. Being able to adjust the printer from the software directly offers nothing but convenience and control.
3. Print Management Software
The Brother MFC-L8850CDW is supplied with a full-featured print management software that gives the users the opportunity to bring their printing tasks to perfection. The software package contains the Brother BRAdmin Professional, which is the network management application that is constructed to cater to the needs of managing several Brother devices on the same network.
BRAdmin Professional
BRAdmin Professional is the software that permits central monitoring and management of Brother printers by the IT administrators. It also states each device’s details as well as the statistics on usage, error logs, and ink levels. The administrators are able to change the settings of the devices from afar, execute firmware updates, and establish maintenance alert email notifications. One can easily say that the software is a great help for those who have a lot of Brother printers, as it makes managing the fleet easier and less time-consuming.
Print Job Management
The Brother software’s print job management functions come with secure print, which allows users to enter a PIN at the printer to get their documents. This is a major step forward in document security, thus, preventing unauthorized persons from getting hold of confidential information. Moreover, the software has the feature of print quotas wherein administrators may regulate the volume of printing per user by setting page limits. This not only helps to save costs but also creates awareness and responsibility among the users.
4. Scanning Software
The Brother MFC-L8850CDW scanner is a device that is made more powerful through the use of the software that comes with it. Besides the ControlCenter4, Brother has made available also the specialized scanning software such as Brother iPrint&Scan and Nuance PaperPort.
Brother iPrint&Scan
Brother iPrint&Scan is an all-in-one mobile application that enables users to print and scan directly from their smartphones or tablets. The application works with both iOS and Android devices and it is also possible to connect the MFC-L8850CDW with it via Wi-Fi. It can handle a large variety of file formats and provides different customization options like resolution for scanning and file compression. The printer and scanner that can be used while on the move represent a great opportunity for users who have to work off-site or are often on the road.
Nuance PaperPort
Nuance PaperPort is an efficient document management solution that elevates the scanning process. It is equipped with the state-of-art OCR technology, enabling the users to turn paper documents into machine-readable texts. PaperPort also gives the user tremendous support in organizing documents through the use of folders, tags, and searching. The connection with cloud services like Google Drive and Dropbox also supports document accessibility and collaboration.
5. Fax Software
The faxing functions of the Brother MFC-L8850CDW are further improved by the use of Brother PC-FAX software. This application enables users to both send and receive faxes through their PCs thus not having the necessity for a separate fax machine.
PC-FAX Sending
Customers using the PC-FAX sending feature can fax full documents directly from their computer applications, like, for example, Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat. They would only choose the Brother MFC-L8850CDW as their fax machine and key in the receiver’s fax number. Thus, getting rid of the need to print documents before faxing them, it not only saves time but also conserves paper.
PC-FAX Receiving
Through the PC-FAX receiving function, users have the ability to get faxes straight to their PCs. PDFs of incoming faxes would be automatically saved which would be then possible to be viewed, printed, or sent through email. This function is of great help especially for those who handle a huge quantity of faxes, as it makes the process of fax management more efficient and less paper-consuming.
6. Mobile Printing Solutions
The Brother MFC-L8850CDW is a versatile printer with various mobile printing options that allow users to easily print wirelessly from their mobile phones and tablets. Alongside Brother iPrint&Scan, Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print, and Wi-Fi Direct compatibility, the printer offers these printing methods.
Apple AirPrint
With the consideration of Apple AirPrint, users can print straight away from their iOS devices without any further software or drivers. The MFC-L8850CDW is fully AirPrint compatible so that every user can print not only emails but also photos and documents from iPhones and iPads without any hassle. Moreover, the full-fledged integration with Apple iOS devices boosts the users’ convenience and productivity.
Google Cloud Print
With the Google Cloud Print service, you can access your printer from anywhere and print anything that you want from your Internet-connected device, e.g., mobile phone, tablet, or Chromebook. Moreover, it is possible to link MFC-L8850CDW to Google Cloud Print, which will permit printing from the Google account without any software installation. This is a great solution for users who want to quickly print something while they are not in the office.
Wi-Fi Direct
There is no need for a wireless router because Wi-Fi Direct allows users to connect MFC-L8850CDW directly to their devices. This function is beneficial in places where traditional Wi-Fi networks are either nonexistent or not very strong. Users will be able to print and scan right from their devices without any interruptions in their workflow.
7. Cloud Services Integration
Using the Brother MFC-L8850CDW, users can work with different cloud services, which definitely improves and makes co-working easier together with better access to the documents and file sharing. Scanning documents directly to the cloud storage services or printing documents from the cloud are both supported by Microsoft Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Box.
Scanning to Cloud
The scenario where users are able to scan documents straight to cloud storage is a huge plus for those who wish to have access to their paperless documents from different places. The Brother ControlCenter4 software provides the capability of setting up individual scan-to-cloud profiles, where the user can determine the destination folder as well as the file format. After the setup, the user can perform cloud scans by just one touch, hence simplifying the process of converting documents to digital format.
Printing from Cloud
Printing of the documents resting in the cloud is also very easy. The iPrint&Scan application from Brother and the ControlCenter4 application both allow for cloud printing, thus the users are able to see their documents stored in the cloud and select which ones to print. This feature comes in pretty handy for those who have to work closely with team members in different locations since they can be sure that the latest versions of documents will always be ready for printing.
8. Performance and Reliability
The software’s performance and reliability for the Brother MFC-L8850CDW are of prime importance in the overall assessment of the product. Users want a software solution that not only improves the printer’s functionality but also runs without bumps and is very dependable.
Speed and Efficiency
The Brother MFC-L8850CDW software has been tailored to the printer’s capacity, so fast and efficient operation is guaranteed. It does not matter whether print or scanning jobs are processed; all will be done in a matter of seconds with minimal lag or delay. The efficient design of the software has also contributed to a significant reduction in time for tasks such as document scanning and printing, which, in turn, has helped to increase overall productivity.
Stability and Reliability
The Brother MFC-L8850CDW software is very stable and it can be considered a very reliable application due to the fact that it hardly crashes or makes any errors. Brother has a regular update schedule that keeps the software in sync with the latest operating systems and informs users of any vulnerabilities in terms of security. The software’s reliability is of paramount importance since it helps to avoid interruptions in the workflow in a busy office where such a situation might be very costly.
9. User Support and Resources
Brother is in a very generous mood when it comes to the MFC-L8850CDW software support and resources. Users have access to the online documentation, video tutorials, and a support team that is dedicated to helping them.
Online Documentation
The Brother website has a lot of documentation that is very detailed about the MFC-L8850CDW, and this includes user manuals, FAQs, and guides for troubleshooting. The documentation is not only well-organized but also easy to navigate, which allows users to find the information they need quickly and easily.