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Top 8 Best Black-And-White Printers To Buy In 2023 Review

We hardly give printers a thought today, but there was a time when it was all so different. The history of printers for computers began in 1938 when electrophotography was invented. It became known as Xerox and was the foundation for most of what came later.

It wasn’t particularly quick at the time…

But IBM introduced the laser printer, and printing suddenly became an awful lot quicker. They were costly to buy then, but they are quite cheap to buy today.

But before we get into the best black-and-white printers, you should also know that color printers arrived in 1977, but because of the expense, they were mostly confined to print shops. Color copies were very expensive. Technology has reduced the cost these days, but monochrome is still cheaper.

If you go to buy a printer…

More often than not, it will be a color printer. It will have a black and white printing option, which some will use. But by many, it will be considered a rarely used extra. This means that there is a temptation to use color when you don’t need it. That eventually means new color cartridges, so you spend more money on ink.

Top 8 Best Black-And-White Printers To Buy In 2023 Review

Why splash the cash on something you don’t need?

If you are using it for graphs, for example, then the information will often be as clear in black and white. It might be advantageous to have a look at some of the best printers for black and white.

Black and white, or monochrome printers, use black toner cartridges. For small businesses, they are great and just as good for students. They are a huge money-saver if it is a large business churning out reams of documentation. If you think about it, the document may not have to be in color. So let’s take a look at what the black and white printer can offer.

Top 8 Best Black-And-White Printers To Buy In 2023 Review


1 Samsung ProXpress M3820DW Wireless Monochrome Laser Printer – Best Samsung Black-and-White Printer

This is a black-and-white laser printer that is labeled with the Samsung name but is actually a Hewlett Packard printer. Remember them? Well, HP Inc. owns the Samsung companies printer business.

This is a single function printer that still has a variety of features…

Single function means it does not perform the activities of Multifunction printers that also Scan, Copy, and Fax. This is a high-speed printer that offers two-sided printing, print management features, and has a built-in Ethernet connection.

It can hold up to 820 sheets of paper and can print at up to 40 ppm. This up to a total monthly output of 2500 pages. It will operate using paper sizes from 3 by 5 inches to 8.5 by14 inches. Using AirPrint or Google Cloud Print, you can send print work from your phone. You can also use WiFi direct print, which does not require a network.

Easy to manage…

The management options are useful. You can assign print priorities and also set a limit for each named user. It also has a password facility to ensure only designated users can operate it. This is a great little machine for the smaller business. The standard of print is high, and it will produce clear images.

Operating costs can be quite low with low toner and paper usage in the built-in Eco mode. A high yield cartridge will deliver approx 10,000 printed pages. It doesn’t take up too much space measuring 7.41 by 14.41 by 16 inches and weighing 22 pounds. It is not a particularly cheap option, but it is very functional and reliable.


Samsung ProXpress M3820DW Wireless Monochrome Laser Printer

Our rating:3.8 out of 5 stars (3.8 / 5)

Pros

  • Excellent quality reproduction and 40ppm.
  • Good print and user management features.

Cons

  • Not a cheap option.

2 Brother HL-L2300D Monochrome Laser Printer with Duplex Printing – Best Black-and-White Laser Printer

Brother is another company that are not as visible as they once were. At times they were the goto manufacturer for a decent quality cost-effective printer. Founded in 1908 as sewing machine manufacturers, they did what many post WW2 companies did and expanded quickly to meet demand. By the late 60s, they were an established printer manufacturer.

The HL-L2300D Monochrome Laser Printer is a good reminder they are still with us…

And producing the same decent quality at a good price. This is not the fastest printer you will come across, but at 27ppm for a single-sided setting, it is quite adequate. It will also print-double sided. In a double-sided setting, you can achieve about thirteen pages per minute, which is an acceptable performance for a small office or home use. The paper tray will hold up to 250 A4 sheets.

Most printers have a recommended monthly output from the manufacturers, and in this case, it is a very respectable 2000 pages per month. It has a straight-through paper path which helps to produce good looking documents. It will also print envelopes.

There is a downside…

Although it will print envelopes, there is not a special setting on the paper tray to hold them. They, therefore, have to be fed one at a time. It is, therefore, not really suitable for a large continuous print.

Connections are via a USB 2.0 high-speed interface. As is usual, no cable is supplied. It does not have a WiFi capability, nor will it copy or scan.

We should advise…

There are some compatibility issues if you are upgrading from Windows 7 to a later OS. Some drivers may need to be deleted, and the new OS drivers installed before the printer will work correctly. Please refer to your supplier.

It is a compact printer measuring 14.20 by 14.00 by 7.20 inches and weighing just 15 pounds. It is a very basic printer that has limited functions. But for those that just want it to turn out copies of communications and information, it is a good buy at a very cost-effective price.


Brother HL-L2300D Monochrome Laser Printer with Duplex Printing

Our rating:4.1 out of 5 stars (4.1 / 5)

Pros

  • Quality reproduction and has a double-sided feature.
  • A reasonable print speed at a very cost-effective price.

Cons

  • Limited in the features it offers.

3 Brother Compact Monochrome Laser Printer – Best Black-and-White Printer for Home Use

Another printer from Brother, but this one offers a little more in features. There is no increase in paper capacity over other basic Brother models, this one holding 250 sheets in the paper tray. However, the speed has increased a little up to 32 pages per minute. It will handle both standard letter and legal sized paper.

Some new features…

It has a flatbed scan glass, which allows easy copying. And it will also scan from mobile devices. It will actually scan in color but obviously will not print in color. It has easy to operate technology through its built-in WiFi. That means you can print not only from your lap or desktop but also from your smartphone or tablet.

It has a USB with a high speed 2.0 connection. There is a two-line LCD screen to show the current print position. It is compatible with AirPrint and Google Cloud Print. The printing options have been enhanced, and this model will print envelopes and a range of different sized papers. This is undertaken through the manual feed slot.

Great for home use…

It is not over-sized at 15.7 by 16.1 by 10.7 inches and weighs just over 22 pounds.

This is another typical Brother printer; however, we wouldn’t say it is the highest quality of build. But it produces good results and has a few functions and features that are useful. But typical to Brother, it has a very competitive price which makes it worth considering.


Brother Compact Monochrome Laser Printer

Our rating:4.4 out of 5 stars (4.4 / 5)

Pros

  • Will scan and copy and has a 32ppm speed.
  • Takes envelopes and other paper sizes.

Cons

  • Some will need more features.

4 Lexmark 35SC700 MX317dn Compact All-In-One Monochrome Laser Printer – Best All-in-One Black-and-White Printer

Founded in 1991, Lexmark has developed a strong brand image in cost-effective print solutions. They are based in Kentucky, but since 2016, they have been owned by a consortium of Chinese businesses.

A step up…

This printer is a step up from being just a printer with some added features. It has 128MB of memory and an 800MHz dual-core processor, and can, therefore, cope with the most complicated of documents. It has a 35 ppm print speed and can handle a monthly print allowance of 2500 pages. Besides the basic printing functions, it will also copy, scan, and fax.

It is fitted with a flatbed scanner. It, therefore, has the capability to handle nearly all of your office needs. The paper tray has a standard 250-page capacity but can be expanded to 850 by adding a further tray. It is not really what you might call a desktop printer, measuring 18.6 by 15.7 by 18.4 inches and weighing 44 pounds.

An extra nice feature…

One of the features we liked best was the informative color LCD screen. This keeps you up-to-date with the print status.

There are some interesting print management controls. You can ensure any confidential information remains that way by utilizing the Confidential print feature. Each user needs a custom PIN number to use the machine for designated documents. This is entered into the printer’s keypad. The keypad and controls are located on the front panel.

It should be noted that…

This printer does not support Google Cloud Print. This is a well-equipped printer with some nice features, but it does come in a little expensive in our opinion.


Lexmark 35SC700 MX317dn Compact All-In-One Monochrome Laser Printer

Our rating:3.7 out of 5 stars (3.7 / 5)

Pros

  • Plenty of features and a decent ppm speed.
  • 128MB of memory.

Cons

  • Quite expensive.

5 Canon imageCLASS LBP214dw Monochrome Laser Printer – Best Canon Black-and-White Printer

One of the most well-known names in copiers and associated products. With their HQ in Tokyo, they have been producing imaging products since 1937. They now have a full and complete range of copiers and printers, including multifunction products for business and consumer use. They manufacture a range of printers at every price level, and this particular model is designed for home or small business use.

The basics…

It is a reasonably compact machine measuring 14.7 by 15.8 by 9.9 inches and weighing 19.4 pounds. It will print up to paper size 8½ by 14 inches. That is for a standard quality paper; it will not print on glossy paper. It has a quite impressive print speed of 40 ppm, and there is a maximum paper capacity of 900 sheets. You can choose between one-sided or two-sided, duplex printing. It will also print on envelopes.

It is WiFi-enabled and requires Windows Vista OP or later. There is a function screen at the top by the keypad and controls. This gives you information on the features loaded and the status of a current print queue. It also gives information on what internal user options are available.

Lacks compatibility…

It should be noted that this is a printer only and has no other built-in capability. Despite this, it is an impressive machine. If what you want is a simple printer that performs a good print speed per minute, this is worth consideration.

The only downside about this machine is firstly the price point, which for a basic printer is quite high. But also the cost of the toner cartridges. They are never cheap, but these do seem quite expensive. Nevertheless, an excellent printer that does its job as well as you would expect a Canon copier to do.


Canon imageCLASS LBP214dw Monochrome Laser Printer

Our rating:3.6 out of 5 stars (3.6 / 5)

Pros

  • Basic but good features.
  • Fast ppm speed and large paper tray.

Cons

  • Quite expensive for a basic printer.

6 HP LaserJet Pro M402dw – Best HP LaserJet Black-and-White Printer

A piece of history now in terms of printers. HP was the first to introduce a consumer laser printer in 1984. It was innovative and groundbreaking, and it wasn’t cheap.

In fact, it was so expensive its intended market for the home, and business user took a deep breath. It is still with us, and this is a later reincarnation. These days the mechanisms and cartridges are supplied by Canon. But it still carries a famous name.

Is bigger better?

This is a printer that is principally designed for business use. It is quite a large machine measuring 17.44 by 10.78 by 18.26 inches and weighing just under 19 pounds. It is a black and white laser printer with a print speed of up to 40 ppm, and has a double-sided printing capability if required.

The paper tray makes it a more suitable printer for business than some, holding 350 sheets. That reduces the number of times a refill is required, which in office terms is useful. It has a larger than average monthly output volume of up to 4000 pages.

Plenty of options and settings…

It will support a wide variety of paper sizes, including the standard A4, A5, and A6 plus others. Security systems are built in that can be operated to protect sensitive documents. There is a two-line display screen with a keypad that gives all the options and settings you require. It also acts to provide information regarding print status.

It has Ethernet wireless printing capability and has a processor speed of 1200 MHz. You can, therefore, print from your phone or tablet. This is a little more expensive than some but does offer some good features.


HP LaserJet Pro M402dw

Our rating:4.3 out of 5 stars (4.3 / 5)

Pros

  • Prints on a wide range of paper sizes at a good speed of 40 ppm.
  • Good size paper tray holding 350 sheets of paper.

Cons

  • Some might think it expensive for the smaller office.

7 Brother HL-L6200DW Wireless Monochrome Laser Printer – Best Wireless Black-and-White Printer

Back to Brother again for what is a very good printer and one sure to be considered as one of the best black and white printers. This is a printer built for small or medium offices or even for working at home. It measures 15.3 x 14.7 x 11.3 inches and weighs 26 pounds, and for that relatively modest size, there is a lot packed in.

Now, that’s impressive…

It has an impressive print speed of 48 ppm, which makes it a good option for a busy office. But it isn’t just the speed of the printing. The quality of reproduction is very good, especially the graphics. In its basic format, it has a paper tray that will hold 520 sheets of paper, but that can be expanded to double the size if necessary. The trays are multi-purpose and take letter sizes of A4, A5, A6, and other custom sizes. It will also print envelopes and other resources.

There is a simple control panel on the top with a small screen for print status and operations. One such operation is being able to set up an efficient triple layer of security to protect private and sensitive documents. You can also set for double-sided, or Duplex printing.

The best part?

It has Ethernet and wireless capability via the USB 2.0 connection. This allows you to access and print documents from your phone or tablet. You can use AirPlay, Google Cloud Print, WiFi direct, or Brother iPrint and Scan. It should be noted though that this is a printer only device.

As a standalone printer, this does a good job. It is fast and produces a good result. At this price point, you cannot expect any frills or extras. But even this price is good considering the print features available. If you just need a printer and nothing else, it is very good.


Brother HL-L6200DW Wireless Monochrome Laser Printer

Our rating:4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5)

Pros

  • Plenty of print options at a cost-effective price.
  • Fast print speed and large paper trays.

Cons

  • Some will want more features.

8 Canon Imageclass MF445dw – All In One, Duplex Laser Printer – Best Imageclass Black-and-White Printer

Back to Canon for a final time for another product from their very good Imageclass range. This is a printer designed for small and possibly medium-sized businesses.

It can print 40 ppm from a paper tray that will hold a very ample 900 sheets of paper. Despite its size, you can add an extra tray if you wish. It will print paper sizes up to 8-1/2 by14 inches.

Excellent features…

And makes this a contender as one of the best printers for black-and-white around. One of these is the scaled copying feature. This may be set to any percentage size you wish. It will copy down to 25% of the original size or up to 400%. The scanner is impressive, too, and is able to scan both sides of a document at the same time. It will, therefore, scan two-sided documents with no fuss and very quickly.

If you have a network connection, it can scan to folders or to an email. It is also able to send a fax from your computer, be it Windows or Mac. There is also a line-in connection to receive any fax transmissions.

Clear and concise…

The touch screen operation is clear and concise and easy to use once you have mastered the basic commands and the structure of the interface. The screen can be customized to suit your personal daily tasks.

It is not a small machine measuring 18.3 by 17.8 by 15.4 inches and weighing thirty-five and a half pounds. If you are thinking of using it at home, then you will need a little space. This is a very good multi-feature printer with very good print speed. Considering the name of the manufacturer and what is built-in, it has a reasonable price point.


Canon Imageclass MF445dw - All In One, Duplex Laser Printer

Our rating:4.3 out of 5 stars (4.3 / 5)

Pros

  • Excellent features with an easy to use touch screen.
  • Very quick print speed and a large paper tray.

Cons

  • It might be too large for some people.

Best Black-and-White Printers Buying Guide

So the question is:

Do you really need color in your printing? If you do actually need it, then you probably aren’t reading this. Do you think that you could do without color in what you print? Then it could certainly save you a lot of money.

There are a variety of machines available. But there are some priorities you need to decide upon.

  • Print speed

Canon Imageclass MF445dw

Most will go along at a fair pace, but one or two are significantly quicker. If you are printing lengthy documents, it might be wise to look at a faster machine.

  • Tray size

If the documents are lengthy, then you will need a paper tray holder that will hold enough. You don’t want to have to keep going back every so often to check and maybe put more paper in. The bigger the tray in terms of how much it holds, the better.

  • Paper sizes

Not all documents need to be printed on the same size paper. Some specialized printing would, legal documents as an example, might need a specific size. Your printer will have to accommodate that.

  • Other print uses

Brother HL-L6200DW

Do you want it to print envelopes, or cards, or other stationery? Some do, and some don’t. Some will need manual feeding for each print. That needs a close look to ensure you get what you need.

  • Other actions

Do you need a scanner, or must it be able to copy? What about sending a fax, outdated as it might seem, via your laptop? Do you need WiFi or other connections? All matters to be considered to ensure you get the machine that is best for you and your business.

Looking For More Superb Printing Options?

If so, check out our Best Color Laser Printers Reviews, our Best Portable Photo Printers Reviews, our Best Portable Scanners Reviews, and our Best Printers for Art Prints reviews.

And to complete your home or work office, don’t miss our Best Stools For Standing Desks Review, our Best Tall Office Chairs For Standing Desks Review, our Best Kneeling Chairs Review, and our Best Balance Ball Chairs Review.

So, What Are The Best Black-and-White Printers?

Which One Would We Choose?

We think that if we were picking a new printer, then we would probably go for black and white. Performing this review has made us realize that if we do use color in printing, it is not because we have to. It is because we choose to. What we print doesn’t need color. It just looks nice — but quite an expensive look, you might say.

So what would we choose? We would need a few bells and whistles. The scan might be important. The ability to copy is very important. Printing speed is not essential but just saves a bit of time.

We would, therefore, choose as the very Best of the best black-and-white printers the…

Canon Imageclass MF445dw - All In One, Duplex Laser Printer

As it says, all-in-one. Lots of good features at a reasonable price. Great printer.

Happy printing!

About Paul S. Brunet

Known as the "Tech Lover", Paul is an expert of current and trending technology. Here at TinyGrab, he makes "tech" easy to understand for the average person.

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