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In addition to the usual fax features, the MFC-685CW has an onboard answering machine and handset so you can use it to make and receive phone calls. It even has a speaker phone for hands-free operation.
Using the memory card slots and PictBridge port, you can print photos from cards, USB flash devices, or PictBridge devices such as digital cameras. The MFC-685CW lets you print all, scroll through the contents of your device or card to select individual files, or sort the contents by date. You can print an index of the contents of your card, but it's not scannable. Instead, the printer assigns file numbers to the images, allowing you to key in the file number to print that particular photo without having to click through all the images. Photo effects include autocorrect, enhance skin tone, enhance scenery, red-eye removal, black-and-white, and sepia. Photos may be trimmed (cropped), too.
Performance
When compared to other $200 office inkjet multifunctions, the Brother MFC-685CW didn't stand out. It was the slowest of the bunch at printing text, producing it at a pokey rate of 2.76 page per minute (ppm). The Canon Pixma MX700 was almost three times faster, scoring 7.41ppm. The Brother came out on top with 4x6 photo prints, scoring 1.30ppm. The Canon was the next fastest with a score of 1.05ppm. The Brother was in the middle for both scan tests, scoring 4.29ppm for mono scans and 3.65ppm for color scans. When copying via the ADF, it scored 2.78ppm; again, in the middle of the pack.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Copy | |
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4x6 Photo | |
Text |
Where the Brother MFC-685CW really falters is task quality. The black text prints were nicely dark, but every character showed jagged edges, to the point that text at small point sizes looked downright fuzzy. (We printed on the coated inkjet paper that Brother provided.) The color graphics print exhibited the same issue with fuzzy edges, plus photo elements looked grainy, color blocks weren't as saturated as we like, and the color had an overall dull, dark quality to it.
The grayscale scan showed severe compression on both ends of the grayscale, resulting in washed out details in highlight areas and lost details in shadow areas. The scanner also failed to capture some of the smaller-size text on the original. The color scan was the highlight of the Brother's performance, though it still has room for improvement. The color reproduction was decent, but the entire image was marred by faint horizontal striations, and details in the photo elements could be sharper. Overall, you can definitely get much better quality for $200.
(Longer bars indicate better performance)
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Color scan | |
GrayScale scan | |
Photo | |
Graphics | |
Text |
Service and support
Brother backs the MFC-685CW with a one-year warranty. Toll-free phone support is available 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. You can also e-mail tech support via an online form. Brother's site has FAQs, downloadable software and drivers, and user guides and manuals.
What You'll Pay
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