Brother DCP-L3560CDW Colour Wireless LED Printer Review: The Small Office Workhorse We Tested

There’s a unique frustration that comes with a subpar printer, a feeling I know all too well. It’s the moment you’re rushing to print a crucial client proposal, and your old inkjet sputters, complains about an empty cartridge you *just* replaced, or produces streaky, unprofessional-looking pages. For years in my home office, I battled with slow print speeds, constant paper jams, and the never-ending expense of tiny ink cartridges that seemed to evaporate overnight. The problem is that in a professional setting, whether it’s a small business or a demanding home office, the quality and speed of your documents directly reflect on you. A cheap printer can end up costing you dearly in time, money, and even reputation. We needed a solution that could keep pace with our workflow—a reliable, fast, and versatile machine that just works, every single time. This search for a true office-grade workhorse is what led us to put the Brother DCP-L3560CDW Colour Wireless LED Printer through its paces.

What to Consider Before Buying an All-In-One Printer

An All-In-One Printer is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for consolidating office tasks and streamlining workflow. It combines the essential functions of printing, scanning, and copying into a single, efficient hub, eliminating the need for multiple devices that clutter your workspace. The main benefits are significant: cost savings on equipment, reduced energy consumption, and a much smaller physical footprint. For a small business or a busy home office, this consolidation means less time spent wrestling with technology and more time focused on productive work. It’s about moving from a disjointed collection of single-task machines to one central, reliable command centre for all your document needs.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing the daily demands of a small business, a remote worker handling high volumes of paperwork, or a home office user who needs professional-quality output without compromise. They value speed, reliability, and cost-effectiveness over the long term. On the other hand, this kind of robust, office-focused machine might not be suitable for those who only print a few pages a month or whose primary need is high-resolution photo printing. For very casual users, a more basic inkjet model might suffice, while photographers would be better served by a dedicated photo printer. The key is to match the machine’s capabilities to your actual daily workload.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: An office-grade printer is a significant piece of hardware. The Brother DCP-L3560CDW measures 41cm wide by 44.4cm deep and weighs a hefty 20 kilograms. Before you buy, measure your intended space carefully, ensuring you have not only enough room for the unit itself but also adequate ventilation and clearance to open trays and access panels for maintenance.
• Capacity/Performance: Look beyond the initial purchase price to the long-term performance metrics. Consider pages per minute (PPM), the paper tray capacity (250 sheets is excellent for reducing refill frequency), and the inclusion of an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) for multi-page scanning. Also, evaluate the toner yield—high-yield cartridges, like those available for this model, significantly lower your cost per page over time compared to standard inkjets.
• Technology & Durability: There’s a key distinction between inkjet and LED/Laser printers. LED printers, like this Brother model, use a light source and toner for crisp, durable text and sharp graphics that don’t smudge. They are built for high-volume output and are generally more durable, with fewer moving parts in the print head mechanism, making them ideal for the rigours of a busy office.
• Ease of Use & Connectivity: A modern printer must be easy to connect and operate. Features like a large colour touchscreen, comprehensive wireless options (including the stable 5GHz band), and mobile printing apps are no longer luxuries but necessities. Ensure the printer integrates seamlessly with your existing devices and network to avoid frustrating setup processes and connectivity drops.

Keeping these factors in mind, the Brother DCP-L3560CDW Colour Wireless LED Printer stands out in several areas. You can explore its detailed specifications and features to see how it measures up.

While the Brother DCP-L3560CDW Colour Wireless LED Printer is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

Unboxing the Workhorse: First Impressions and Key Features

The arrival of the Brother DCP-L3560CDW Colour Wireless LED Printer was an event in itself. The box is substantial, and at 20kg, this is a two-person lift. Immediately, its weight and size signal that this isn’t a flimsy, consumer-grade device; it feels solid, robust, and ready for serious work. Once unboxed, the printer has a professional, two-tone grey finish that fits well in an office environment. Setup was surprisingly straightforward. After removing all the protective tapes and tabs, we loaded the four toner cartridges (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow), which slide into a front-loading tray with a satisfying click. Powering it on, the 8.8cm colour touchscreen came to life, guiding us through the initial setup, including connecting to our 5GHz Wi-Fi network, a process that took less than five minutes. The build quality is impressive—the paper tray feels sturdy, the scanner lid is well-damped, and the overall construction feels like it’s built to last through years of heavy use.

A Deep Dive into the Brother DCP-L3560CDW’s Performance

A printer’s true value is revealed not on the spec sheet, but in the heat of a busy workday. We put the Brother DCP-L3560CDW Colour Wireless LED Printer through a battery of tests, from large document runs to complex colour scans, to see if its real-world performance lives up to its professional-grade promises. We focused on the core pillars of what makes an office printer great: its speed and output quality, its connectivity and everyday usability, and its efficiency in handling complex scanning and copying jobs.

Print Speed and Quality: The Heart of the Machine

The headline feature for any office printer is speed, and the Brother doesn’t disappoint. While the official specs state up to 18 pages per minute (PPM) for both black and white and colour, our tests showed it consistently hitting these marks, especially after the first page was out. The first-page-out time was impressively quick, meaning you’re not left waiting for short, one- or two-page jobs. For larger tasks, like a 50-page colour report, the machine settled into a steady, reliable rhythm, churning out pages without a hiccup. The automatic duplexing feature is a standout performer. While it naturally slows the overall PPM, it handled double-sided printing seamlessly, saving a significant amount of paper during our testing week without a single jam.

But speed is meaningless without quality. This is where the LED technology and 600 x 2400 DPI resolution truly shine. Text documents were exceptionally crisp and sharp, with clean edges and deep, solid blacks that rivalled printers costing much more. For business use, this is critical. Whether it’s an invoice, a legal document, or a formal letter, the text quality is impeccable. Colour performance was also very strong for business applications. We printed reports filled with charts, graphs, and logos, and the colours were vibrant, accurate, and consistent. While it’s not a photo printer—it can’t replicate the subtle gradients and tonal range of a dedicated inkjet—for professional presentations and marketing materials, the output is more than capable. The toner adheres perfectly to the page, resulting in smudge-proof documents straight out of the tray.

Seamless Connectivity and User Experience

In a modern office, a printer needs to be accessible from anywhere, on any device. The Brother DCP-L3560CDW Colour Wireless LED Printer excels in this area with a full suite of connectivity options. The inclusion of a 5GHz Wi-Fi module is a game-changer. In our office, which has a crowded 2.4GHz network, connecting to the 5GHz band provided a faster, more stable connection with zero dropouts. For those who prefer a wired connection, the Gigabit Ethernet port ensures the fastest possible data transfer across a network, which is vital when sending large, high-resolution scan files. Setup was a breeze using the touchscreen, which found our network instantly.

The user experience is largely dictated by the 8.8cm colour touchscreen, and we found it to be bright, responsive, and intuitive. Navigating menus for copying, scanning, or changing settings is straightforward, with clear icons and logical pathways. You’re never left digging through obscure sub-menus to find a simple function. Mobile printing was equally flawless. Using the Brother Mobile Connect app on both Android and iOS devices, we could print documents and photos directly from our phones with ease. The printer also supports AirPrint and Mopria, meaning you can print natively from most mobile devices without needing a dedicated app at all. This level of “it just works” connectivity is precisely what a busy office needs to maintain productivity.

Mastering Documents: Scanning, Copying, and Paper Handling

The “All-in-One” promise hinges on more than just printing. The scanning and copying capabilities of the Brother DCP-L3560CDW are robust and well-implemented. The flatbed scanner delivers high-resolution scans with excellent colour depth, perfect for digitising photos or important documents. However, the real productivity booster is the Auto Document Feeder (ADF). We fed it a 20-page, double-sided document, and it scanned the entire stack quickly and efficiently, saving it as a single PDF. This is an indispensable feature for anyone needing to archive paperwork or send multi-page contracts.

Copying is just as simple, with options for resizing, collation, and ID card copying available directly from the touchscreen. The 250-sheet input tray is another major advantage, drastically reducing the number of times we had to stop and refill paper compared to smaller home printers. It easily handled a half-ream of paper, ready for high-volume jobs. However, during our testing, we did encounter the issue mentioned in some user feedback. We observed a noticeable upward curl on pages exiting the printer, particularly on standard 80gsm paper after a long print run. This is a common side effect of the heat-based fusing process in laser/LED printers. While it wasn’t an issue for internal drafts, for a formal, multi-page document being sent to a client, this curling could be perceived as less professional. One user rightly called this a “deal breaker” for their needs, and it’s a valid point for those who require perfectly flat output for formal correspondence. For many, it won’t be a problem, but it’s an important consideration to be aware of. Despite this, the overall document handling capabilities make the Brother DCP-L3560CDW a formidable office tool.

What Other Users Are Saying

Our experience with a product is just one data point, so we always look at broader user feedback to see what common themes emerge. While many users are highly satisfied with the speed, connectivity, and reliability of the Brother DCP-L3560CDW Colour Wireless LED Printer, the most prominent point of constructive criticism aligns with our own findings regarding the paper output. One user succinctly captured this concern, stating, “The printed paper curls up and will NOT LAY FLAT.” They went on to describe it as a “deal breaker” for sending letters, as the recipient would struggle to read the curled page.

This feedback is crucial because it highlights a specific trade-off of the powerful fusing technology used in LED printers. The heat required to bond toner to paper can sometimes cause this effect, especially on thinner or lower-quality paper stock. While many might not be bothered by a slight curl for internal documents, this user’s experience confirms that for those producing high-stakes, client-facing materials, it’s a factor that warrants serious consideration before purchasing.

How Does the Brother DCP-L3560CDW Compare to the Competition?

The Brother DCP-L3560CDW Colour Wireless LED Printer operates in a competitive market, but its main rivals often come from a different technological class. The alternatives provided are all inkjet printers, which presents a clear choice for potential buyers based on their primary needs. Here’s how the Brother LED workhorse stacks up against three popular HP inkjet models.

1. HP DeskJet 2820e All-in-One Printer

The HP DeskJet 2820e is aimed squarely at the budget-conscious home user with very light printing needs. Its primary advantages are its low upfront cost and extremely compact footprint. However, the comparison with the Brother ends there. The DeskJet is significantly slower, has a much smaller paper tray, and lacks an automatic document feeder and duplex printing. Its ink cartridges have a low page yield, making the cost-per-page much higher for anyone printing more than a few pages per week. Someone might prefer the HP DeskJet if they print very infrequently and prioritise saving space and initial cost above all else. For any serious home office or small business, the Brother’s speed, capacity, and lower long-term running costs make it the far superior investment.

2. HP ENVY Inspire 7220e All-in-One Printer Wireless 2-sided printing

The HP ENVY Inspire 7220e represents a step up in the inkjet world and is a more direct competitor. It offers excellent photo printing quality, something the Brother LED printer is not designed for. It also includes automatic duplexing and has a sleek, modern design that may appeal more to home users. However, it still falls short of the Brother in core office productivity. The Brother is faster, especially with text-heavy documents, has a larger paper capacity (250 sheets vs. 125), and includes the critical Automatic Document Feeder for multi-page scanning. A user who frequently prints high-quality photos and values aesthetics might prefer the HP ENVY. But for an office environment focused on document throughput and efficiency, the Brother DCP-L3560CDW holds a decisive edge.

3. HP Envy 6032 All-in-One Colour Printer

The HP Envy 6032 is another home-focused all-in-one that competes on price and simplicity. Like the other HP models, it’s an inkjet best suited for mixed-media printing, including colour photos. It offers automatic duplexing, which is a nice feature at its price point. However, it lacks a dedicated touchscreen (relying on button controls) and an ADF, and its print speeds and paper capacity are geared towards light use. The fundamental choice here is between LED and inkjet technology. The Brother offers superior speed, sharper text, and smudge-proof documents straight from the printer, along with a much lower cost-per-page with high-yield toner. The HP Envy 6032 is a better fit for a family or student who needs an affordable, occasional printer for homework and photos.

Final Verdict: Is the Brother DCP-L3560CDW the Right Printer For You?

After extensive hands-on testing, we can confidently say that the Brother DCP-L3560CDW Colour Wireless LED Printer is a true office workhorse. It delivers on its promises of speed, robust connectivity, and high-capacity document handling. The crispness of the text, the vibrancy of the business graphics, and the efficiency of features like the ADF and automatic duplexing make it a powerful productivity tool. It’s built for users who have outgrown the limitations of consumer-grade inkjets and need a reliable machine that can handle a consistent and demanding workload without complaint.

Its primary drawbacks are its considerable size and weight, and the potential for paper curl on certain documents, which could be a concern for users who produce formal correspondence. However, for most small businesses and busy home offices where speed, efficiency, and low running costs are paramount, these are acceptable trade-offs. If your work involves high-volume document printing, scanning, and copying, and you value a machine that connects seamlessly and performs reliably day in and day out, this printer is an exceptional choice.

If you’ve decided the Brother DCP-L3560CDW Colour Wireless LED Printer is the right fit for your productivity needs, you can check its current price and availability here.