Best RGB Laser Printer: Deciding Spec by Spec

The best RGB laser printer for most desks in this shortlist is the Brother DCP-L2640DW, a 25 lb monochrome three-in-one with 36 ppm print speed and dual-band Wi-Fi. If you actually need colour output for client work, the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw is the pick, trading a 37.7 lb footprint for auto duplex, an ADF and a 250-sheet tray.

A quick note on the RGB in your search

If you searched for the best RGB laser printer expecting the kind of RGB you get on a keyboard or a gaming case, this is the honest part of the article. Consumer laser printers do not ship with RGB lighting. What Amazon returned for the query is a mix of monochrome and colour laser models, and the "RGB" in the search is really the colour question: do you need a colour laser printer, or does a black-and-white one do the job?

None of the five picks in this shortlist has RGB lighting. Three print in black and white only. Two print full colour using CMYK toner, which is the standard colour laser system and what most guides mean when they say "colour laser printer". If cosmetic lighting matters to you, this category is not going to deliver it, and you would be better off looking at aftermarket LED strips rather than choosing a printer for its glow. If what you meant was colour output, keep reading. The picks below are ranked on the specs that actually decide a laser printer purchase: speed, weight, warranty, connectivity and whether it scans.

Best RGB laser printer at a glance

How I narrowed five laser printers down

I started with the criteria a small-office or home-office buyer actually uses when shopping the best RGB laser printer query, then weighted them. Print engine (colour or monochrome) came first, because it splits the field in half. Multi-function ability came second: scan, copy and auto document feeder decide whether one machine replaces three. Physical footprint came third, because a 60.6 lb desktop machine is a different purchase from a 15.1 lb one. Warranty and connectivity broke ties.

Two picks then fall out on the specs alone. The Brother HL-L2405W is print-only, with no scanner, so it cannot serve a buyer who needs a copier. The Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II is 60.6 lb and 22 x 21 x 21 in, which puts it on a stand or a floor rather than a desk. Those are not flaws, but they narrow the audience.

The three all-rounders left are the Brother DCP-L2640DW, the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw and the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw. All three do scan, copy and auto duplex. The Brother wins the default slot because it is the lightest of the three at 25 lb, is the cheapest of the three, and Brother quotes 36 ppm on the listing. The HP colour model earns the upgrade slot for a specific reason: it is the only pick here that prints colour and still fits an ordinary desk.

1. Brother DCP-L2640DW — Best overall

A 25 lb monochrome three-in-one that prints, scans and copies over dual-band Wi-Fi, and stays inside a 12.5 x 15.7 x 16.1 in desk box.

Best for: a home office that prints daily documents and occasional scans. Skip it if: you need colour output for marketing or client-facing work.

The DCP-L2640DW is the best RGB laser printer default in this set because it does the most work for the smallest footprint. At 25 lb it is 12.7 lb lighter than the HP colour model and 35.6 lb lighter than the Canon, and it still gives you scan, copy and duplex. Brother says print speed reaches 36 ppm and scan speed 23.6 ipm in black and 7.9 ipm in colour on the listing, which is the fastest published figure in this shortlist. Connectivity is dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi plus Ethernet, so it slots into a mixed home network without a workaround.

The trade-off is honest: no colour printing. If a monthly page of colour would be useful but not essential, you can scan in colour and print in black, but you cannot print a colour brochure. It also carries only a 1 Year Limited warranty, which is standard here but shorter than the Canon's three years. The Brother 2024 model is the one buyers choose most often in this shortlist by a wide margin.

Pros:

• 36 ppm claimed print speed on the listing
• Lightest scan-and-copy pick at 25 lb
• Dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi plus Ethernet
• Scan speed 23.6 ipm black, 7.9 ipm colour claimed
• Compact 12.5 x 15.7 x 16.1 in body

Cons:

• Monochrome only, no colour output
• 1 Year Limited warranty, shorter than the Canon's three
• No published ADF sheet count on the listing

2. Brother HL-L2405W — Best budget pick

A 15.1 lb print-only monochrome laser that trades scan and copy for the smallest footprint and lowest price position in the set.

Best for: a single-user desk that only needs to print, not scan or copy. Skip it if: you also want a flatbed scanner or copier built in.

The HL-L2405W is the cheapest of the five and the lightest by a clear margin at 15.1 lb, roughly 40% of the Canon's mass. Its 7.2 x 14.2 x 14 in body is the only one here that will slot onto a narrow shelf. Brother lists a 250-sheet paper tray with a manual feed slot for envelopes and specialty paper, and dual-band Wi-Fi is built in. That is a lot of paper handling for the smallest chassis in the shortlist.

The compromise is scope. This is a print-only machine: no scanner glass, no copier, no ADF. If you already own a scanner or you do your scanning on a phone, that is fine. If you were hoping to consolidate, the DCP-L2640DW above is the model to look at instead, at a step up in price and 9.9 lb more mass. Warranty is 1 Year Limited, matching every pick here except the Canon. In this set it also sells the slowest of the two Brothers, which usually reflects that print-only appeals to fewer buyers than multi-function.

Pros:

• Lightest pick in the shortlist at 15.1 lb
• Cheapest of the five here
• 250-sheet tray plus a manual feed slot
• Dual-band Wi-Fi on the listing
• Smallest footprint at 7.2 x 14.2 x 14 in

Cons:

• Print only, no scan or copy
• Monochrome only, no colour laser output
• 1 Year Limited warranty
• Slower seller in this set than the DCP-L2640DW

3. HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw — Best upgrade

The only colour laser here that stays under 40 lb and inside a 16.5 in desk footprint, with ADF, auto duplex and a 250-sheet input.

Best for: a small team printing colour proposals, forms and marketing sheets. Skip it if: you almost never print in colour and want a lighter machine.

The MFP 3301sdw is the upgrade because it is the only pick that answers the colour half of the best RGB laser printer question without moving to Canon's 60.6 lb chassis. At 37.7 lb and 16.5 x 16.5 x 13.4 in, it is 22.9 lb lighter and much shorter in every dimension than the Canon. HP says the machine handles fast colour printing, scan, copy, auto 2-sided printing, an auto document feeder and a 250-sheet input tray, so a small team gets a genuine four-in-one instead of two separate devices.

Two things to flag. HP states on the listing that the printer works only with cartridges carrying HP chips and will block third-party chips or circuitry, so you are committed to HP toner for the life of the machine. Warranty is one year limited, matching the Brother picks and short of the Canon's three. This is also the second-most-expensive pick, and it moves fewer units than either Brother, which is what you would expect from a colour multi-function at the mid-to-premium price position.

Pros:

• Only colour laser here under 40 lb
• Auto duplex, ADF and 250-sheet tray on the listing
• Fits a 16.5 x 16.5 x 13.4 in desk area
• HP's TerraJet toner claimed for vivid colour

Cons:

• Locked to HP-chipped toner cartridges
• 37.7 lb, still heavier than every monochrome pick
• One year limited warranty
• Higher price position than either Brother

4. Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II — Best premium

A 60.6 lb four-in-one colour laser with print, scan, copy and fax, and the only pick with a three-year manufacturer warranty.

Best for: a heavier-duty office wanting a three-year warranty and fax. Skip it if: the printer has to fit on a narrow desk or shelf.

The MF753Cdw II is the premium pick for one clear reason the other four cannot match: a three-year manufacturer warranty. Every other model here ships with a one-year limited warranty, so this is triple the cover. It is also the only pick that lists fax alongside print, scan and copy, which still matters in medical, legal and government workflows. It is the newest of the five as well, released in 2025.

The costs are physical and financial. At 60.6 lb and 22 x 21 x 21 in, this is a floor-stand or dedicated-cart machine, not a desk one. It is roughly 22.9 lb heavier than the HP colour model and 45.5 lb heavier than the print-only Brother. It sits at the highest price position in the shortlist, so you pay for the warranty and the fax up front. The listing also publishes fewer feature bullets than the HP models, which means several capabilities you might reasonably expect (ADF sheet count, tray capacity, published ppm) are not stated on the product page. Order from a seller you trust and confirm those on the spec sheet before buying.

Pros:

• Three-year manufacturer warranty, the longest here
• Only pick with fax alongside print, scan, copy
• Colour, wireless, duplex all listed
• Newest release in the shortlist, 2025

Cons:

• Heaviest pick at 60.6 lb
• Largest footprint at 22 x 21 x 21 in
• Highest price position in the set
• Sparse feature list on the Amazon page

5. HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw — Best minimal setup

A 23.1 lb monochrome all-in-one with ADF, auto duplex and a 250-sheet tray, sized close to the Brother DCP-L2640DW.

Best for: a small team that wants scan, copy and duplex but only in black and white. Skip it if: you prefer Brother's toner ecosystem over HP's chipped cartridges.

The MFP 3101sdw is the alternate to the Brother DCP-L2640DW for buyers who already run an HP ecosystem or who want the 50-sheet ADF spelled out on the listing. It weighs 23.1 lb versus the Brother's 25 lb, and its 12.3 x 15.7 x 16.5 in footprint is within a fraction of an inch on every side. HP lists a 250-sheet input tray, auto 2-sided printing, scan, copy and Wi-Fi that "looks for the best connection to stay online".

Two honest weaknesses. First, HP repeats the cartridge lock on this listing too: only HP-chipped toner will run. Second, no ppm figure is quoted on the product page, so you cannot compare paper speed against the Brother's stated 36 ppm without going to HP's own spec sheet. The one-year limited warranty is standard for the set. It sells slower than the Brother DCP-L2640DW and sits at a higher price position, so unless you specifically want an HP or the ADF sheet count is a hard requirement, the Brother is the more obvious buy.

Pros:

• 23.1 lb, second-lightest scan-and-copy pick
• 50-sheet ADF explicitly listed
• Auto duplex and 250-sheet tray
• Dependable Wi-Fi claim from HP

Cons:

• Locked to HP-chipped toner
• No ppm figure on the listing
• Costlier than the comparable Brother
• Slower seller than the Brother DCP-L2640DW

What actually decides a laser printer purchase?

Most guides for the best RGB laser printer compare page-per-minute speed. That is not what decides it. Every laser here prints faster than an inkjet, and for a home or small-office workload the difference between 30 ppm and 36 ppm is a few seconds a day. The real deciding criterion is a two-step question:

1. Do you need colour output, or is black and white enough?
2. Do you need scan and copy, or just print?

Answer those, and the shortlist collapses to one or two picks:

• Print only, monochrome: Brother HL-L2405W.
• Scan and copy, monochrome: Brother DCP-L2640DW, or HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw if you want HP.
• Scan and copy, colour, on a desk: HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw.
• Scan, copy, colour and fax, with a long warranty: Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II.

Only after those two questions are settled does weight, footprint, warranty and toner ecosystem matter. A shopper who buys on ppm and finds themselves with a print-only machine when they needed a copier has made the expensive mistake. The best RGB laser printer for you is the one that matches your two answers first.

Colour laser or monochrome: which one fits your desk?

Look at what you actually printed in the last month. If 90% of those pages were text, forms, invoices, shipping labels or homework, monochrome is the honest answer. Toner lasts longer, the machines run lighter, and every pick in this shortlist under 30 lb is monochrome. The Brother DCP-L2640DW at 25 lb and the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw at 23.1 lb both do scan and copy in black and white, and the print-only Brother HL-L2405W drops to 15.1 lb.

Colour laser earns its place when you regularly print client-facing material: proposals with charts, real-estate flyers, school projects, product sheets. There, the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw at 37.7 lb is the lightest way in, and the Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II at 60.6 lb is the heavier, longer-warranty option. Both are colour laser using CMYK toner, not the RGB the search term implied.

One caveat. Colour laser toner sets cost more than a single black cartridge, and both HP colour and monochrome picks in this shortlist are locked to HP-chipped cartridges by HP's own statement on the listing. That is a running cost decision, not just a hardware decision.

How much desk space does each pick eat?

Physical size is the second most common regret in this category, so this is worth doing before you buy. The picks in this shortlist range from small to substantial:

• Brother HL-L2405W: 7.2 x 14.2 x 14 in, 15.1 lb. Fits a bookshelf.
• HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw: 12.3 x 15.7 x 16.5 in, 23.1 lb. Standard desk corner.
• Brother DCP-L2640DW: 12.5 x 15.7 x 16.1 in, 25 lb. Standard desk corner.
• HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw: 16.5 x 16.5 x 13.4 in, 37.7 lb. Wide desk or credenza.
• Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II: 22 x 21 x 21 in, 60.6 lb. Stand or floor.

Measure the spot before you order. And remember that a laser printer needs clearance in front for the output tray and behind for cabling, so add roughly six inches to the printed width and depth. That is where the Canon in particular starts to demand a dedicated cart.

What buyers most often overpay for

Two features come up again and again in category reviews and hardly ever get used. The first is fax. Unless you work in medical, legal, or a public-sector role, you almost certainly do not need it, and paying for it on the Canon means you are also paying for a larger, heavier machine. The second is very high paper-tray capacity. A 250-sheet tray, which every pick here lists or implies, holds half a ream. For a home office that prints ten pages a day, you refill it once a month. Trays beyond that are for departments, not desks.

What is worth paying for is auto duplex (built into every pick in this shortlist), a real ADF for multi-page scans (spelled out on both HP models), and dual-band Wi-Fi (Brother lists 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz on both of its models). What is worth paying attention to but not necessarily paying more for is warranty length: the Canon's 3 Year Manufacturer cover is genuinely rare in this category, and if you keep a printer for five years, that is real value.

The verdict

The best RGB laser printer default in this shortlist is the Brother DCP-L2640DW. It is the lightest scan-and-copy multi-function here at 25 lb, sits inside a 12.5 x 15.7 x 16.1 in desk footprint, and Brother quotes 36 ppm and dual-band Wi-Fi on the listing. Two conditions flip the choice. First, if you need colour output for client-facing work, go to the HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw: it is the only colour laser here that stays under 40 lb and inside an ordinary 16.5 in desk area, and it lists ADF, auto duplex and a 250-sheet tray. Second, if you only need to print (no scan, no copy) and want the smallest, cheapest way in, the Brother HL-L2405W at 15.1 lb is the pick, with the same dual-band Wi-Fi and a 250-sheet tray. The Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II earns the premium slot for its three-year warranty and fax, but the 60.6 lb chassis and 22 x 21 x 21 in footprint mean it belongs on a stand, not a desk. The HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw is the HP-ecosystem alternate to the Brother, close in size at 23.1 lb, worth choosing only if the 50-sheet ADF specifically matters. Match the machine to your two answers (colour or black; scan or print), then buy on weight and warranty.

FAQ

Do any of these actually have RGB lighting?

Do any of these actually have RGB lighting? No. Consumer laser printers, including every pick in this best RGB laser printer shortlist, do not ship with RGB accent lighting. The word "RGB" in the search likely reflects a mix-up with the CMYK colour system these printers use, or a hope for gaming-style aesthetics. If you want cosmetic RGB near your desk, aftermarket LED strips are the sensible route.

Is a colour laser printer worth it for a home office?

A colour laser printer is worth it in a home office only when you regularly print client-facing material: proposals, flyers, product sheets. If most of your pages are text, forms or labels, a monochrome model like the Brother DCP-L2640DW at 25 lb prints faster, weighs less, uses cheaper toner, and does everything you need. Do a one-month print audit before you upgrade to colour.

How does the Brother DCP-L2640DW compare to the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw?

How does the Brother DCP-L2640DW compare to the HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw? Both are monochrome all-in-ones with scan, copy and auto duplex. The Brother is 1.9 lb lighter at 25 lb, lists 36 ppm print speed on its page, and sits at a lower price. The HP explicitly lists a 50-sheet ADF and is locked to HP-chipped toner. Choose Brother unless you want HP.

Can I use third-party toner in these printers?

Can I use third-party toner in these printers? The HP listings for both the Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw and the LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw state the machines work only with cartridges carrying HP chips or circuitry and block others. Brother recommends its own TN830 or TN830XL toner on the DCP-L2640DW page. Canon's page does not address it. Assume you are buying into the manufacturer's toner ecosystem.

Which pick has the longest warranty?

Which pick has the longest warranty in this shortlist? The Canon Color imageCLASS MF753Cdw II carries a 3 Year Manufacturer warranty, three times longer than any other pick. The Brother DCP-L2640DW, Brother HL-L2405W, HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP 3301sdw and HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101sdw all ship with a one year limited warranty. If long cover matters, the Canon is the only pick that delivers it.

Match the machine to your two real answers, colour or black and scan or print, then buy on weight, warranty and toner ecosystem in that order. The Brother DCP-L2640DW is the right default for most home offices because it does the most work inside the smallest chassis in the multi-function class, and it does so at the second-lowest price in this best RGB laser printer shortlist. If you sit outside that middle case, the runners-up in the verdict handle the edges: colour on a desk, print-only on a shelf, fax and a three-year warranty on a stand. Measure the spot, count last month's colour pages, and order the one that matches.

Last updated: September 26, 2026. Product availability re-checked.

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