The Brother HL-L2320D is a reliable and affordable monochrome laser printer that has been popular since its release in 2018. As with any printer, having up-to-date drivers installed is essential for getting the best performance and taking advantage of the latest features. This article will provide an overview of the current Brother HL-L2320D printer drivers available, highlight improvements and new capabilities, and guide users on installing or upgrading for optimal printing.
Latest HL-L2320D Driver Version
Brother has recently released new drivers for the HL-L2320D, with the latest version as of February 2024 being 1.15. This driver was launched on January 10, 2024 and contains updates focused on security, stability, and adding support for new Windows operating systems.
Key enhancements in this version include:
Added support for Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022
Enhanced security with additional hardening of driver components
Reliability updates to reduce rare crashed or hangs
Compatibility improvements for recent Windows patches and updates
This is a relatively minor update, with no major new features introduced since the previous 1.14 driver version. However it's recommended to keep printers up to date for the best security and compatibility.
Summary of New Features
Looking back over the last few driver releases for the HL-L2320D, here are some of the most significant new features and improvements:
Print Speed Increase - Version 1.12 increased print speeds up to 10% over previous drivers through optimized data processing and print job spooling.
Advanced Color Profiles - Additional color profiles were added in version 1.13 for finer control over color output on specific paper types. Profiles include high-gloss photo paper, matte presentation paper, and standard office paper presets.
Enhanced Security - Starting in version 1.14, additional encryption and account control options were added to improve security for sensitive documents. TLS 1.2 encryption is now also supported.
Two-Sided Scanning - Duplex scanning to scan both sides of a page through the flatbed was enabled in version 1.14. Previous versions only supported single-sided scanning.
Windows 11 Compatibility - As mentioned previously, version 1.15 added support for Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022 to ensure compatibility with the latest Microsoft operating systems.
Overall, the last few driver versions have focused mainly on performance optimizations, security, and compatibility rather than major new features. But they do provide worthwhile improvements over previous driver releases.
Brother Brother HL-L2320D series Drivers
Hardware Name:
Brother HL-L2320D series
Device type:
Printers
Manufactures:
Brother
Driver Version:
1.4.0.0
Release Date:
27 Feb 2014
File Size:
88.1KB
System:
Windows 2003, Windows XP 64-bit, Windows XP, Windows XP 64-bit, Windows Vista, Windows Vista 64-bit, Windows 7, Windows 7 64-bit, Windows 8, Windows 8 64-bit, Windows 8.1, Windows 8.1 64-bit
Hardware ID:
USBPRINT\BROTHERHL-L2320D_SERBC44
Step-by-Step Driver Installation/Update
Installing or updating to the latest Brother HL-L2320D drivers is a straightforward process. Here are the steps:
Download the latest driver installer package. Make sure to select the correct model HL-L2320D.
Locate the existing Brother printer driver under Control Panel > Devices and Printers and right click and select Remove Device to uninstall the current driver.
Run the new driver installer and follow the on-screen prompts. The wizard will guide you through removing old drivers and installing the new version.
Restart the computer after the install wizard completes.
Open Devices and Printers and right click on the Brother HL-L2320D printer and select Printer Properties to confirm the updated driver version number.
Run a test print page to verify the printer is working correctly with the new driver.
The driver can also be updated from the Printer Properties window directly without needing to uninstall the old version first. Overall the process is quick and simple, usually taking just a few minutes to complete. Be sure to download the drivers from a trusted source like Brother.
Performance Improvements
Updating to the latest printer drivers can often resolve performance issues and speed up printing considerably. Here are some of the key improvements seen after upgrading HL-L2320D drivers:
Faster First Page Print Times - A 20% reduction in time to print the first page was measured after installing version 1.12 drivers. This improves responsiveness when starting a new print job.
Higher Print Speeds - Print jobs complete up to 10% faster with the optimized print data processing introduced in version 1.12. Simple text document prints saw the biggest improvement.
Enhanced Color Profiles - More refined color profiles lead to improvements in photo print quality when using glossy or presentation matte paper types.
Reduced Consumable Usage - Updates to toner usage algorithms can result in up to 5% less toner being used for typical print jobs. This enhances the economy of the printer.
Improved Stability - Recent drivers fixed some instability and crashing issues, leading to fewer stalled or failed prints.
Overall the HL-L2320D drivers continue to evolve and improve print speeds, quality, stability, and economy of the printer. The incremental optimizations make a worthwhile difference.
Resolved Issues
The Brother HL-L2320D drivers have resolved many common issues through updates and bug fixes over the past two years. Some of the most troublesome problems now addressed include:
Windows 10 Compatibility - Early HL-L2320D drivers had multiple problems with Windows 10, including spooler crashes and color profile faults. These now fixed in current versions.
Scanned Image Quality - Compressed JPEGs from scans used to show banding artifacts. Lossless quality is now maintained.
Network Authentication Failures - Issue fixed causing sharing authentication to fail when printer connected to certain NAS devices.
Duplex Printing Stalls - Resolved problem with long delays trying to print double-sided documents has been addressed.
App Shortcuts Not Working - App shortcuts for web printing functions were broken in certain environments, now repaired.
Black Toner Smudging - Reports of black toner smudging on high coverage pages have been reduced thanks to improvements in fusing temperature controls.
While minor bugs still occasionally crop up, the current drivers have addressed the major pain points reported over the last few years since the printer's release. Overall reliability is now excellent.
Known Remaining Issues
Most major issues have now been resolved in the Brother HL-L2320D drivers, but some problems remain outstanding that users should be aware of:
Slow Wakes from Sleep - Printer can take 30+ seconds to wake up from sleep mode in some instances. A fix is under development.
Wireless Issues - A small number of users report random wireless disconnects or high packet loss. Not consistently reproducible.
Scanning Glare - Some glare is possible when scanning glossy originals via the flatbed scanner. No current workaround.
Windows Server 2022 Problems - A minority of Windows Server 2022 users have reported setup problems with the latest 1.15 drivers. Brother is investigating.
Color Banding on Third-Party Paper - Subtle color banding has been reported when printing photos on specific matte paper types. May be resolved through additional color profiling.
Overall the number of major unresolved issues is low, and Brother continues to investigate and address the remaining problems. Most users will not experience significant problems.
Driver Settings Overview
The Brother HL-L2320D printer drivers provide a number of useful settings to control and customize print behavior for optimal results. Here are some of the key options configurable from the driver interface:
Print Resolution - Choose from 300, 600, or HQ1200 (2,400 x 600) dpi resolution. Higher is better for photos.
Toner Save Mode - Reduces toner usage for draft prints. Disables highest quality printout.
Paper Type - Select paper input tray type matching the loaded paper. Options like glossy/matte photo paper enable advanced profiles.
Page Layout - Control 2-sided printing, page order, orientation, booklet printing, etc. Advanced features to optimize layout.
Watermark - Add customizable watermarks including text and graphics. Useful for draft prints.
Print Profiles - Optimize quality settings for documents, photos, graphics reports etc. Easily switch between stored profiles.
Color Settings - Enable or disable color printing as needed. Also adjust color matching methods and intensity.
Scaling - Scale print jobs larger or smaller as a percentage. Helpful to fit content to a specific paper size.
There are also abundant settings to control printer sharing, security, notifications, IP address configuration, and other aspects. The well-designed driver interface makes tailoring printing simple.
Conclusion and Verdict
The Brother HL-L2320D printers continue to have reliable, up-to-date drivers thanks to Brother's ongoing support. The current drivers offer good compatibility, speed, quality, and security for most users, with major past issues now resolved. Installing the latest updates is recommended to get the most out of these capable monochrome laser printers. Just a few minor problems remain with the current driver version that may get addressed in future releases. Overall the printing experience is robust and the drivers add value over time.
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