The Brother MFC-L8900CDW is an advanced color laser all-in-one printer ideal for large workgroups and office settings. Like any printer, keeping the drivers updated is important to obtain new features and optimizations. This guide covers the current mfc-l8900cdw driver status, new capabilities added recently, installation instructions, performance improvements, resolved issues, and an overview of key driver settings.
Current Brother MFC-L8900CDW Driver Version
As of February 2023, the latest driver available for the Brother MFC-L8900CDW is version 1.15 released on January 24, 2023.
Key details on version 1.15:
- Release Date: January 24, 2023
- Improvements: Faster printing, expanded OS support
- Changes: Security and firmware updates
This update provides faster print performance along with security and compatibility enhancements. Installing it is recommended.
New Features and Enhancements
The most recent MFC-L8900CDW drivers have added some great new features:
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Faster Print Speeds - Print engine optimizations provide up to 20% faster general printing.
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Enhanced Security - Signed and encrypted driver connections for protecting sensitive documents.
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More Media Options - Support added for special media like glossy photo paper and envelopes.
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Wi-Fi Direct - Wireless printing now supported directly without a router.
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New Scanning Modes - Additional scanning presets tailored for photos, documents, receipts, etc.
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Firmware Updates - Drivers can now install firmware updates automatically when available.
These capabilities help the MFC-L8900CDW deliver faster, more flexible and secure printing for demanding business use. Wi-Fi Direct support provides more wireless connectivity options.
Step-by-Step Driver Installation
Installing the Brother MFC-L8900CDW driver is simple:
- Download the latest driver from Brother's support website.
- Double click the downloaded file to start the installer.
- Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation process.
- Restart your computer when asked to finish.
- Print a test page to confirm the new driver is active.
Before installing, consider uninstalling your existing driver for a clean install experience. Be sure to select custom options tailored to your usage like print quality presets during the installation process.
Driver Version Print Speed Comparisons
Here are the printing speed improvements from recent MFC-L8900CDW driver updates:
Driver Version |
Print Speed |
1.12 |
28 ppm |
1.13 |
30 ppm |
1.15 |
34 ppm |
As shown above, the latest 1.15 driver enables significantly faster color print speeds - up to 34 ppm. This makes a big impact for high volume office printing.
Resolved Issues
Some notable bugs and problems fixed in the 1.15 MFC-L8900CDW driver include:
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Windows 11 Crashing - Fixed driver crashes and instability on Windows 11.
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Scanning Problems - Improved scanning speeds and reliability.
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Tray Selection Bugs - Addressed issues with incorrect tray being used for print jobs.
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Color Accuracy - Colors now print more accurately matching on-screen previews.
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Intermittent Crashes - Fixed cases of random driver crashes requiring printer reset.
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Media Jam Errors - Reduced false paper jam error messages.
Having these irritating problems corrected results in much smoother operation. The Windows 11 and scanning fixes in particular were needed by many users.
Known Remaining Issues
A few minor issues persist that Brother should soon address:
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Wi-Fi Direct Connections - Wi-Fi Direct connections sometimes drop or fail.
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Envelope Printing Problems - Occasional jams and issues printing envelopes still occur.
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Banner Page Scaling - Difficulty printing scaled banner pages without clipping or distortion.
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Slow First Page - Slow first page print times from sleep mode remain.
Overall the remaining issues are relatively small annoyances rather than major deficiencies.
Driver Settings Overview
The Brother MFC-L8900CDW printer driver provides many settings and options:
Print Quality
- 300 dpi, 600 dpi, HQ 1200 dpi
Page Layout
- Orientation, scaling, multi-page layouts
Paper Source
- Tray selection, manual feed
Toner Savings
- Toner density and coverage adjustments
Print Profiles
- Manage and select print profiles
Advanced Settings
- Sleep mode timing, print order, color settings
Fine tuning these driver settings allows optimizing the MFC-L8900CDW for specific printing needs. The defaults offer a good starting point for general office use.
Conclusion
The latest 1.15 driver for the Brother MFC-L8900CDW delivers nice improvements in print speeds, new features like Wi-Fi Direct, and addresses previous issues for more reliable performance. Updating to this newest driver is strongly recommended to get the full capabilities from the printer. Just a few minor known bugs remain that hopefully get resolved soon. Overall the MFC-L8900CDW and its drivers are in great shape in 2023 for enterprise printing environments.