The Brother DCP-540CN is part of a new line-up of Brother MFDs (multi-function devices) that bear a passing resemblance to previous models such as the MF-C620, not least because the new models continue to use the Brother system where the ink cartridges remain stationary and feed ink through capillary tubes to the print heads.

The layout of the printer has been changed so that you no longer lift the top half of the printer to gain access to the cartridges, but instead you now insert the four ink tanks through a flap on the front of the printer. This makes life much easier if the printer is located on a shelf with limited clearance above it.

As before, the paper tray plugs into the front of the printer and the printed output feeds back out to the front onto the top of the tray. Another feature of earlier models that has been carried over is the way that the USB 2.0 and 10/100Mbps network cables do not plug into the rear of the printer but instead feed through a channel and connect inside the printer. The power connector is on the side of the printer and, taken together, these features mean that the Brother can be pushed back onto a shelf in a very limited space.

The two card reader slots continue to support CF, MS, MMC, SD and xD cards and you now get a PictBridge port for direct camera printing. The LCD screen is significantly larger at two inches, where earlier models used a two-row mono display.

Installing the printer is a quick process and consists of a CD with MFL-Pro Suite, ScanSoft PaperPort SE and Presto! PageManager as well as the drivers. Probably the longest part of the job is the four minute wait while the printer fills the empty ink tubes. This is a one-time process that you don't have to endure when you replace the cartridges.

Brother claims a print speed of 30ppm for mono and 20ppm for colour but we simply cannot understand where these figures come from. Regular text takes over three minutes to print ten pages which is more like 3ppm. This is significantly slower than regular inkjet printers and roughly on a par with dedicated photo printers.

When it came to colour printing we found that the Brother matched other inkjets on the market and made us feel a bit happier. Photo printing caused us some issues, though, as the quality of the photos was surprisingly good but the speed was very slow indeed.

The DCP-540CN has a list of features that make it appealing both for the small office and for those of us who hate the idea of a separate printer and scanner at home. Print quality is good without being outstanding, but if you intend to do much photo printing this is unlikely to be the printer for you, mainly because of its lack of speed. Our other complaint is the price which seems rather high.