Connecting your Brother DCP-L2640DW printer to a Windows PC doesn’t need to be intimidating. This step-by-step article summarizes Printer Insider’s video tutorial, showing how to get your printer on Wi-Fi, add it to Windows, scan with the built-in app, and print double-sided documents—all without a single cable.
Table of Contents
Setting Up Your Brother DCP-L2640DW Printer with Windows PC
The video begins with the printer and a laptop side by side on a clean desk—a good reminder to clear your workspace and plug everything in before starting.
The host keeps it simple: power on, get Wi-Fi set, then move to your computer. It’s a full wireless setup—no USB tethering required.
If you ever shift to embroidery projects later, remember that precision aligns technologies—just as connecting your printer does with your network—mirroring how magnetic embroidery hoops for brother keep fabric precisely in place.
Connecting Your Brother Printer to Wi-Fi
The process starts on the printer’s own control panel.
Press Menu, scroll to 4. Network, confirm with OK, and pick WLAN (Wi-Fi).
From there, choose Find Network and scroll through the list until you find your home SSID.
When prompted for a password, use the + and – buttons to cycle through letters and digits, pressing OK for each choice.
It’s a bit of a slow dance between buttons and screen, but it works.
Once entered, confirm Apply Settings? → Yes. Watch for Connecting WLAN… and then the magic words Connected.
Setting things up here feels almost meditative—each button press deliberate, steady, and clear—similar to aligning a magnetic embroidery hoop before stitching begins.
Adding Your Brother Printer to Windows
Now hop to your PC. Open Settings → Devices → Printers & Scanners.
Click Add a printer or scanner.
Your computer will search for available printers. If yours doesn’t show up immediately, hit Refresh and wait a moment. When the Brother DCP-L2640DW Printer appears, click Add device.
If Windows freezes on “Connecting,” don’t panic—just close and reopen the Settings window. In many cases, the printer already added itself behind the scenes.
The straightforward approach here shows how intuitive modern setups have become—much like snapping fabric into snap hoop for brother systems for quick repositioning.
Scanning Documents on Your Brother Printer
Using the Flatbed Scanner for Single Pages
Launch the built-in Scan app by typing “Scan” in the Windows search bar.
(Download it from the Microsoft Store if it’s not preinstalled.) Lift the flatbed lid, place your page face-down aligned to the corner guide, then close it.
In the Scan app, set Source → Flatbed, and choose your desired file type, such as JPEG.
Select color or black-and-white, and decide where to save your scans—Desktop works beautifully.
Hit Scan, and moments later, your digital file appears, ready to view.
> From the comments: Several viewers praised this portion as the clearest they’d seen. One noted that the Scan app tip was “exactly what was missing.”
This kind of uncomplicated process is refreshing—like switching from a traditional embroidery frame to a magnetic hoop for brother that clicks into alignment instantly.
Scanning Multiple Pages with the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF)
For longer documents, use the top Automatic Document Feeder. Align your pages face up, top on the left side. Adjust the side guides snugly, and extend the output flap.
In the Scan app, switch Source → Feeder and File type → PDF to merge pages into one document.
Press Scan—the printer neatly feeds each page one after another.
The rhythm of pages gliding through feels efficient and almost mechanical elegance—akin to how magnetic embroidery hoops for brother streamline repetitive embroidery hooping without fuss.
Saving Scans as PDF
By choosing PDF and Feeder source, the Brother DCP-L2640DW groups all pages into a single file—ideal for paperwork archives. The moderator in the video demonstrates this clearly, showing each page scanned and the resulting file opening on the desktop.
For anyone managing creative records—from patterns to forms—this is a digital lifesaver, echoing the consistency offered by brother magnetic embroidery hoops that hold designs steady across runs.
Printing Documents from Your PC
Back at your computer, open any document and select File → Print.
Make sure your Brother printer appears at the top of the list. Adjust typical options—copies, color, and the duplex choice if you want both sides.
Enable Print on both sides of the paper for eco-friendly duplex printing. Then, hit Print and let the machine handle the rest.
Watching those first crisp pages emerge from the tray is as satisfying as seeing embroidery stitches align—each layer added with purpose—mirroring the control offered by magnetic hoops for brother embroidery machines.
Conclusion and Next Steps
In less than ten minutes, you’ve brought a printer to life wirelessly, taught your PC to recognize it, and mastered both scanning and duplex printing. The simplicity of the Brother DCP-L2640DW shines when paired with Windows, proving that practical tech can still feel rewarding.
If you crave consistency and smooth workflows across your creative tools—printing or embroidery—the principle is universal: precise alignment makes perfect results. Accessories like magnetic embroidery hoop embroidery show that even in craft machinery, small design choices remove the friction from big ideas.
Stay tuned to Printer Insider for more hands-on tutorials, and celebrate the quiet victory of a setup that just works.