Best Dual Tray Laser Printers for Signing Agents (2026)

Q: What's the best dual tray laser printer for signing agents?

Brother and HP are the go-to brands. Look for one that prints at least 40 pages per minute, holds both letter and legal paper, and has wifi so you can receive documents on the road. The Brother HL-L5210DWT and HL-L6210DWT are popular choices.

Published January 9, 2023 · Updated May 21, 2026

Running a notary signing agent business means managing costs carefully. After gas, printing is your biggest ongoing expense. Loan packages can run 150 to 300 pages, and title companies want them printed at the original size on the correct paper.

This guide covers what to look for in a dual tray laser printer, which models other signing agents recommend, and why inkjet printers do not work for loan documents.

Printer Requirements for Notaries

Dual tray laser printers are mandatory for Notary Signing Agents because they allow you to print legal and letter paper on a single laser printer while keeping the documents in the original order. It is also known as a 2 drawer laser printer, two-drawer laser printer, or they are simply called dual tray printers.

The laser printer has two trays – one for letter-sized paper and one for legal-sized paper. This lets the laser printer print both paper sizes while keeping the original document in order. But usually, loan documents come in more than one size of paper. And every company has its own way of organizing documents, so you will always be surprised.

Dual tray laser printers come in color and black & white models, with some also offering duplex printing capabilities. “Duplex” means the laser printer can print on both sides of the document. Loan documents should never be printed this way so it’s not necessary to look for a duplex laser printer (but it might be hard to find a dual-tray laser printer that’s not duplex). Loan documents will be separated and scanned by the company you are sending them to. Printing double-sided will complicate that process, resulting in you never getting a signing from that company again. Notary Signing Agents only need to print documents in black and white, so you can save money by not purchasing the color laser printer option.

When selecting a dual tray laser printer for Notary Loan Signing Agent use, it is essential to look for models that offer high-quality prints that prints at least 40 pages per minute since you’ll be printing lots of documents and might receive late or last-minute documents that you’ll have to print right before you leave for a signing. A large paper capacity is also beneficial and so is a dual tray wifi printer.

Dual Tray Printers Explained

A dual-tray laser printer is an all-in-one office solution with two paper trays holding both letter and legal-size paper. This allows you to quickly print multiple documents in the desired format without switching out paper types continuously. The dual tray also helps keep your documents organized and in the proper order for signing.

Paper Size Requirements

Printing the documents in the original format is vital. Any substitutions to this may draw unwanted attention from signing companies, who don’t appreciate altered sizes of documents. Making sure to print all documents at their original size will help you stay in the good graces with any signing companies you encounter – after all, no reason exists to stray away. Not only will printed documents appear as expected, but this practice can also prevent issues such as companies withholding future signings if they are unhappy with the quality of your printed documents. It’s best not to take any shortcuts when it comes down to the printing period!

Inkjet vs. Laser for Loan Signings

When it comes to loan documents, quality is an absolute must. Every notary loan signing agent can agree that inkjet printers are not the way to go. Unfortunately, if someone already owns an inkjet machine, investing in one of the best laser printers available today is the best course of action. This would guarantee impeccable printing outcomes and provide peace of mind for anyone who needs a high-quality printed loan document. Respectively, permanently say no to inkjet printers and yes to purchasing a top-tier laser printer instead!

Ink jet printer cartridges are expensive

An ink jet printer ink cartridge is expensive, and the documents can get ruined if something wet spills on them. Inkjet ink can smudge or smear more quickly, which can cause documents to be rejected by closing companies.

As opposed to ink cartridges, laser toner doesn’t bleed when wet and can be much less expensive in the long run. All of those extra dollars count when you’re running your notary business.

Inkjet printers should also not be used because the county recorder may refuse to record a Deed of Trust, Grant Deed, or Quit Claim Deed made on an inkjet printer.

Inkjet printers are designed differently than laser printers, producing a critical factor to consider: speed. The waiting time can vary drastically between these types of printers; while large-scale document packages might only take minutes with a laser printer, your standard inkjet could take several hours. So if you need documents printed quickly, particularly a large loan package, you’ll want to ensure that the correct laser printer is in hand.

Toner Cartridge Requirements

People often prefer cloned or remanufactured toner cartridges because they are less expensive than genuine Brother or Hewlett-Packard supplies. However, using them may void your printer’s warranty. It’s really up to you if you want to take the risk, but you’ll usually be able to buy a new laser printer from the money you save from replacing the toner cartridges just a few times in case something goes wrong.

Using Your Existing Printer

Probably not if you have an inkjet printer. If you already have a laser printer but it’s only a single tray, and you can’t afford a new one, try our free PDF splitter tool. It separates mixed-size loan documents into letter and legal pages so you can print them from a single tray without manually swapping paper.

Single-tray printers also often have a document feeder for envelopes or other papers that hold tens of sheets of paper. You can often set up your print settings and Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader to use the document feeder as a second tray for your legal-sized paper. You might also want to check to see if your single-tray printer can add a dual-try addon.

Dual Tray Laser Printer For Notary Signing Agents Recommendations

Are you looking for the best laser printer to print loan documents? It can be difficult, as you’ll need to print plenty of pages. That’s why many Notary Loan Signing Agents prefer using Brother or Hewlett-Packard printers. Not only have these two brands provided reliable printing services in the past, but they have a range of products for almost any budget. Plus, the high page capacity lets you finish your loan documents quickly, so you don’t have to waste valuable time waiting for printouts. With all these features available from one central source, who could blame Notary Loan Signing Agents for trusting Brother and Hewlett-Packard?

Brother HL-L5210DWT: Dual tray laser printer, wireless, 48 ppm, large paper capacity. The workhorse most signing agents start with.
Brother HL-L6210DWT: Dual tray laser printer, wireless, 50 ppm, advanced security. Step-up model if you print heavy volume.

Brother HL-L5210DWT dual tray monochrome laser printer for notary signing agents

Brother HL-L6210DWT dual tray monochrome laser printer

Printing from your car sounds convenient, but setting up a laser printer in a vehicle requires a power inverter, extra battery, and a stable surface. Most signing agents print before they leave home or from a hotel business center instead.

We do not currently have a mobile laser printer recommendation due to the power and setup requirements.

Multi-function machine or Scanner

Here’s a place where you can choose what works best for the business you are creating. You’ll need a scanner to scan back documents to the title company or lender after the signing. This can be either in a Multi-function machine or a stand-alone scanner.

The Multi-function machine is better if you use the other features, while the stand-alone scanner is best if you create a mobile office. Of course, if you’re already making money or want to invest more in your business, you can purchase both.

Multi-function machine

A multi-function printer/scanner/copier handles everything in one device. Make sure the scanner has enough memory to handle 30 to 100 pages in a single scan job. Loan packages are large, and a scanner that chokes at 20 pages will not work.

This machine can help copy a few pages. It can often print on both sides of the paper, which can come in handy for printing instructions or confirmation letters. However, you should not print loan documents double-sided.

Multi-function machines seem like a great deal, but are usually not dual-tray unless you want to purchase the type of printer they have in large offices.

Stand-Alone Scanner

A portable scanner is worth considering if you scan documents from the road. These plug into a power inverter in your car, scan directly to your phone or laptop, and let you send documents back to the title company between appointments. They are compact, fast, and cost less than a full multi-function machine.

Epson WorkForce ES-500W II: Wireless duplex scanner, 35 ppm, 50-sheet ADF. Good desktop scanner for the price.
ScanSnap iX2500: Wireless duplex scanner, 45 ppm, 100-sheet ADF, 5″ touchscreen. Fast and easy to use straight out of the box.
Epson WorkForce ES-580W: Wireless duplex scanner, 35 ppm, 100-sheet ADF, 4.3″ touchscreen. Best value if you scan large packages regularly.

Epson WorkForce ES-500W II wireless duplex document scanner

Fujitsu ScanSnap iX2500 wireless document scanner with touchscreen

Epson WorkForce ES-580W wireless duplex document scanner with touchscreen

A smartphone scanner app works in a pinch, but many title companies and signing services prohibit scanning loan documents to cloud-based apps. The security requirements around borrower financial information are strict. Check with the hiring company before using a phone app for scan-backs. When in doubt, use a dedicated scanner.

Printing Software

One of the first challenges with becoming a notary who handles loan documents is how to print them. It takes time and it’s easy to get wrong. Our free PDF splitter tool handles this if you don’t have a dual tray laser printer yet. It separates mixed-size documents so you can print them correctly from a single tray.

Paper

Buy paper in bulk. A single loan package can use 150 to 300 sheets, so you will go through reams fast. Standard 20 lb copy paper in letter (8.5 x 11) and legal (8.5 x 14) sizes is all you need. Skip the premium stuff. The county recorder does not care about paper quality, and neither do title companies.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I really need a dual tray printer?

Yes. Loan documents come in mixed letter and legal sizes, and title companies want them printed at the original size. A dual tray printer holds both so you don’t have to swap paper by hand. Print them wrong and you won’t hear back from that company again.

What’s the best dual tray laser printer for signing agents?

Brother and HP are the go-to brands. Find one that prints at least 40 pages per minute, holds both letter and legal paper, and has wifi so you can receive documents on the road. See the recommendations above for specific models.

Can I print legal documents on letter paper?

No. Print everything at the original size. Shrinking legal to letter is considered altering the document. Title companies will reject your work and drop you from their list.

How much does a dual tray laser printer cost?

$200 to $500 for a decent one. It sounds like a lot up front, but one loan signing pays $75 to $200, so the printer covers its own cost after a few jobs.