Sky-high prices for laser printers that can print in color have long ceased to shock potential buyers. The office equipment market is filled with worthy devices from world famous brands so much that a potential buyer is not able to figure out which product to give preference to. The focus of this article is the Samsung CLX-3305 multifunction device, capable of producing laser printing in color. Characteristics, review and owner reviews will reveal all the secrets that a potential buyer would like to know.
First introduction to a Samsung CLX-3305 representative
Although the manufacturer positions its multifunctional device as a compact gadget, its box is very bulky. At the factory, the MFPs were adequately packed in polystyrene, so as not to be damaged during transportation. Inside, the user will find, in addition to the Samsung CLX-3305 device itself, a cartridge, a power cable, a USB 2.0 interface cable, an operating manual and software discs. Judging by the reviews of the owners, the manual for the printer at the first stages of getting to know the MFP should always be at hand, since the functionality of the printing device is extensive, and even a specialist can get confused at first. There are no complaints about the build quality, all components are perfectly matched to each other, and the plastic is quite dense, which eliminates damage to the MFP during operation.
MFP Specifications
There are two modifications of the multifunctional device on the market: Samsung CLX-3305 / XEV with a wired USB 2.0 interface and a similar device with a built-in wireless Wi-Fi adapter, which has the letter “W” in its marking. The price difference is negligible, so many buyers prefer the latest modification. In addition, the remaining characteristics for the MFP are identical.
- Full support for printing, copying and scanning, and the device can work autonomously (without connecting to a computer).
- The maximum print resolution is 2400x600 dpi. Optical scanning 600x600 dpi with the possibility of software interpolation of 4800x4800 dpi.
- The print speed corresponds to the copy speed and is 18 pages per minute for monochrome texts and 4 pages per minute for color prints.
- The input tray capacity is 150 sheets, and the output tray is 50 sheets.
- The MFP has two processors that operate at 533 MHz and 150 MHz (an additional processor is needed to work with storage media). RAM is 128 MB.
Commissioning
Unlike inkjet printers, the Samsung CLX-3305 MFP requires a closer look. You can’t just plug it into the room from the street and immediately plug it into the outlet (especially in the cold season). It is necessary to completely unpack the device, remove all the protective stickers, remove the paper tray and open the cartridge installation unit. In this position, it should stand in a warm room for about 24 hours, so that all the moisture present inside evaporates.
The toner cartridge also needs to be removed from the bag, remove the protective tape and put next to the MFP for 24 hours of drying. Before installing the cartridge into the printing device, shake the cartridge slightly (holding it by the handle in your hand, repeat the pendulum movement several times). After this period, you can collect the MFPs and, using the manual, print the start page. Having removed the printed sheet from the printer tray, it is necessary to verify the colors of the resulting pattern with the standard in the instructions.
Supernova technology from the Korean giant
The Samsung CLX-3305 Laser MFP is equipped with a toner-saving system - this is a manufacturer’s innovation that allows you to increase the print cartridge yield by 20%. The toner manufacturing technology uses polymers that are slightly smaller than the granules of the consumable. Because of this, the layer of toner applied to the sheet is slightly smaller than usual. And the shedding of surpluses, thanks to this innovation, is much less. It is worth noting that the print quality, both in monochrome and in color, remains worthy.
Owners of a multifunctional device in their reviews note that such an innovation, although it saves toner, however, this is not displayed in any way on the finances of users. After all, this consumable is on the market more expensive than other analogues. The usual marketing move that attracts the buyer to a novelty in the market.
Mobile printing device
The main criterion when buying a Samsung CLX-3305 multifunctional device for all buyers is the full mobility of office equipment. Printing can be done from any media. These are memory cards, flash drives, mobile phones, external drives - all existing technologies are available for this wonderful printer. The control panel allows you not only to find the file you want to print, but also to make additional settings: scaling, changing the brightness, contrast and much more.
User complaints only about the Wi-Fi Direct service, which does not work correctly with WPA2 encryption - the printer simply refuses to accept files for printing. There are several options in such cases: reduce the level of security to WPA encryption or use the print server of a wireless router, which must first be “friends” with a multifunctional device.
Color print
The advantage of laser printing over liquid inks of an inkjet printer is that with prolonged downtime (from a month to several years), the toner does not have the ability to dry out. Accordingly, it is not necessary to clean the pads that are in contact with the paper and rinse any details - turn it on and print. But about print quality, many users have misconceptions. Buying expensive equipment often leads the owner into a stupor when he tries to print a photo in high resolution, because the MFP device is color.
Samsung CLX-3305 is simply required to have photo printing. Before buying, it is recommended to make a list of requirements for printing equipment:
- how often will be used;
- what are the purposes of printing;
- how many pages per month it is planned to print (monochrome separately from color);
- whether photo printing and what size of photos is planned;
- how will the cartridge refuel (in a service center or on its own).
After collecting all the answers, you can go to the store and provide them to the seller, who will guide the buyer. According to statistics, such a trip leads the user to purchase a monochrome laser multifunction device.
Control and adjustment system
According to the manufacturer, the Samsung CLX-3305 printer is equipped with an intelligent print management system, which, following the actions of the user who finely tunes the device, corrects the data to improve print quality. The system works, there are no complaints about it (given that it is implemented at the hardware level, and is not controlled by the driver). But many printer owners, judging by their reviews in the media, have claims against the manufacturer of the multifunction device.
- The color of the image on the screen does not match the color of the image printed on a sheet of paper. There are thousands of such cases. The problem is that a cheap TN + Film matrix monitor distorts brightness and color reproduction. The purchase of an expensive monitor with an IPS or VA display will solve the problem of matching color shades.
- Samsung Easy Color Manager is reset to factory settings after turning off the MFP. The intelligent system identifies too large discrepancies in the color rendering (which the user has configured) and regards them as an error that needs to be addressed. In the latest firmware this utility is excluded.
Refill cartridge
Judging by their reviews, many users are concerned about the Samsung CLX-3305 cartridge refill. If you do this in a service center, then the cost of the service is about 20-30% of the price of the multifunction device itself (30,000 rubles). From an economic point of view, this is an expensive pleasure when you consider that the cartridge yield is about 1000 pages (we are talking about color printing). You can reduce the cost of printing in only one way - to purchase a set of consumables and to independently refuel.
Fortunately, there are video instructions on the Internet how to do this at home. The cost of one refueling kit is 5000 rubles, and it will be enough to print 10 thousand pages. The manufacturer assures that this method removes the device from the guarantee, but if you calculate all the costs, then such a solution pays off the initial cost of the printer three times.
Finally
As you can see from the review, the Samsung CLX-3305 multifunctional device is a rather interesting solution on the Russian office equipment market: affordable price, huge functionality, high-quality printing and flexible settings will clearly attract any customer. Of course, there are questions for the manufacturer, but they are more organizational in nature, regarding the appropriateness of purchasing for specific tasks. It is up to the buyer to decide whether it makes sense to purchase a color laser MFP or not.