Samsung CLP-300 Colour Laser Printer

Specifications / Scope of Supply

On the technical data I would like at this point once more, they can be found here in these accounts. The printer is very well packaged and padded with foam. Apart from the actual printer is supplied with the power cord, black and color toner (but only two thirds of the usual amount), an installation guide, driver CD's included for all major operating systems (including Mac OS and Vista) and the warranty card. A USB cable is missing as usual today. :biggrin:

http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/4...sungclp300.jpg

Installation

Thanks to the very well-illustrated Quick Start Guide is the construction and connection very quickly. What is noticeable is already comfortable here, the good from the front door accessibility of toner cartridges. These are mixed up said that it should also have the non-technical users have no problems.
Not so good I was not particularly sturdy-looking paper tray, which was also initially a bit stubborn and wanted to be taken out not so well. Once the printer is connected for the first time to the power grid, it begins to operate and distribute the toner, which he informs with a reference sheet which is printed out. It should be noted at this point that the printer is actually another one, on / off switch 'has, with the unit can be disconnected from the mains.

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/3...colorlaser.jpg

The installation of the driver software by means of the attached driver CD. According to the installation sheet, the printer is recognized as the new software, but should this process be stopped and the installation of the included driver CD. This process takes several minutes depending on computer performance. On the top of the printer, four lamps are with the respective color in addition to the stop button. Here's the current status is displayed on the printer, ie whether data is being received, or whether it is printing new toner. It is also possible, as with many printers, on pressing the 'Stop' button to make a test page (press about two seconds) or a 'status report' (hold about five seconds) the device settings are printed.

Operation

The footprint is 39 x 35 for a color laser printer is quite small and similar to an inkjet printer and the medium quality. With nearly 14 kg of a color laser printer is very easy, however, much heavier than a comparable inkjet printers. It is operated via the corresponding menu of the computer after installing the driver. The corresponding icon sets in the status bar of your computer. It can be accessed through a double, so that appropriate settings for the printer or drivers can be made and also the respective toner can be queried. A call is also available through the context menu.
As already mentioned, access to the toner cartridge on the front cover is quite easily possible, which makes changing the cartridge clear. Also on the front door, access to the waste toner container, which lies at 8.00 EUR in the ordinary course. It extends for approximately 5000 pages black and white or 1200 color print page.

Even cleaning the refrigerator by removing the pressure unit is on the way, which facilitates handling but in my opinion clearly. The imaging unit of the printer to about 20,000 sheets b / w and 50 000 sheet designed in color and can be changed by the user, but this is making at a price of 150 EUR up no users, since this was more, at least for me, as I for the units have paid for. In that regard, so you can find something heretical, that the printer has a life expectancy of more than 20,000 sheets. The internal memory is 32 MB RAM, and this also extends fully out of household or single-user operating normally.

http://img571.imageshack.us/img571/1360/img12o.jpg

The printer does not have a separate single sheet feeder, which means either that you insert the paper to be printed separately to Top, or just this one sheet in the feeder. It is quite possible, envelopes, transparencies, labels, etc. to print, only requires the removal of the paper stock. Once and for me personally to get over fact, I once used window envelopes or has access to a large black and white laser. The printer has a duplex unit, as expected in this price range otherwise, do not they could be upgraded either. Modern practice, the manual is only as PDF file on the CD Rom at, on which there is also the driver.

Drivers

The driver software including manual installs quickly and completely. After installing implants in the system tray an icon called Smart Panel, it can query the printer status (operating mode, toner), configure, smart panel, call a support assistant and change (separated) printer and driver settings (where the division somehow very useful free is, so shall you paper size, layout, graphics options, and so firmly in the driver settings, color adjustment in the printer settings, for whatever reason). Additionally, you can get this software, the Samsung home page in order to buy any supplies, it takes me, however, there are no items found to me, and when (which is not always the case), then the internal Name for me a mystery.

Print Quality

The printing speed per minute is in black and white printing with good 16 pages is quite good, in the range of colors it is good 4 pages. This is in the range of colors not just a peak, but probably for the occasional color printing, the user more than enough. The printer will jump on this pretty quickly and the wait is up to the first pages are really long, I wait here much longer.

Text

In the area of the text expression in normal quality mode is good to very good, there are not really something to complain about. The color is very rich and small fonts prepare the printer no problem. In design mode, you can not complain and I also am of the opinion that in the area of the pressure of the text-only design mode in many cases is sufficient. In any case, in design mode printed texts were transmitted by fax complaint-free, without the recipient has noticed something and also scanning for document management systems (DMS) did not cause any problems.

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/7632/hpim3144l.jpg

Graphics

When printing photos or text and graphics, also in normal mode to achieve a good to very good result, however, he tends to blues to something strong play, a problem which shares the Samsung but with many color lasers. I would not regard this as problematic, however, because for pure color laser photo printing is not there and in smaller individual photos or graphics is not so much this is significant. In draft mode, with regard to the text passages are referred to above, for photos you realize, however, a significant loss of quality.

Photos / Graphics

For pure like photos or graphics, so because they print to a color laser, it is notable that the pressure is very blue-heavy, ie blue hues are very strongly represented, and the film weight is no longer true, so completely. Also cause him to PDF documents embedded fonts, especially when they are small, some difficulties. All in all, a not entirely unexpected result in terms of printing quality. The print speed is impressive in the s / w field, color field, one might expect more, but you will not complain, yes. But even here, wants to clear target group is the home or home office users, especially the print s / w and color only occasionally and then not especially photos.

The printer is not audible in standby mode, in operation, it is quite likely to hear and loud. There are certainly less noisy equipment in the market, what the honesty must be said, but also considerably more expensive. As a negative aspect I've noticed already mentioned above rickety and unstable bin. Also, the output of the printer is not particularly generous dimensions and the paper support this not exactly a paragon of quality.

Conclusion

The printer is conceived for the home or as personal printers for people, especially the print s / w and use the opportunity of a colored print only occasionally. And as such from the printer should be used, because then the printer would meet its purpose. This further combined with a rather small footprint, the printer can also be emergency only on one (large) desk find a place, with average operating costs and the benefits of the printer. However, one must make compromises in the quality of the device, because the paper tray and support are not exactly in an example of high quality. This somewhat surprising, because the ease of use is otherwise very good, but probably had to be somewhere to be shot on the price spiral. All in all, a device that so far I am thoroughly satisfied and have not regretted the choice so far.

Since the announcement by Samsung was on the cubit grade for this revolutionary small and lightweight model right. Unfortunately, delays in the availability then even by the end of October and my knowledge is already bad. When he finally arrived, showed us the following: the size of the CLP-300 is similar to a medium-sized black and white laser, cartridges amazingly tiny, somewhat like a small cup of coffee, especially with toner powder. The size of the CLP-300 is similar to a medium-sized black and white laser, cartridges amazingly tiny, somewhat like a small coffee cup, especially with toner powder, not the usual complex cartridge unit around it, which otherwise moves always in the garbage. Construction and installation, driver problems in XP, there is then a small manager, the printer status and displays especially toner.

In short, our expectations regarding size, volume level (pressure volume is laser-normal, and after only 10 seconds doing nothing is printer quiet as a mouse), weight, fitness for's private study, short startup time (the first S / W-side comes with warming up about 10 seconds out after; first color page in about 20-25s) and print quality were all filled, just for photos / photo printing at first I was slightly disappointed. After I again compared with three other color lasers of various price ranges as well as laboratory and a good photo printer ink, I'm more relaxed again. It is true that our CLP-300 in this comparison the worst, but the other color laser is only slightly better, really is not a satisfactory color laser for photos.

A little one can still get out with better / smoother paper (a la inkjet) and settings, but it stays compared with laboratory or photo (ink / sublimation) printers rather only draft quality. Especially pernicious are large uniform solid colors such as sky, water, green or faces in close-up. Well, there's visible horizontal stripes, as the colors and then beat at times in places in abstract art or some sprinkles or stain / shadow. Since we have also made it with the ink Pinkler the last few years many photos, and more recently have a first class 10x15 larger before the lab going, that's totally ok, but it is fast and cheap and if you print small (A5) It has been much better. A photo printer or substitute for it is by no means, who says his 300 euro makes color laser-class photo that was already long head reels or not in the lab ...

Regarding toner consumption could be the first day, seeing as I printed a few dozen A4 photos, so to speak, as the cartridges were empty and empty and it looked as though due to only 100-200 pages a new sentence. We have since then almost only normal articles, book and magazine scans printed and the toner has hardly diminished, I would therefore appreciate the past, the manufacturer's instructions for the toner coverage are reasonably realistic, ie at 5% coverage approx 2000 pages with the black , 1000 pages with the color cartridge (for the initial filling factory 700 pages are surrounded). At street prices of about 40 euros for the black and about 30 euros for the ink cartridges that makes about 2 cents for an A4 Mono print and 10 cents for a simple A4 color and (I guess) 20-30 cents for an A4 photograph. Compared to other color lasers in this price range, the prices are about average (only contain toner powder), though the cartridges are simple, they cost in relation to the possible number of pages similar to other larger ones.

I myself find the text print quality is good in quality setting "Normal" better than my 5 year old medium good ink, quality setting in "draft" about the same. Otherwise, still: In a test of the missing sheet feeder has been criticized. We lack not the tray bottom can not get out very easily and cleaning, she also has a several cm large open gap through because you can stoking a single (eg special) leaf or take out for two-sided printing without a cartridge. On the other hand, there is a nearly 25cm wide and 4cm high open slit as an invitation for dust & Co. and I wonder how the top because on the sheet for a quarter of a year is not in use looks like, or what the printer puts it, if it can then move the sheet ...

A few weeks ago, it drew slowly away: the end of the thesis. The fun had only from the computer onto paper. Of course, this should be done in the best quality, so my current printer, an HP DeskJet 710, for this task was not an option. A little later I was in the media market confidence, with the firm intention of a color laser printer to buy. Three devices were in this store to choose from: a SAMSUNG CLP-500 for € 299, -, the SAMSUNG CLP-300, also for € 299, - and an HP for about € 800, -. The HP was for me, because of the price, no matter. Such was just the two Samsung printers to choose from. The CLP-500 was the first thought, 'Where am I going to stand up this part?. The CLP-300 was really small and had the dimensions of 390 x 344 x 265 mm, about the size of an old black and white laser printer. Provision is, but more modern (winner of the Red Dot Design Award ") and leaves the living room do not look the typical. Another point of interest to me was, that's from Samsung Toner completely revised concept. Instead of the usual, very large toner cartridges are available for this model adapted Toner cylinders, which per unit at € 40, - are much cheaper, but of course not so many pages to print. SAMSUNG 2000 pages are here for the black toner and 1,000 pages for each color toner one. The resolution is 2400x600 dpi at 1200x1200 dpi CLP-300 and the CLP-500.

After a pseudo-professional meeting with the media-market-man, I was almost here the CLP-300 on to clamp the arm, but did the CLP-300 in contrast to the CLP-500 does not duplex, ie the ability to simultaneously both sides of a sheet to print. I wanted to absolutely have in my new printer, but the CLP-500 was simply too monumental and the individual toner cartridges with euro 89, - too expensive. If all color toners fail simultaneously, one can almost a new printer now. According to Samsung, the same can also print 7000 pages - But here we must consider how much you print on average, since one with a toner for € 89. But since I do not so much pressure for me is a small practical capacity. So I then but the CLP-300 come wrapped in the trunk of his 13.6 kg with a real "color laser printer lightweight" (for comparison, the CLP-500 weighs whopping 32 kg).

The printer was now on the table, the power cable was already connected when I was desperately in the big box for a USB cable. However, I had to realize: Samsung has included a USB cable. On closer inspection of the packaging could see that was crossed out in the packing list the USB cable with a discreet, light gray circle. For me this was the first disappointment after the purchase. Fortunately, I had a suitable cable in stock, so it will go but the same could. The installation of the four toner was really easy and foolproof at the same time, since all the toners were designed so that they can just plug in each space provided. Of course, all beautifully colored!!

Plug & Play works smoothly on Windows XP SP2, but you should still install the included Samsung's software, which the so-called "Smart Panel" contains. The display on the printer is described that is only four small lights, which have the following situations: "Everything OK", "Something is wrong", "toner empty". Not very meaningful, right? What exactly is going on right before you learn it over the computer in the above-mentioned "Smart Panel".

The first printed page was quite impressive: beautiful, rich black and the individual colors were nicely placed on the glossy paper. Samsung had built on his test page but also a picture. As you could see the vulnerability of the printer already. The picture was relatively coarse and the mixed colors are not nearly as intense as a pure pressure. Since I was the general property of color laser printers reported before, and had I expected any miracles in this price range, the disappointment was limited. I later on the "Smart Panel", the color distribution is a bit more adjusted, so that now quite acceptable prints are made. But for my purposes, printing documents with color graphics and a photo from time to time, the result was already really good. I was particularly impressed by the speed. The pure black and white pages only get one so contrary - that speed I was not used. Even our giant HP b / w laser printer in the building is not as fast. Samsung is at the speed 16 pages per minute for black and white pages and 4 pages per minute for color pages. I have not stopped, but the color pages really need significantly longer, no matter whether the site has only a small dot in the lower right corner, or whether to print a photo on the whole A4 page.

Printing technology has provided so much convenience to us and as long as your laser printer is supported with the right printing accessory, you can expect for the best results.

The SAMSUNG CLP-300 has the so-called NO NOIS technology . While working, the printer but still relatively loud, but no reason to turn the radio louder. After printing, the device switches into a standby mode and then no longer hear a peep, not even a low hum, absolute silence. Here I was really surprised to be welcomed, since I had already made quite a different experience. Unfortunately, it smells of the printing, a bit uncomfortable. I knew even though other laser printers, but here this seems to be a little more intense. The printer is also very hot during operation, therefore needs a well-ventilated location in the room.

The paper tray holds 150 sheets, according to Samsung. For me this is sufficient in most cases. The printing operation is smooth on both sides of paper. First I printed all the odd pages and the result put back into the paper tray and then go through all the even pages can be. For me, an absolute phenomenon: there were no two sides feed at one time and at this speed. Printing a 100-page script is suddenly no longer a problem. On my old HP DeskJet 710 has it never worked right away, I had to check every single page, or I would end up with a completely worthless script in your hands, because no page is printed there where they should point.