Tap to Print with Samsung’s New ProXpress and Multifunction ProXpress Printers

Samsung Electronics Co today announced a new line of ProXpress mono laser printers and multifunction printers (MFPs) for small and medium-sized business customers and home office use. These new products offer fast print speeds, high print quality and versatility, and have been specifically designed for users who require low operating costs and high performance. The new M4020ND and M3820ND printers and the M4070FR and M3870FD MFPs offer an all-in-one integrated toner system, robust eco features and duplex printing for lower operating costs and higher efficiency.

“Small to medium-sized businesses and professionals who work at home are increasingly seeking lower operating costs for maximum profitability without sacrificing on high performance,” said Mike van Lier, Business Leader for IT Solutions at Samsung Electronics South Africa. “The Printer ProXpress and the Multifunction ProXpress series are built to offer an efficient experience with fast speeds and high-quality images at a reasonable cost. In fact, our ProXpress MFPs fall into what IDC calls ‘the sweet spot of the monochrome laser MFP market’, predicting that this segment is expected to post the highest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10% compared with other speed segments in this market by 2017*.”

Powerful and efficient performance

With print speeds of up to 35 ppm to 42 ppm for letter size documents**, each of the new models provides fast, reliable and economically efficient performance for business users. The units enable document and image processing for increased workflow, through their Cortex A5 processors and up to 256MB of memory.

All models come with standard automatic duplex, which allows for printing on both sides of the page as well as a multi-purpose tray, which supports media of up to 220 gsm (58 lbs) in weight. Offering more printing choices for professional documents such as labels, cards and envelopes, the multi-purpose tray enhances the units’ versatility and usefulness to the users.

 

The Multifunction ProXpress M4070FR also includes a DADF (duplex automatic document feeder) feature, which allows users to easily copy, scan and fax double-sided documents. And with scan speeds of up to 24 ipm for single-sided documents, the MFPs can further improve office efficiency.

 

High quality and easy to use

For sharper text and clearer images, both series are built with Samsung’s image-processing technology, Rendering Engine for Clean Pages (ReCP). This technology improves the readability of printed documents by enhancing thin lines and sharpening the edges of negative text. Coupled with print resolutions of up to 1 200 x 1 200 dpi, the ProXpress series delivers unparalleled image quality in its class. All units come with the Samsung Easy Printer Manager, a powerful application that integrates all your print management into one easy-to-use system.

Cost control with integrated toner system and easy eco driver

For the small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) market, value is just as important as powerful performance and quality. With Samsung’s Easy Eco Driver and One Touch Eco Button, customers can effectively manage printing options. These functions help reduce paper, toner and energy consumption. The Easy Eco Driver can reduce toner use by up to 20% with the toner-saving mode. This mode allows the user to remove images, convert from bitmap to sketch, and remove bold text to save toner.

In addition, four different toner cartridges supporting different printing volumes are available, from the standard cartridge, which yields 3 000 pages and offers a low initial cost, to the ultra-high-yield toner cartridge, which yields 15 000 pages*** and offers an extremely low cost per page.

Secure and convenient

For additional security, all units feature enterprise-level security with Samsung SyncThru Admin, which offers greater control of user, document and network access. Customers can securely print with a built-in numeric keypad on all units, except for the M3320ND. By entering a PIN, a user can elect to send a confidential or personal print job right from the driver, ideal for government or healthcare customers who are printing secure documents. This option protects sensitive information and reduces the number of wasted prints if users decide they no longer need that print job.

Fully mobile

Samsung’s Mobile Print App enables users to print and scan from any mobile device with any Samsung network-shared printer and MFP without the need for a computer. The app can be easily downloaded to the user’s smartphone or tablet, and supports Android, Windows and iOS mobile platforms. With its capability to print Microsoft Office documents as well as support for Job Accounting and Secure print, businesses can improve the efficiency of their increasingly mobile workforces.

In addition, both the Printer ProXpress and the Multifunction ProXpress are Google Cloud Print Ready, allowing users to print remotely from any mobile device with their Google accounts. This is an ideal printing solution for Chromebook users, especially among the education market, where Chromebooks are growing in popularity for student and educator use.

Eco-sensitive

As part of Samsung’s commitment to the environment, all the latest models are ENERGY STAR qualified, along with having earned a Bronze rating from EPEAT, a global registry for greener electronics. Furthermore, all toner is eligible for Samsung’s S.T.A.R. Program, a free service that recycles empty Samsung cartridges into their major usable component materials, which are then reused for other products. Single and bulk returns are available.

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* The ‘sweet spot’ segment is the US 31 to 44 ppm monochrome laser MFP segment. IDC US MFP 2013-2017 Forecast, doc #240516, April 2013.
** M4020ND/M4070FR: 42 ppm, M3320ND/M3370FD: 35 ppm
*** Declared cartridge yields in accordance with ISO/IEC 19752 at 5% page coverage. 15 000-page Ultra High Yield Cartridge compatible with M4020ND/M4070FR only. 10 000-page Extra High Yield Cartridge compatible with M4020ND/M4070FR/M3870FW/M3820DW only.

Canon ImageClass MF8580Cdw Color MFP

Canon delivers solid value with the Color ImageClass MF8580Cdw Color Laser Multifuction printer. For $599 list, the 8580 includes a two-sided color printer, copier, scanner and fax machine with network control and Ethernet, USB and Wi-Fi interfaces all standard. With its 40,000 page-per-month duty cycle, fast time-to-first-page and fairly high paper capacity, the 8580 is suited for the small office or busy department.

With its 17-by-19-inch footprint and 26-inch vertical clearance requirement, the 8580 stands a prominent figure. Its handsome black-and-putty design and sturdy look and feel instill confidence that the unit will well outlast its one-year warranty. For the cost-conscious home or small business (and who isn’t these days?), the Canon printer automatically enables two-sided printing and can tuck itself into a 2-watt sleep mode after a selectable number of minutes. It wakes itself for print jobs arriving over the network, but when making copies, a manual press of the sleeper button is in order.

Canon ships the unit with its four toner/fuser cartridges preinstalled, and sings the praises of combining the two functions to save on maintenance time and increase convenience. We found helpful the messages displayed on the color LCD control panel during setup, prompting for removal of protective tabs and toner tape materials before using the machine. Another nice touch was the panel’s offer to enable color correction and to connect via Wi-Fi, (both by default). We declined the first and accepted the second. We later enabled color correction, with mixed results.

Canon includes several useful features we’ve seen only on higher-end MFPs, including a secure print feature that holds print jobs until a unique number is entered at the control panel, and unique user IDs, which enable management to monitor usage and help limit costs and consumption. A trade-off is a lack of a PostScript driver; the unit supports PCL. The 8580 offers the usual scan-to-USB, server or email capability, and can accept walk-up print jobs through its front-panel USB port for printing without a computer. Mobile devices can output to Canon’s MFP using Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print and Canon’s own Easy-PhotoPrint for Android, iOS and Windows 8 and RT.

The Canon (NYSE:CAJ) Color ImageClass MF8580Cdw Color Laser Multifunctionprinter is rated at a maximum rate of 21 pages per minute when outputting letter-sized, single-sided pages in color or black. It lived up to its rating in tests, cranking out 21 of our black-only text pages and color with graphics pages in precisely the same time. The first of 21 test pages appeared after an initial delay of 21 seconds, and all 21 were in the tray after 1:19. The bad news is that Canon muffed its claim of first page in “15 seconds or less.” But what’s a few seconds at the printer, more or less?

We also tested Canon Easy-PhotoPrint for Android and discovered a few things about the printer in the process. We learned that the 8580 supports Ethernet or Wi-Fi, but not both at once. So to print from our Android test device required a trip to the control panel to switch from wired to wireless Ethernet. The app itself is handsome and responsive, and presents a simple, no-nonsense interface that gets the job done. Capabilities are limited to controlling the scanner and printing on-device pics and scans.

 

Canon MF8580

 

 

On the subject of the control panel, Canon’s is nicer than most and offers more convenience. Dedicated hardware buttons along the top provide instant access to the unit’s primary functions of copying, scanning, faxing and direct printing, and LEDs on each indicate which function is enabled. A bright, backlit 3.5-inch LCD shows the corresponding functions and is easily navigated with smaller buttons and keys that surround it. We never had a doubt about how to do anything or where to find a particular setting, thanks to logically worded menus and concise titles. Along the right edge is a pair of programmable “Scan to PC” buttons to which specific network destinations for scanned PDF, JPG and TIFF files can be assigned, plus copy and secure print keys. Well done, Canon.

For a deeper dive into the printer’s many capabilities (a report of its settings prints out to eight pages), Canon also provides a printed manual, something we’ve missed seeing in recent years as such documentation has been relegated to the less handy digital realm. There’s also a second, smaller networking handbook and configuration guide. Separate disks are provided for Mac OS X and Windows drivers and utilities. There’s also a Linux driver available for printing only.

For standard paper capacities, the 8580 offers a 250-sheet cassette plus a 50-sheet multipurpose bin. A second 250-sheet cassette is optional. The output tray holds 125 pages; duplex printing is standard. For the small office looking for an all-in-one with very good color and black print quality that won’t break the bank, the $599 list Canon Color ImageClass MF8580Cdw Color Laser Multifuction printer is worth a serious look.

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Samsung SF-560R MFP

By Databazaar Blog

The Samsung SF-560R monochrome MFP is a high-speed laser copier and fax machine that is built for office spaces that are not very large but require the same amount of productivity as large organizations. It is one of those MFPs that are low-volume, high on output but come at a very affordable rate.

The MFP’s 33.6 Kbps fax modem has a transmission speed of 3 seconds. It copies at speeds of up to 17 cpm and with a resolution of 300 x 300 dpi. The MFP supports several document sizes and its paper handling capacity is made easy with a 20-page automatic document feeder (ADF) and a single sheet multipurpose tray. For ease of use, the MFP has a 16-character, two-line LCD display and 80 speed dial locations.

Extremely dependable, it provides many years of service but is not high on maintenance.

Summary

The Samsung SF-560R MFP has good copying and faxing speeds, and an 80-location speed dial.

Price: $277.32

Manufacturer

Samsung

Supplies

Cartridge (Black); up to 3000.0 pages

Specs that matter

Notable Features: Copies at speeds up to 17 cpm with 300 x 300 dpi resolution; Three-second transmission speed and 33.6 kbps fax modem; 20-page automatic document feeder; Works fast with 80 speed dial locations; 16-character, 2-line LCD display
Printer Resolution: 300 x 300 dpi
Paper Handling Capacity: 20-sheet ADF; Standard media capacity – 250.0 sheets; Max media size: A4 (8.25 in x 11.7 in); Input tray – 150.0 sheets; Output tray – 20.0 sheets
Paper Compatibility: Plain paper
Width: 14.3 inches
Depth: 15.7 inches
Height: 12.1 inches
Weight: 21.4 lbs
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Samsung SCX 3405FW MFP

By Edward J. Correia

The Samsung SCX 3405FW is a bare-bones monochrome laser multifunction printer that’s intended for a small office or department. This sturdy unit combines a high-resolution one-sided color scanner and copier, plus faxing capabilities (hence the “F” in the model number) accessible over a LAN or Wi-Fi (hence the “W”). With the exception of cable connections, all functions are performed from the front, including paper replenishment and toner service. A 700-sheet starter cartridge is included; its normal toner is rated to deliver about 1,500 pages in standard mode. There’s also an Eco mode.

For paper handling, Samsung substitutes a paper cassette for a 150-sheet front-loading paper tray, which no doubt helped rein in its relatively large 15-by-11-inch footprint. The main feeder can hold paper or as many as 10 envelopes. The output tray holds 100 sheets; there is no two-sided option. The 3405 is rated to deliver up to 10,000 pages per month. It draws 310 watts when operational, 30 watts in standby mode and 1.2 watts when sleeping. It weighs just shy of 15 pounds.

The 3405 requires about 20 inches of height clearance to access its flatbed scanner, a TWAIN-compatible color device with a native resolution of 600 x 600 dpi, and maximum resolution of 4,800 x 4,800 dpi with interpolation. Features include a 40-page auto-feeder and scan-to-PC function. Standard interfaces are USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi; there are no ports for printing from or storing to USB drives or data cards, but Wi-Fi Direct connection support permits mobile devices to print using Apple (NSDQ:AAPL) AirPrint, Google(NSDQ:GOOG) Cloud Print or Samsung’s own Mobile Print forAndroid and iOS devices.

The Samsung SCX 3405FW lived up to its rated output speed of 21 pages per minute, but getting there was not without a few bumps. First, the performance numbers. The unit printed black-only text pages and those with integrated graphics at virtually the same pace. After a period of 31 seconds until the first page came out, the 3405 finished printing 21 pages in a total of 1:29.

Setting up the printer was a bit more difficult than most. The wireless setup utility requires a USB cable; it can’t send settings to the printer wirelessly, nor could it see the printer after it had an IP address. Configuring the printer for Wi-Fi using its control panel wasn’t a much better option. It obtained an IP address on its own, but entering the passcode using the numerical keypad was clumsy. Absent a software disc, testers went to the 3405’s download page, where manuals, software and drivers for Linux, Mac OS X and Windows can be found as separate downloads. For testing, separate downloads were required for the scanner, fax, “wireless” setup (through USB), printer management and the printer’s own driver.

Uncharacteristic of Samsung, which usually produces excellent software, the management component for the 3405 was practically unusable, as was the interface for its two-line LCD control panel. When installing the driver, the installer package quit all running apps without so much as a prompt, an absolute UI no-no in our book

In all, the Samsung SCX 3405FW performed well enough, but took longer and was more involved to set up than service resellers would probably like. But for $199, this entry-level laser MFP performed up to spec and turned out good quality printouts.

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Samsung CLX-4195FW

Samsung CLX-4195FW

  • EDITOR RATING: EXCELLENT

MSRP

$450.00

  • PROSFast. Automatic document feeder. Touch-screen controls. Ethernet and Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi Direct.
  • CONSNo duplexer. Only 250-sheet input capacity with no optional trays available.
  • BOTTOM LINEThe CLX-4195FW color laser MFP offers fast speed, reasonably good output quality, and suitable paper capacity for light to moderate-duty printing in a micro or small office.

BY M. DAVID STONEThe Samsung CLX-4195FW ($450 street) delivers most of the basics you’re probably looking for in a color laser MFP, from fast speed to a full set of MFP features. That alone is enough to make it a potentially good fit for a micro or small office with light to medium-duty print needs. However, it goes beyond the basics with extras that include a color touch-screen control panel and Wi-Fi Direct, which makes it easy to connect from a smart phone, tablet, or laptop. If you can make use of these extras, it can be an even better fit.

As with the HP LaserJet Pro CM1415fnw color MFP $359.99 at TigerDirect.com, which also offers a color touch-screen control panel, the CLX-4195FW backs up the touch screen with a well-designed menu system. If you rarely give commands from the front panel, you may not consider this an important feature, but the more you use it, the more you’ll appreciate it.

Having a 4.3-inch screen to work with not only makes it easier to choose menu options for copying, faxing, and the like, it also makes it easier to change printer settings and even set up features like Wi-Fi Direct. Once you’ve used it awhile, in fact, you may find that conventional controls—with buttons and a small text-only LCD—seem painfully limited.

The Basics
Extras like a touch screen are nice to have, but they wouldn’t matter much without a foundation of solid basics. In addition to being able to print and fax from, as well as scan to, a computer using commands from the computer, the CLX-4195FW can also scan to a computer and scan to or print from a USB key using front-panel menu commands, and it can work as a standalone copier and fax machine. It can also work as a direct email sender, although it won’t work with email servers that require SSL, which means it may not work with the email system you use.

Other key features include a 50-page automatic document feeder (ADF) for scanning multipage documents as well as legal-size pages, and both Ethernet and standard Wi-Fi support in addition to Wi-Fi Direct.

Paper handling, unfortunately, is not a strong point. The single tray offers only a 250-sheet capacity. Although that should be enough for most micro and small offices, there’s no option to add more if you need it, which pretty much limits the printer to medium-duty use at most. Also notable for its absence is a duplexer (for two-sided printing), even as an option.

One small extra for paper handling is an unusual single-sheet feed mounted on top of the paper tray itself. It’s a little awkward to use, since you have to pull the tray out, insert the single sheet in the feeder, and then put the tray back in. On the other hand, it’s an improvement over having to swap out all the paper in the tray to print a single envelope or odd-size sheet of paper. So although it’s not as useful as having a separate manual feed tray, it’s better than nothing at all.

Setup, Speed, and Output Quality

The SCX-4195FW is a little large to share a desk with, at 17.6 by 16.5 by 16.8 inches (HWD), and it is heavy enough, at 47.3 pounds, that you’ll probably want some help moving it into place. Once you find a spot for it, however, setup is standard fare. For my tests I connected it to a wired network, and installed the driver on a Windows Vista system.

The printer’s speed counts as a strong point. I timed it on our business applications suite (using QualityLogic’s hardware and software for timing) at 6.0 pages per minute (ppm), which is a suitable speed on our tests for the 19 ppm rating for both color and monochrome. That makes it a tad slower than the less expensive Ricoh Aficio SP C240SF$399.00 at ElectronicsShowplace, at 6.3 ppm, but essentially tied with the more expensive Editors’ Choice Dell 2155cn $429.99 at Dell. It’s also faster than most other printers in its price range, including, in particular, the HP LaserJet Pro CM1415fnw, at 2.9 ppm.

The printer also holds up reasonably well on output quality. It doesn’t stand out from the competition on this score, but it is par for a color laser MFP across the board, which is reasonably high quality by any definition.

Text in our tests was easily good enough for any business need short of top-quality desktop publishing. Graphics output, similarly, was more than good enough for any internal business need, including PowerPoint handouts or the like. Depending on your level of perfectionism, you might consider it good enough to hand out to important clients or customers when you need the output to convey a sense of professionalism. Photos were near the high end of the range for color laser MFPs, which makes them close to true photo quality.

The one potential shortcoming for this printer is its paper handing. If you need automatic duplexing, a higher paper capacity, or at least a real manual feed tray, you’ll have to look elsewhere. If the paper handling is good enough for your needs, however, the Samsung CLX-4195FW’s balance of speed, output quality, and MFP features, along with the convenience of touch screen menus, makes it a more than attractive choice.

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