OKIDATA C3530N COLOR TONER CARTRIDGES SET

OkiData C3530n Review

Overview:

The OkiData C3530n is a network-ready multifunction printer with a fairly robust feature set hidden within a small footprint, making it a strong choice for a small workgroup or small office environment where its paper capacity and print speeds will be able to satisfy a user base without much inconvenience. 

Pros:

The C3530n measures 17.6" by 21.5" by 20.5" and weighs 63.9 lbs, making it somewhat heavier than monochrome multifunction models but still considerably lighter than many large workgroup MFPs. As a consequence, the C3530n can sit comfortably on a table or desk alongside other equipment with little inconvenience or atop a dedicated printer cabinet or credenza.

The C3530n prints pages at maximum speeds of 16 pages per minute in color and 20 pages per minute in black and white. For the small office environment, this likely will not be a major inconvenience, but there are many larger devices that do offer print speeds well over double these (with the fastest monochrome devices now offering speeds of over 60 pages per minute) and environments with such heavy throughputs may want to consider one. The printer produces documents at a maximum resolution of 1200 by 600 dpi, also consistent with most laser printers.

The C3530n connects with devices using either USB 2.0 or 10/100 Base-T Ethernet for easy networking, making the printer easy to interface with most modern systems (a Parallel port accessory is not available, requiring that legacy systems be connected via the network if any still exist in your office environment).

The C3530n produces copies at a maximum speed of 16 pages per minute in color and 20 pages per mintue in black and white at a maximum resolution of 600 by 600 dpi. Scaling can be performed between 25% and 400% in 1% increment and includes 7 presets. The copier can produce up to 99 copies at a time.

The C3530n's scanner can capture images using either a flatbed or a 50-sheet automatic document feeder in both color and black and white and at a maximum resolution of 4800 dpi. When using the ADF, its scan speeds are 10 pages per minute in color at 300 dpi or 20 pages in black and white, though this slows down by half - to 5 pages in color and 10 in black and white - when scanning at 600 dpi. It supports Scan to PC functionality as well as scan to e-mail, to USB, to FTP, to networks, and to PCs, and can save images in PDF, TIFF, JPEG, BMP, PCX, GIF, TGA, PNG, WMF, and EMF formats. The scanner also allows for administrators to enable restrictions on scanning and create multiple scan to FTP profiles if desired or necessary.

The C3530n also includes an analog fax machine. It features a 33.6kbps Super G3 modem with a transmission speed of 3 seconds per page at a resolution of 200 by 400 dpi. The fax also supports up to 100 speed dials and broadcast transmission locations, as well as a 100-page fax memory. Additional functions include broadcasting, delayed transmission, automatic redial, automatic receiving, and activity reports.

The C3530n's main paper tray supports documents sized between 4.1" by 5.8" and 8.5" by 14"; the multi-purpose tray supports printing to documents sized between 3" by 5" and 8.5" by 47.24". The printer includes a 250 sheet paper tray and a 1-sheet multipurpose tray, as well as a 150 sheet output tray. Supported standard paper sizes include Letter, Legal, Banner, Executive, A4, A5, B5, and A6; supported envelopes include C5, C6, DL, Monarch, COM 9, and COM 10.

The C3530n includes 128 MB of RAM, which can be expanded to a maximum of 256MB. 

Cons:

The C3530n lacks sophisticated paper handling options such as automatic duplex printing. Though stacking, stapling and other such options are obviously unavailable on such a low-capacity device, duplex printing is now common on many smaller printers, making its omission more frustrating.

The C3530n also includes no built-in fonts or emulation beyond Windows printing.

The C3530n only supports a maximum of 251 sheets with no options for expansion, making its paper capacity considerably limited when compared to industrial MFPs capable of holding upwards of several thousand sheets at a time. This, more than anything else, ensures that this stay a small office printer, as many environments go through upwards of half, if not an entire, ream of paper in a day and the inconvenience of refilling the printer may prove to be too time-intensive.