subject: HP LaserJet CM3530 Multifunction Printer Review [print this page] HP LaserJet CM3530 Multifunction Printer Review
We just bought a new printer unit to support the printing needs of our growing company. At first, we were undecided on what printer brand and model to buy but after our I.T. Manager read printer reviews on the internet, we decided to purchase HP LaserJet CM3530 multifunction printer (MFP) from an authorized distributor of HP printers. When the printer arrived, I was assigned to set and test it up. I learned that there are any people searching the internet for reviews on HP LaserJet CM3530 so I decided to write this review to help them decide if this model suits their printing needs.
Build and Design
The HP Laserjet CM3530 is quite heavy measuring 105 lbs but it does not take up large amount of space. Its dimensions are 20.276 x 20.433 x 22.067 inches. Assessing its dimensions, I can say that it is small enough to fit on a desktop, if you are crazy enough to put it there.
You can easily recognize that the printer is an HP printer since its design is inline with other HP LaserJet printers. It is mostly gray with some blue panels and small HP logos around it. It is called as multifunction printer because it comes with three standard devices: copier, scanner, and printer.
Besides from the image fuser kit, you can also find the scanner on the top of the printer along with the 50-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF). The flatbed has dimensions of 8.5 x 14 inches and a resolution of 600 dpi. The color touch screen is found just below the scanner along with a small number pad and different buttons.
Black (HP CE250A), cyan (HP CE251A), yellow (HP Ce252A), and magenta (HP CE253A) toner cartridges are already pre-installed in the machine. If you need to replace these cartridges, you can pull down the front of the machine to reveal the inside where you can see the cartridges. You can also access the inside of the printer from its right side.
It is not hard to find the connection ports as they are just located at the left side of the printer. The ports for USB, Ethernet, optional 500 sheet cassette and the power plug are all found there.
Set Up
Setting up the printer is not difficult because it comes with two setup CDs: one for the administrator and another one for users in the network. If you lost the CDs, you can download the needed drivers on the HP website for free.
The printer can be connected to a single computer via USB but it can also be connected to a network which will give individual users access to the printer.
The cartridge slots are labeled to facilitate easy installation of replacement cartridges.
Ease of Use
The color touchscreen makes it easy to operate the printer. It is bright, labeled intuitively, and highly responsive. You cannot only save the scanned images or documents to the printer but can also send them to shared network folders.
Using the JetDirect Print Server, users and administrators can access information on the status of the device including prints status, error messages, and ink levels. The server can also be used to set up security settings, e-mail settings, network settings, shared folders, color management, and other settings as needed.
Performance
The printer can print at a speed of up to 31 ppm for both black and colored documents. However, speed may vary depending on software application, driver, system configuration, or document complexity.
The quality of prints is excellent. The blackness and crispness of black texts are good and the boldness of color images is impressive. This makes HP Laserjet CM3530 an excellent printer for images.
The scanner is also good but it is not great when it is used to scan large images because the quality of the scanned images may be reduced. The scanner is best used in less detailed images and documents.
Conclusion
Overall, the best features of HP Laserjet CM3530 include acceptable printing speed for both black and color, built-in duplexing, large color touchscreen, and the JetDirect Embedded Print Server.
I recommend the printer to small or medium-sized offices but I would not recommend it to offices that are looking for printers with fax capability since this HP printer model doesn't have it. There are other HP printer models with fax capability to choose from but can be more expensive.
