Samsung CLP-315 review

Samsung's USB-only CLP-315 is one of our all-time favourite colour laser printers, but it's about to go off the market. However, the CLP-315w is set to be around for a while longer. It's a particularly compact device, but the downside of this is its meagre 100-sheet input tray.

This version adds wireless networking capabilities and a 10/100 Ethernet port. As it doesn't have an integrated screen for wireless configuration without a PC, we initially connected it via our wired network. Once connected, we were able to access its web interface, where a simple wizard guided us through connecting the printer to our wireless network. Driver installation from the accompanying CD is simple and we didn't have to reinstall the driver when we switched from using a wired to a wireless network connection.

We tried printing our photographic images in both Normal and Best quality modes, but this made no discernable difference to either the quality of our photos or the time it took to print them - one minute and 14 seconds for six 6x4in images on three sheets of A4. Switching to Best mode made no difference in our small fonts test, but we were pleased to find that, even at Normal quality, our smallest fonts were dark, sharp and legible.

Overall print quality is excellent, with sharp black text and bright, glossy colour prints. Graphs and illustrations in our business documents were particularly bold. Photo-quality images didn't fare so well, with over-saturated colours and some graininess, but they were still usable. Pages emerged flat, with no trace of curling. Print speeds are fairly low for a laser at 14.4ppm for mono text. Our illustrated colour documents were even slower at just 3.7ppm.

Like most budget colour laser printers, print costs are high, at a wince-inducing 12.7p for a page of mixed black and colour. While mono costs of 2.8p per page aren't particularly great either, they're not conspicuously bad value when compared to the majority of inexpensive inkjet or laser printers. Because of its high colour costs, the CLP-315w is best thought of as a mono laser that gives you the option of printing in stunning colour if you need it, rather than a colour laser printer for everyday use.

A low purchase price of £131 helps to keep costs down, as do generous 1,000 page black and 700 page colour starter cartridges. If your printing needs are modest - like our three-year Total Cost of Ownership estimate for light use, which presumes around 67 mono and 33 colour pages per month – this is a great buy. However, for heavy-duty printing, the costs soon mount up, with a separate photoconductor drum that needs to be replaced every 24,000 impressions.

The CLP-315w is a great little wireless network colour laser. It's compact and easy to set up, with brilliant print quality. Although it's expensive to run, it's compact, feature-packed and cheap to buy, which makes it a good choice for a home or small office with limited printing requirements. If you require more features or lower costs, Epson's Aculaser CX21N MFP is a great alternative.