Epson AcuLaser C1100 review

With its boxy looks and unremitting noise, the AcuLaser doesn't make the world's best first impression. It's designed for small workgroups who occasionally need colour printing rather than single users or home offices, and it shows.

It's big, for a start, and a rather antisocial desktop companion. Printing out our 20-page test document drowned out nearby conversation, for instance, and the ker-chunk of the C1100 loading another sheet into the feeder created similar amounts of noise.

It's one of the best printers this issue for expanding in the future. Unlike some of the cheaper printers, such as the Samsung CLP-315 and the Brother LBP5050, you can buy a variety of extra paper trays. You can take the maximum paper capacity from 180 sheets to 500 sheets, for instance, and add automatic duplexing. If you find yourself constantly refilling the trays, or are responsible for kitting out a growing office, this could be an excellent choice. Those with older equipment might also note the inclusion of a parallel port. Networking is missing, though. The benefits continue with print speed. In monochrome mode the C1100 hit 27ppm, making it the fastest monochrome printer on test. Its time to produce a first page was also class leading, at only nine seconds. With the driver set to produce colour documents, the four-pass print engine showed its weakness, though, slowing to just 5ppm. There was no sign of struggle with our five-page PDF torture test, either: the C1100 ploughed through at 5ppm, hinting at a wealth of processing power under the lid.

The C1100 was in the middle of the pack for image quality. Text was crisp and there were no problems with text printed on a coloured background. The only place it failed to keep up was with our photo quality test. Skin tones were rendered too warmly, suggesting those looking for perfect colour accuracy should look elsewhere.

Since the C1100 was introduced, there have been all manner of technological refinements, which is why you can buy the Samsung CLP-315 for only slightly more than £100. But if you're looking to kit out an office with a high-speed mono printer for occasional colour jobs without breaking the bank, the Epson AcuLaser C1100 is an excellent choice.