Lexark E342n review

Gallery

Verdict:

The E342n has limited scope for upgrades and higher running costs than the other printers here, so it is the wrong choice for departmental use. However, its print costs aren't unreasonable for low volume workgroup use, so it is suitable for small businesses or heavy home users

Review Date: 21 Nov 2005

Price when reviewed: inc VAT

Our Rating 3 stars out of 5

Review
Specs

Lexmark makes a wide range of workgroup laser printers, but for this test we've chosen the new E342n.

This is designed for smaller workloads than the other printers here, with a lower maximum duty cycle, and it comes with a low-capacity toner. The E342n costs the least by some margin, though, and its 30ppm engine speed is not to be sniffed at.

This is the lightest and most compact printer on test, and its unusual black and silver finish makes it stand out. It leased an IP address on our network and automatically printed a configuration report. Lexmark's install program offers lots of useful network tools and is simple to use. However, it's easy to install the printer accidentally on a parallel port.

The E342n's standard paper cassette holds just 250 sheets, and the guides on the printer's single page manual feed were reluctant to move between paper sizes. Envelope orientation is marked, but the raised black icon is hard to see. Our tests emerged crumpled, but not when we used the straight paper-path output at the rear.

We were impressed by this printer's speed, particularly when printing our mixed-colour document, where it recorded the third fastest time. The same document was much slower using the PostScript driver, taking three minutes and 15 seconds, but driver choice made little difference to speed in other tests.

This printer's text quality was fine, with crisp and smooth outlines. Graphics were best when printed at 1,200dpi using the PostScript driver, but at this resolution the speed was halved.

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