As multi-functions go, this printer certainly fills the requirements of most users, with a duty cycle of 30,000 pages per month and coupled with such features as a 50 sheet automatic document feeder, helpful LCD graphical display and photo memory card slots. We will cover more about these additional features later on. This is an all-in-one printer which would be ideally suited to a busy professional office and home users with a need to archive documents. It would equally be at home with a busy secretary too, who also has access to a faster networked printer, as this is not the fastest printing machine we have encountered.

The toners initially come pre-installed from the factory, instantly making your life easier but this is not a difficult printer when it comes to changing the toners, when the need arises. The HP 1312 toner resides behind an easy access door and the toners come in 2,200 pages yield for the black and then 1,400 pages yield for the cyan, magenta and yellow. HP toner is very clever and using the Colorsphere technology inside the toner cartridge. HP describes this, as extremely small particles within the make-up of the toner powder, giving exceptional coverage. The basic multifunction machine comes as standard with a fax port, colour flatbed copier and scanner, 150 sheet multipurpose trays and network ready.

Setting up this device onto both the network and PC involves a few simple clicks of the mouse, as the CD offers a user-friendly way of getting started. You can install functionality such as HP’s SureSupply icon which alerts you when you need new toner, Print View feature, which allows you to see how changing print settings effects the actual print out and finally you can compare how much printing it in-house saves you against sending it out to an external printers. The printer does work with Mac operating software as well as the majority of latest Windows software.

The print quality of this machine is sublime for a multi-function machine and really does produce visually excellent documents. The printing speeds for colour are 8 pages per minute and then go up to 12 pages per minute for black and white, which as mentioned before is not the fastest but with faxing capabilities of storing 120 numbers, 250 page storage in the fax memory, along with automatic redial and automatic fax functioning, this hardly matters at all.

Copying can handle up to 99 copies and there is a facility to enlarge or reduce by 400% – 25%. HP have added in basic colour manipulation on the copier too and the scanner can be controlled from either your PC or directly from the control panel on the printer. You may want to know how effectively the machine copes with demand; with a 450 MHz processor and 160 MB of memory, it cruises along all day long.

Printer Overview

• Printer Type: Multifunction Colour Laser
• Duty Cycle: 30,000 pages per month
• Dimensions: (WxDxH): 19.6 x 19.3 x 19.1inches.Weight: 54.5 lbs
• Memory: 160 MB
• Print Resolution: 600 x 600 dpi
• Print Speed (Colour): 8 pages per minute
• Connectivity: USB 2.0
• Paper Capacity: 150 sheets- input/125 sheets – output

Tags: HP CM1312 MFP, HP LaserJet Printer, Printers

Categories: Product Reviews