Samsung SCX 4521 – A Fine Office Printer

Appearance- The Samsung SCX 4521 printer is relative compact and light for a multi-function device measuring in at 14.5×17x14.7 inches and weighing an approximate 10 kilograms. The printer will fit on the smallest of desk or shelf while not looking lost in the largest of space. A small footprint is always welcome especially in a home-based setting while still having all the technology necessary to ensure smooth operation only achieved with a device such as this one with printing, scanning, faxing and copying functions

Quality control- At a price of US$250.00 you cannot really expect much from this multi function printer and this becomes very apparent when the machines’ print quality is tested. Text quality can be described as good for everyday monochrome purposes. Characters are clear even at very low font sizing. Graphics and photo quality is average with visible flaws in the form of dithering. If overall high quality prints are required even on a daily basis rather opt for another make or model printer.

Media Type and size- Print media sizes compatible with the printer are Legal, A4, Letter, Folio, Exec, JIS, A4, A5 and A6. Media sizes for fax and copy purposes are Letter, Legal and A4. Media types accepted are Plain, Transparency, Labels, Cards and envelopes. Prints as well as copies are produced at speeds of 20 pages per minute at 600×600 dpi. First print or copy out-time is a mere 11 seconds from standby mode, thus there is very little warm-up time required.

OS Requirement- All major operating systems are compatible with the device including Windows 98/ME/NT4.0/2000/XP, Linux and Apple Mac.

Little loud- Users often complain about the printer being extremely noisy. There is nothing at all that you can do to reduce the noise level thus if you are sound sensitive or quickly irritated rather opt for another model Samsung as this one will drive you up the walls.

Connectivity- The printer comes standard with both modern and as dated connection options in the form of USB 1.1, USB 2.0 and Parallel port. Note that cables are not included with your purchase. Ethernet 10/100 for networking purposes is available as an optional extra.

Possible problems- Scan quality is terrible with uneven contract areas on the scanned document. The output paper tray has a tendency to spill prints in large quantities. Paper jamming is also a common problem encountered with the printer. Fixing the problem is quick and easy with no need for total dismantling of the printer due to the ease of paper access.

Toner- Samsung SCX 4521 toner is included with your purchase. Replacement with normal sized cartridge with approximate capacity of 3000 pages will be required soon as print capacity is extremely limited at 1000 pages. Included with the printer is a wonderful function called One Touch Toner which reduces toner wastage by up to ¼, in turn giving you more prints of up to 750 sheets per cartridge. Printer consumables only consist of a single toner cartridge.