Samsung SCX-3205W review

Recently, we’ve been impressed by many of Samsung’s compact laser printers. One of our favourites, the SCX-4600, is coming to the end of its life. The SCX-3205 is its replacement – with this 3205W model being the more expensive version with built-in wireless.

It’s a brilliantly-packaged device, which manages to squeeze a mono laser printer and a scanner into a slightly smaller footprint than even most inkjet MFPs. Many cheaper printers look run-of-the-mill, but the SCX-3205W is made from smart black plastic, livened up with glossy inserts around the output tray and the control panel. The latter is a simple affair without a colour screen; there’s just a two-digit numeric LED display for copy quantities, and a selection of buttons.

As there’s no display you’ll need to connect the MFP to your PC before you can get it onto a wireless network, unless your router supports WiFi Protected Setup (WPS). Samsung’s installer makes the process straightforward. The printer uses a single consumable, combining toner with an imaging drum. Replacements cost £43 and last for 1,500 pages, but the supplied starter item is only good for around 700 pages.

The SCX-3205W may look great when not in use, but it’s not quite as slick when loaded with paper. This goes into a 150-sheet capacity tray that projects from the front. This increases the footprint, and as the tray doesn’t have sides or a lid the paper stack could collect dust if the printer isn’t used often. The output tray supports the middle of the page but not the edges, allowing printed material to curl a little. The flip-up stop helps keep pages tidy, though.

There’s not much else to criticise. The SCX-3205W prints only at a modest 16 pages per minute (PPM) so is quieter and clunks less than faster units – making the noise bearable if you have to share a desk with the printer. The scanner lid hinges feel a little loose, but they extend up by a centimetre or so to allow the lid to close flat on thick originals. Both the print and scan interfaces are well laid out, presenting casual users with simple information with advanced settings just a click or two away.

We expect good text from laser printers, and the SCX-3205W produced exceptionally crisp and black characters with no jaggedness. Printed photographs and presentations were far above average, with good control over shading. Though quick, at 9 seconds for an A4 page, photocopies were overly dark, and there’s no button on the printer to lighten them – you have to change the setting in the printer driver. That’s a surprising blot, because the scanner is a good match for the printer, capturing sharp images with accurate shading detail and colours across a variety of test material.

While we like the SCX-3205W’s looks, ease of use and print and scan quality, its running costs are slightly higher than we’d like at this price. It’s a great choice for the home or small businesses, but printing in high volumes would soon become expensive.