Genuine OEM Samsung CLP-550 Transfer Belt, 50,000 (black), 12,500 (color) page yield. Samsung part number: CLP-500RT. Transfer Belt compatible with Samsung CLP-550, CLP-550N.
The Samsung CLP-550 is a budget color laser printer aimed at small and medium office users. It includes some nice features such as an LCD panel and a duplexer, but is somewhat marred by unimpressive color print quality.
Many budget printers skimp on features to keep the cost low, but the CLP-550 includes duplexing as a standard feature, a surprising inclusion for the price. Duplexing is the capability of printing on both sides of the paper. This allows users to save paper and also to have more flexibility in printing options, allowing for the printing of booklets, pamphlets, and other media that require two-sided printing. Another surprising feature is its LCD screen, a rarity for a budget laser printer. The screen is small, but useful, as it displays all the pertinent information about the printer’s status as well as showing when paper trays are empty.
The CLP-550 also has expandability options for the growing office. The initial paper tray can hold 250 sheets, but an optional 500-sheet tray can be added later as an upgrade. While the printer only includes a USB connection initially, an optional ethernet connection or even a wireless connection can be added later.
Monochrome print quality is quite good, with sharp text and good graphics quality, though very small fonts begin to show some defects. The main drawback of the CLP-550, however, is its color print quality. Colors are generally inaccurate, and color prints show many inconsistencies with contrast and tonal range. Print speed is average, at 14 pages per minute in monochrome and only 4.4 pages per minute in color. While it won’t win any awards for speed, this will likely be fast enough for most users.
Overall, the Samsung CLP-550 is a well-designed printer with some nice extra features, such as duplexing and an LCD screen. Its low price comes with some flaws, however, such as poor quality color prints and average print speeds.
