Samsung CLP-300 Toner Cartridges

Samsung CLP-300 Printer Review

The most noticeable feature of the Samsung CLP-300 color laser printer is its compact size and weight. At just 15.4 inches wide and 13.5 inches tall and weighing only 30 pounds, it is one of the most compact color models available. One reason for its compact size is the fact that it separates the drum from the toner cartridge, much like a Brother toner cartridge. On many models, a new drum is attached and included with new cartridges. With the Samsung CLP-300 color laser printer, the drum is located elsewhere, allowing for a more compact design. As the drum usually outlasts cartridges, this also results in savings, at the cost of a separate maintenance item in replacing the drums. The CLP-300N model includes a built-in ethernet port.

Print speeds and toner cartridge capacities are decent, but not terribly impressive. At 13 pages per minute for black text and 3 pages per minute for color text, it comes in somewhat slow compared to other toners. Slower print speeds are likely a tradeoff for its compact size and its affordable price, however, so users who don't require fast speeds may consider the price and size worth the trade.

The unit lacks a control panel, with only a cancel button and four color lights on the front to indicate when laser printer toner is running low. All features and settings can be accessed from the PC with the included software, however, and as the unit is designed for small offices and individuals, this may not be a problem in these situations.

Print quality is good, especially for black text. The quality suffers somewhat in color printing. Graphics printing is decent, but unimpressive. For the average user who prints mostly black text, it will do an adequate job, but for a user who needs better color quality or speed, it will probably be worth it in the long run to spend a little more.

The Samsung CLP-300 toner cartridges have a rather small capacity when compared to other models. Each color laser ink toner cartridge has a 1,000 page yield and each black printer toner cartridge has a 2,000 page yield. This is a low end of toner capacity scale, but for a home or small office, it should suffice.

Overall, the Samsung CLP-300 is a very compact and affordable printer and printer toner that will fit into the home office or small office quite well . Users who need to do high-quality or fast color printing should probably look elsewhere.