OKI C3400n

The OKI C3400n is networkable and fast with colour prints, but its paper-handling options are limited, and, like all lasers, its colour prints are pricey and prone to errors.

Like most laser printers, the OKI C3400n is large. The grey-and-white unit stands 37.2cm wide, 47.8cm deep, and 29cm tall, and it weighs a hefty 21kg. Hand wells on three sides make it easy to grip, but its bulky frame makes moving it a two-person job. The printer comes standard with a 200MHz PowerPC processor and 32MB of RAM, although you can upgrade to up to 288MB of RAM. Both Windows and Mac operating systems are supported, and the printer is Ethernet-ready, a boon for a multi-user environment. Duplexing (double-sided printing), however, is a manual operation on this model, and OKI does not offer an optional duplexing unit for this printer.

The OKI C3400n suffers from limited paper-handling options. The pull-out paper cassette can hold only 250 sheets, and OKI doesn't offer an additional tray; if you print a lot, you'll find yourself constantly refilling the cassette. The cassette can accommodate paper up to legal length, but you can print sheets up to 120cm long — for banner-style prints — using the single-sheet manual feed slot (hidden behind a fold-out panel). The top-mounted output tray is the default output area, but a door in the back of the printer allows for straight pass-through, which is convenient for heavier paper that can get stuck when bending through the roller mechanism.

The top of the printer opens to reveal four toner cartridges set in a straight-pass arrangement. Each can be pulled out and replaced individually. The standard black toner cartridge (1,000 sheets) costs about £18 (ex. VAT), while the standard colour toner cartridges cost about £25 each. We estimate printing costs to be about 2.1p per page for mono prints and about 10p per page for colour prints, factoring in the cost of EP cartridges (~£21.50/15,000 pages each), transfer belt and fuser unit (~£47/50,000 pages each). The black print cost is about average for a printer in this price range, but the colour cost is a bit high.

In terms of performance, the OKI C3400n impressed us with its fast print speeds. When printing black graphics and black text, it printed just slightly slower than the competition, including the Lexmark C500n and the Samsung CLP-510N: 16.01ppm and 15.55ppm, respectively. It knocked the competition for six, though, with its zippy colour graphics and colour text speeds: 11.92ppm and 8.38ppm, respectively. The only printer we've tested recently that beat these numbers was the C3400n's big (and more expensive) brother, the C5500n.

Turning from print speed to quality, the OKI C3400n is a middle-of-the-road performer. It excels where we expect a laser printer to excel — black text — and falters where we expect — colour graphics. Black text is smooth and uniform, with no noticeable errors. Black graphics shows nice detail and a smooth greyscale progression, but photographic elements show hash marks. Some of the colour text also reveals dots and hash marks, and colour graphics fare worst of all. The colour gradients show banding (as do the greyscales), flesh tones are too red, while greys are overly blue.

The OKI C3400n is backed by a standard one-year warranty. Telephone support is available between 9am and 5pm Monday to Thursday, and between 9am and 3.15pm on Fridays (excluding Bank Holidays). You can also email OKI's support staff. OKI's web site also has product-specific drivers/utilities, downloadable manuals and user guides, a list of consumables for each model and a knowledge base.

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