SUPER LASER VALUE, SPEED, & GRAPHIC DEFINITION
Pros:
Sharp Graphics & Text, Speed, Color Management Is Good, Toner Can Be Refilled
Cons:
Power Switch On Back, Menu Window Not Backlit, Both Of Which Are Minor
The Bottom Line:
My impression is that the C532N, at around $300, may currently be comparably matched, but not beat in overall image quality, speed and value, combined.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
Yes,
The Lexmark C532N is my third laser printer. My first was a monochrome HP 2100M, the second a color, larger-format QMS 6100EN. And both of those former printers did a decent job for their time.
But the C532N (and some other printer makes as well) has brought color laser value, speed, and graphic definition to masses in a way that undoubtedly make inkjet printing nearly obsolete for general printing and even some graphic work.
I bought my C532N less than a year ago from an eBay seller for about $250 bucks, as an open box purchase, with only a few test pages registered. So, it was like new in every way, and other C532Ns in sealed boxes were selling for about $100 more.
I used this printer to make dozens of calendars for family. The layout was a comic strip of family photos and quotes using 47 lb uncoated paper, double sided. And the images looked nearly as good as an Epson inkjet using specialized paper. Of course, inkjet looks good if you don't have to touch it. So, I was happy that the C532N was a lot better than my old QMS for photos. And there were no feeding problems using heavy stocks, to speak of.
But, the extra hand-feed slot is not worth using, because it will not usually have the image or document aligned perfectly from top to bottom, like the tray-feed always does correctly.Another odd thing is that the power switch is on the back of the printer. I spliced a sufficient amperage inline switch onto the cord itself to switch it, since I keep the printer under my desktop, but plugging the printer into a power strip that has a switch will also allow remote switching.The C532N rarely jams, and when it does it is simple to clear, usually by looking in the tray area. And since paper path is designed completely toward the front of the printer, everything is easy to get at, unlike my old QMS color laser.
The cartridges for the C532N initially come as a special "return program" variety which are rated at (3000 pages for the colors, and more for black) higher than a "starter capacity" (1500), but a little lower than the "standard capacity" (4000-color), and about half as much as optional "high capacity" cartridges.
So, it gets a little tricky deciphering cartridges. But the C5220 cartridges (which come with the C532 initially) are interchangeable with the standard C5222 cartridges in the "S" (standard capacity) and "H" (high capacity) varieties.
But who wants to spend $110 for one new Lexmark carts? Not me. And I don't want to even buy aftermarket carts or throw carts away when they run out each time. So, when the printer alerted me that my magenta cart may be getting low, I bought a toner refill kit, for a theoretical 5000 pages, that came with a reset chip for $63, plus a little shipping, but no sales tax (why feed parasitic bureacurats needlessly?), again, via eBay.
So, you can effectively refill these carts a couple of times pretty cheaply before an actual new or remanufactured cartridge is needed. Some of the refill kits are an even better value on eBay, but those then seem to sell the reset chips separately. And I used the hole tool to bore into the cart for a simpler way of refilling and then taping it closed, rather than to remove the roller and filling it that way, since some of the small parts could get lost, misaligned, or damaged by following typical instructions for refilling.
The C532N is a great printer. And if you refill it, it is extremely cheap when it comes to consumables.
One other note: I've fed a lot of self-adhesive sheets through this printer very effectively, but only the uncoated ones print well. The glossy stock, self-adhesive sheets print with gray backgrounding on the unprinted areas. So, if you do self-adhesive laser labels, check out Graytex Papers for sheets that print well on the C532N.
This is my experience. Your so-called mileage may vary.
Peace to you all,Christian Livingstone