A cheap, quick laser printer for home or office
This multifunction printer (MFP) can print, scan and photocopy. Faxing isn’t included, but the 1990s are over, after all. It’s essentially an E310dw A4 laser printer with a flatbed scanner on top, and on top of that is a 35-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF), so you can scan or copy a long document in one go. Or you can lift the lid and place single item on the glass.
The design is uncluttered, but not in an Apple way, more in an IKEA plastic storage bin way. Let’s call it ‘functional’. To keep dust out, the ADF folds shut when not in use, and the 250-sheet paper tray at the bottom is fully enclosed. A pull-down slot lets you feed a single sheet such as an envelope. The basic control panel provides a backlit two-line display and 12 squidgy buttons.
Dell’s software detected the printer on our Wi-Fi network and installed it on our PC without fuss. It also configured Document Hub, a program that combines print and scan functions with access to online services such as Dropbox, although you can’t scan to or print from these directly. Apps also exist for scanning and printing from your Android or Apple device.
Tested over the built-in Ethernet port, this was a quick printer, delivering five pages of text or graphics in 21 seconds, including the time spent preparing the job. On 20 pages of text it reached 22.2 pages per minute, not far off the (inevitably optimistic) quoted speed. Like most fast printers, it wasn’t quiet, with fans whooshing more intrusively when printing duples (double-sided). Copying a page took just 10 seconds for one page and 40 seconds for 10 pages, thanks to the ADF. Scanning an A4 page at 150 dots per inch took 18 seconds, while a 6x4in photo at a more detailed 600dpi took 22.
Generally, prints and copies were very good, with crisp text and subtle shading. But darker graphics and photos showed horizontal bands of uneven tone, a common mono laser failing. Scans were satisfactory, with crisp focus and well-preserved detail in dark areas, although colours were a touch drab.
After using up the stingy 700-page ink cartridge that’s supplied, you can buy a 2,600-page replacement for £52. That gives running costs of 2p per page, which is good value for a basic printer. All told, there’s not much to complain about here.
VERDICT
With relatively high speeds, decent results and fair costs, the E514dw is a good printer for the price.
SPECIFICATIONS
2400x600dpi maximum print resolution • 26ppm quoted speed • 600x1200dpi maximum scan resolution • PCL 6 • PostScript Level 3 • USB • Ethernet • 802.11n • 317x409x399mm (HxWxD) • 10.4kg • One-year warranty