Samsung CLP-670ND User Manual

Lab Test Report

BUYERS LAB

Samsung CLP-670ND

24 PPM Colour Laser Printer

A Comprehensive BLI Laboratory Evaluation

JULY 2010



EUROPEAN EDITION

Reliability ................................................................ Excellent

Administrative Utilities .......................................... Very Good

Feedback to Workstations ..................................... Very Good

Ease of Network Setup.......................................... Very Good

Print Drivers .......................................................... Very Good

Applications Compatibility ....................................... Excellent

Colour/Black Print Quality ..................................... Very Good

Colour/Black Print Productivity ......................................Good

Ease of Use ........................................................... Very Good

Feature Set ................................................................... Good

Security Features ...................................................Not Rated

Environmental Features .........................................Not Rated

Toner Yield .................................................................... Good

BLI RECOMMENDATION

During its lab evaluation at BLI, the Samsung CLP-670ND proved to be strong in a number of categories. To begin with, the A4 colour laser printer logged 40,000 impressions with no misfeeds or service of any kind required. The CLP-670ND, which is simple to set up and use, provided very good overall output in colour and black modes. While users can beneﬁt from above average feedback to workstations, administrators will be able to more easily manage the unit and a mixed ﬂeet—Samsung and compatible devices—of hardware via SyncThru Web Service and SyncThru Web Admin service, respectively. Other highlights include a high standard memory capacity; standard automatic duplexing, which contributes to less paper waste; and toner-save mode in the drivers helps extend the life of the print cartridges. BLI highly recommends the CLP-670ND for small to mid-size workgroups with monthly volumes of up to 1,500 impressions.

Test duration: Two months, including a

40,000-impression durability test.

Maximum monthly duty cycle: 80,000 impressions.

Manufacturer’s recommended monthly volume:

Up to 1,100 impressions.

BLI’s recommended monthly volume for optimum performance: Up to 1,500 impressions.

More information on the Samsung CLP-670ND is available through bliQ (www.buyerslab.com/bliQ).

BuyersLab.com

from Buyers Laboratory. Violat ors will be prosecuted. To purchase rep rints, cont act BLI at info@buyerslab.com.

permission of Buyers Laboratory, is unlawful and violators will be prosecuted. To purchase reprints, contact BLI at at info@buyerslab.com.

BUYERS LAB

Strengths

Lab Test Report

• Highly reliable—ﬂawless durability performance

• Natural-looking ﬂesh tones in photographic images; most colours in the gamut remained consistent throughout

testing; fully formed and dark characters, consistent production of line art, above average halftones and dark solids

• Above average colour job stream productivity using the PCL driver; faster than average ﬁrst-print times for four of

the ﬁve test ﬁles; among the fastest ﬁrst-print time from overnight sleep

• Above average and slightly above average standard and maximum memory capacities, respectively; standard au-

tomatic duplexing contributes to less paper waste

• Average tested toner yields for all colours exceeded the declared speciﬁcations; toner-save mode in the drivers

helps extend the life of the print cartridges

• Simple processes for adjusting drawers, loading media and removing misfeeds; clean procedure for replacing car-

tridges

• SyncThru Web Service and SyncThru Web Admin service allow administrators to manage the unit and an entire ﬂeet

of Samsung and compatible devices, respectively

• Pop-up messages and icon and e-mail alerts keep users well-informed of device and print job status

• Highly automated driver installation routine has users up and running in minutes

Samsung CLP-670ND



Weaknesses

• Below average productivity when printing multiple sets in both duplex modes

• Below average standard paper capacity; below average paper-handling ability through the drawers

• Low impressions-per-gram yields for all colours



TEST RESULTS AND OBSERVATIONS

, — and  represent positive, negative and neutral attributes, respectively.

RELIABILITY EXCELLENT

 The CLP-670ND is certiﬁed highly reliable by BLI, completing a 40,000-impression

durability test without a single misfeed and requiring no service of any kind.

PMs/Malfunctions Service Required

Meter Count (Beginning of Test)

End of Test Period

Total Misfeeds/Misfeed Rate

Total Service Calls

0/Not applicable

0

Meter Count

(Impressions)

0

40,000

Impressions Between

Service

2

BuyersLab.com

from Buyers Laboratory. Violator s will be prosecuted. To purchase reprints, contac t BLI at info@buyerslab.co m.

permission of Buyers Laboratory, is unlawful and violators will be prosecuted. To purchase reprints, contact BLI at at info@buyerslab.com.

Lab Test Report

BUYERS LAB

Samsung CLP-670ND





ADMINISTRATIVE UTILITIES VERY GOOD

 SyncThru Web Service, the embedded Web page, allows administrators and users to

view conﬁguration, the control panel and any existing errors and warnings. Administrators have the added abilities to change settings, including duplexing, paper type and the language on the display, and establish e-mail alerts for designated personnel. All users can access SyncThru Web Service to check the approximate percentage of remaining toner, as well as the size of paper in the trays.

SyncThru Web Service—Main Screen (U.S. model pictured)

 SyncThru Web Admin Service, which is available as a free download on the com-

pany’s Web site, enables administrators to manage and monitor Samsung and compatible devices on the network. Information about non-Samsung devices is almost as detailed as for the company’s. Otherwise, the utility provides much the same functionality for administrators and users as the embedded Web page, including the ability to check toner status.

3

BuyersLab.com

SyncThru Web Admin Service discovers Samsung and compatible devices on the network, providing administrators with an interface to manage a ﬂeet and access each device’s embedded Web page. (U.S. model pictured)

from Buyers Laboratory. Violator s will be prosecuted. To purchase reprints, contac t BLI at info@buyerslab.co m.

permission of Buyers Laboratory, is unlawful and violators will be prosecuted. To purchase reprints, contact BLI at at info@buyerslab.com.

Lab Test Report

BUYERS LAB

Samsung CLP-670ND





When administrators double-click a device in the list on SyncThru Web Admin Service, they’re presented with detailed information such as supplies status, alerts and diagnostics. (U.S. model pictured)

 Additional tools that work independently of or in conjunction with SyncThru Web

Admin Service include Driver Management, Local Device Discovery, Report Generator, Device Cloning, File Storage and Job Accounting.

FEEDBACK TO WORKSTATIONS VERY GOOD

 The chief provider of feedback is Smart Panel, which is automatically installed with

the drivers. The utility offers pop-up messages for print job completion and when an error occurs; colour changes to the icon on the taskbar also let users know of other warning conditions. Administrators can conﬁgure e-mail alerts when consumables need to be replenished or there’s an error, while all users can proactively access Smart Panel to check status and toner levels, change settings and view the manual. When an error message pops up, users can access the troubleshooting guide to rectify the issue.

4

BuyersLab.com

from Buyers Laboratory. Violator s will be prosecuted. To purchase reprints, contac t BLI at info@buyerslab.co m.

permission of Buyers Laboratory, is unlawful and violators will be prosecuted. To purchase reprints, contact BLI at at info@buyerslab.com.

Lab Test Report

BUYERS LAB

Smart Panel allows users to see device status and toner levels, and access the manual. (U.S. model pictured)

Samsung CLP-670ND





When an error message pops up, users can access the troubleshooting guide to rectify the issue. (U.S. model pictured)

 Via the embedded Web page, administrators can conﬁgure e-mail alerts that can be

sent to three users—SysAdmin, Key User and Service—for consumables shortage warnings and when the unit is unable to print due to a misfeed, the cover being open or service being required.

EASE OF NETWORK SETUP VERY GOOD

 Physical setup of the CLP-670ND is straightforward. Samsung recommends two

people lift the main body of the unit, which stacks on top of the optional drawer, out of the box and bring it to the desired location due to size and weight concerns. Users remove the packaging material and can then open the bags that contain the print cartridges, which have yields of 2,500 and 2,000 impressions for black and each colour, respectively.

 The CD auto-launches upon insertion in the drive, and the automated installation rou-

tine will have users up and running in a matter of minutes. It takes ﬁve clicks to install the PCL and PostScript drivers, as well as the user’s guide; by extension, Smart Panel is loaded with the drivers, which automatically detect conﬁgured accessories. The port is automatically created.

5

BuyersLab.com

 Conﬁguration of network settings can be easily performed from the control panel or

remotely via SyncThru Web Service.

from Buyers Laboratory. Violator s will be prosecuted. To purchase reprints, contac t BLI at info@buyerslab.co m.

permission of Buyers Laboratory, is unlawful and violators will be prosecuted. To purchase reprints, contact BLI at at info@buyerslab.com.

Lab Test Report

BUYERS LAB

 Though Samsung doesn’t provide a utility on the CD that enables cloning of settings

or remote installation of drivers onto workstations, administrators can accomplish these tasks with SyncThru Web Admin Service.

Samsung CLP-670ND





PRINT DRIVERS VERY GOOD

 The unit ships with Microsoft-certiﬁed PCL 6 and PostScript 3 drivers for various

Windows and Mac operating systems, as well as several others such as Linux and UNIX.

 The graphical drivers have duplex and orientation on the Basic tab, while users must

go to the Paper tab to select quantity and paper size and source.

6

BuyersLab.com

The PostScript 3 driver shares a similar layout with the PCL 6 driver (pictured above), helping simplify programming jobs in environments where users frequently switch between them. (U.S. model pictured)

 The drivers offer a good overall feature set compared with A4 colour laser/LED print-

ers in this speed range and class, including booklet and N-up—2 to 16—printing; proof and secure print; poster mode up to 4 x 4; quantity selection up to 999; reduction/enlargement from 25 to 400 percent; and the abilities to save settings for frequently used jobs and add watermarks. The PCL driver also includes overlay.

 Toner-save mode in the drivers helps extend the life of the cartridges.

from Buyers Laboratory. Violator s will be prosecuted. To purchase reprints, contac t BLI at info@buyerslab.co m.

permission of Buyers Laboratory, is unlawful and violators will be prosecuted. To purchase reprints, contact BLI at at info@buyerslab.com.