Printer Resetter Service Manual

Here we have a multifunction center that fully embodies the concept of a small office printer. The Canon Copier ImageClass MF4690 has all of the features you’d expect from a Canon all in one, but doesn’t go overboard with the bells and whistles, which plants this unit firmly in the realm where performance is balanced with value.

The Canon Copier ImageClass MF4690 is a network printer with a built in Ethernet port which allows access to the hardware for an entire small (or large) office. It also includes a UBS 2.0 hi-speed port for direct connection to a single unit and, additionally, provides a front USB port for direct connect to a USB memory device. When using a portable memory device, the dedicated “scan to” features allow you to scan documents directly onto your thumb drive or other device in JPEG, PDF, TIFF, or BMP formats. You can also use this function to send data to a computer you are interfaced with without bothering with PC software.

If you do choose to go with the Windows or Mac based software, compatibility will not be an issue, as both TWAIN and WIA types are supported. Scan quality is decent, with optical topping out at 600 X 1200 dots per inch and interpolated at a maximum of 9600 X 9600 dpi. While color scans are an option, printing is monochrome only, but the quality is also more than suitable and can be set at either 600 X 600 or 1200 X 600 dots per inch which is enough to make your text documents crisp and professional looking, and keep black and white charts and graphs looking fairly clean.

OVERVIEW:  You know that old saying about “Things going in threes?”  Well that saying is not just all about gloom and doom. In Samsung’s case, the best things come in threes. The latest in Samsung’s ML-3560 trilogy contains the best of the first two, and adds 2-sided printing: Meet the Samsung ML-3561ND.

PROS:
The “D” in ML-3561ND is for “duplexing”. Two-sided printing is an economic and environmentally friendly way to save on paper. This feature, along with the options to print pages either Long Edge or Short Edge, enables the printer to be used for desktop publishing of bound booklets, catalogs, and calendars.

The ML-3561ND prints fast--be it single-sided or 2-sided. It does take almost 50 seconds for the printer to warm up from a cold boot, but once it’s up this laser starts chugging letter-size prints at 35 pages per minute. Even duplex printing of 19 double-sided pages a minute, the ML-3561ND is one of the fastest of the ML series. There’s an additional 9 second delay between print jobs and high-resolution printing.

This printer has some serious paper capacity. The ML-3561ND comes standard with a 500-sheet cassette tray, capable of holding an entire ream of letter or legal-size paper. The flip-door reveals a 100-sheet multi-purpose tray that can handle transparencies, labels, post cards, envelopes, 3” x 5” postcards up to 8½” x 14” legal paper of various bond weights.

At 1200 x 1200 dpi resolution, the ML-3561ND keeps text sharp--even at 6-point font sizes--and does a decent job with graphics. To keep from consuming too much toner, the printer has a 600 dpi resolution with a text-enhance or image-enhance switch.  The Toner Save feature allows for a 40% toner life increase while keeping images clear and readable.

The “N” in ML-3561ND is for “network is built in”.  The Ethernet 10/100 Base TX interface makes it ready to support networked computers in an office, department, or a classroom. You can choose between Parallel, USB, or Ethernet connectivity. So, no matter how old or new your computer is, the ML-3561ND can handle it.

This laser printer packs 32MB of memory. The ML-3561ND can easily handle workloads from multiple computer requests. An additional DIMM RAM slot is available to expand printer memory up to 288MB.

Understanding the printing needs of today’s businesses in providing support for the major software applications, Samsung has installed a full set for print emulators that should satisfy the most diverse office. Emulators include PostScript3, HP PCL6, IBM ProPrinter, and EPSON.

The control panel on the ML-3561ND has a multi-line LCD Display, plus buttons that make manual control of the printer relatively intuitive. Through the control panel, printer information, configuration, emulation, and network settings can be done. Administrators can also perform these changes remotely with Samsung’s SyncThru web application.

If you think this printer has it all, there are still more options you can add to the ML-3561ND. To reduce workload on the printer’s RAM, print jobs can be queued into a 40GB hard disk module. For laptop printing support, Samsung offers a wireless LAN card that supports a, b, and g-band standards. A second paper tray can be stacked under the ML-3561ND to provide 500 sheets of additional paper capacity.

CONS:
This is not a small, compact printer. At 40 pounds and a footprint that takes up just over a 2 square-foot area, the ML-3561ND will need a permanent and a sturdy place to stay.

The printer produces 55dB of sound printing, idling at 35 dB. To give you an idea of what that means: 60 decibels is the level of typical conversations and 30 decibels is a quiet office. You probably don’t want to have this network printer stationed in a conference room printing when a meeting is in progress. But when placed in the copy room or in the middle of a busy office floor, the noise is barely noticeable.

INK / TONER NEEDS:
The ML-3561ND’s toner and drum are integrated in a single cartridge, making it easy to maintain. Right out the box, the printer comes with the standard size toner, able to print up to 6,000 pages.  A 12,000 high-capacity toner option is also available to double the time between toner replacements. This is great for a department or an office with heavy printing demands.

SOFTWARE:
The ML-3561ND has one of the better software packages. Not only does it have the basic printing properties for Mac and Linux, but for Windows users there’s an advanced printing section that allows for booklet printing, creating a large poster mosaics, and watermarks.

The drivers also enable 64-bit and Microsoft Server operating systems to be able to use the ML-3561ND. This may be considered a no-brainer, but there are printers with software that absolutely will not install on Server 2003 & 2008.

To make network printer configurations and notifications easy, Samsung’s SyncThru Web Service allows printer changes to be made using your IE, Safari, or Firefox browser. The software is not part of the CD and has to be downloaded from Samsung’s web site.

The ML-3561ND is a serious printer for serious business workloads, with the ability for additional expansion for future longevity. – Mel Myers

OVERVIEW:  For 2-sided color printing, copying and scanning in a networked office environment, it’s the Samsung CLX-6200. A full-house, all-in-one color laser printer that not only offers scans, copies, and printing, but also direct USB flash drive printing, duplexing and network connectivity.

PROS: 
The husky, 77-pound CLX-6200 has a height of 26”, with compact, square features that allow for placement without additional space. Sitting on a sturdy, low table, the height and size of the CLX-6240 is just right for someone standing next to it to manually use the on-screen display for making copies or to scan.

If you like buttons over a touch-screen display, you’ll get your wish with the CLX. All print, copy, and scanning can be performed without the need for a computer. The control panel on the CLX-6200 provides functions for the copier and scanner. To save on color toner, the “Black Start” button allows printing in B&W.

USB flash drive portal Scan to USB, printing from USB (TIFF, BMP, JPEG, PDF, PRN files). Information stored in the CLX-6200 memory can be backed up and restored using a USB Flash drive. The CLX also allows you to delete, format, or list properties of your USB drive.

A 50-sheet automatic document feeder can handle the copying, and scanning of your 2-sided originals, be they in color or in Black and White. On the front, a 100-sheet multi-purpose paper flip-tray handles papers and envelopes of various weights and types.

The CLX-6200 can print up to 21 ppm on single-side paper, with 7 ipm on both sides. 2400 x 600 dpi resolution with single-pass color printing allows color printing to be as fast as in B&W mode. Manual color registration adjustments can be performed to correct some minor alignment issues the printer has.

Having built-in Ethernet network support and a hi-speed USB, this multifunction is right at home either in the middle of an office floor or connected to a secretary’s computer. The built-in 256MB of printer memory enables the CLX-6200 to easily handle workloads as a network printer. To reduce workload on the printer’s RAM, print jobs can be queued into an optional 80GB hard disk drive.

Understanding the printing needs of today’s businesses in providing support for the major software applications, Samsung has installed print emulators that should satisfy the most diverse office. Emulators include PostScript3, PCL5 & 6, plus Samsung’s own proprietary print emulation. If you ever had to do try to print Adobe graphics on a color printer without PostScript, the “ghost” images that appear from transparency and drop shadow effects can drive you nuts.

CONS:
It takes 49 seconds for the CLX-6200 to warm-up, with up to 25 second delays between print jobs. Fortunately this Samsung series has single-pass color printing, keeping total job times reasonable. In operation, the 4-in-1 produces 54dB of sound and 32dB when idle. Think of 54dB as the sound of low conversations and 30 decibels as a quiet room.

For this to be the top of Samsungs CLX-6000 series, Samsung skimped on the cassette tray. A 250-sheet paper tray is woefully undersized for where this printer is likely to be used. It’s typical for even a small office to go through a ream of paper in a single day.  If your office or department is going to depend heavily on this printer, it would be a good idea to buy the 500-sheet second tray.
Colors can be oversaturated and show a slight misalignment. The in maximum resolution, color prints on the CLX-6240 won’t be as sharp as with the higher resolution monochrome lasers.

Software support is weak for Mac OS; having to rely on Mac’s OS or 3rd party software for scanning functions and advanced printing features.

INK / TONER NEEDS:
Just like with color inkjet printers, when it comes to color laser printers, print yield is sacrificed for color printing. The CLX-6200 requires 4 toner cartridges—one for each of the CYMK colors.
Out of the box Samsung includes the standard 2,500-page yield black cartridge, and three 2,000-page yield color cartridges, one for each color (Cyan, Yellow, Magenta).

The cartridges can be purchased separately, especially if the black toner gets depleted at a higher rate than the other colors. High-yield combo-packages are available to save costs at 60% more capacity.
Other consumables you’ll need to consider purchasing are waste toner containers, and replacement of the Paper Transfer Belt every 50,000 pages.

SOFTWARE:
Being a multi-purpose printer, one would expect the software to provide all the functions across multiple computer platforms.  The software in the CD-ROM is primarily for Windows compatible machines. For Windows users, the SmartThru software provides the most features, supporting not only scanning and printing, but offering an advanced printing section that allows for booklet printing, creating a large poster mosaics, and watermarks.
The Linux software package is not included with the CD and has to be downloaded from Samsung’s website to support printer and scanning functions. The Linux Unified Driver Configurator software allows for scanned images to manipulated and edited.
For Macintosh users, the CD-ROM has a couple of basic drivers for printing and a TWAIN driver for scanning. There is no additional software support: you either must have a 3rd party application that manages scanners or use the Mac’s own Image Capture (only available on Mac OS 10.4.7 and higher).
To remotely change network printer configurations and notifications, Samsung’s SyncThru Web service allows printer changes to be made using your IE, Safari, or Firefox browser. The software is not part of the CD and has to be downloaded from Samsung’s web site.