If you have a growing business with network printing needs and relatively high volumes of paperwork, then it would be worth considering the new Kyocera ECOSYS P6030cdn colour laser printer as an efficient workhorse for the office. Unlike most standard printers, the paper-feeding and control panel are organised on the shorter side of the machine, allowing you slot it more effectively between other office units. It certainly feels sturdy enough at a solid 29.5kg, while still measuring a comparatively slim 345 x 518 x 480mm. It’s also unusual to find the operation panel placed high up on the top panel overlooking the output area, yet this will certainly make navigating through the menus of the 2-line, 21-character LCD a lot simpler. As with most Kyocera printers, the actual controls are kept basic (just eight keys and three indicators) while the menu range is extensive. Not all the design features on the P6030cdn are so user-friendly, however, as the USB 2.0 port for flash drives has been tucked away in the back left corner of the base – which is about as inaccessible as possible. Similarly, Kyocera came up with a sensible idea to have a window in the input tray where the paper type can be displayed using a rotating dial. What they neglected to add in the manual is that this dial has to be lifted each time it is repositioned which makes manoeuvring awkward. On the other hand, you can stack up to four 500-sheet paper trays under the printer (at an extra £215 each) and when this is added to the 150-sheet multipurpose tray that folds down from the front, you have a whopping total capacity of 2150 sheets. See also: Group test: what’s the best printer?
Kyocera ECOSYS P6030cdn: fitting toner cartridges
The four toner cartridges slot in snugly from above and a side panel pops out to reveal the well sculpted niche for the waste toner box. Eco savings abound thanks to duplex printing as standard, low power and sleep modes, plus low ink costs. These work out to be around 1.16p per page for black, and 1.67p per page per colour at current prices. While USB and ethernet are the provided connection options, a wireless network interface can be slotted in for an extra £285, with further accessories available include a 1024 MB memory expansion (£200) and a 128 GB SSD storage (£695). Speed and print quality are not compromised. Duplex pages were appearing at a rate of 20 ppm and single sheets at 27 ppm. Black print documents showed no obvious signs of feathering or fracturing and colour images were generally clear and vibrant, although there was a noticeable bias to the red end of the spectrum. For more printer reviews and printing advice, visit Printing Advisor.
