Samsung has a distinct name in the printer market for the stylish looks its printers wear. But, their latest monochrome laser printer, ML-1640 has more to it than it meets the eye. It’s a compact laser printer that can sit in the smallest places and boasts of some of the top end features.

The dimensions are comparable to an inkjet printer with 35 cm X 30 cm X 21 cm. It’s sleek, stylish and can is targetted at homes and small offices.

The best printing resolution it offers is 1200 X 600 dpi which is standard for a startup monochrome laser printer. Tests conducted in our labs have shown that the output derived out of this printer is top notch in quality with clear and crisp prints.

The printer scores in the printing economy as well. The Samsung laser toner features a Toner Save function that ensures that the toner life is extended by up to 30%, so you don’t have to cough up for new cartridges as often.

Printing speed is decent at 16ppm for A4 and the figure rises to 17ppm for letter. The printer takes close to 20 seconds to deliver the first print and half the time if the printer is in the standby mode.

The Samsung ML-1640 has a single 150-sheet multi-purpose input tray. It has the capability of printing on envelopes, transparencies, labels along with normal printing on plain paper.

The printer connects to a system through a USB 2.0 port and there are no options available for connecting to networks. This probably would cost Samsung dear as other manufacturers offer printers with multiple connectivity options.

A notable absentee feature on ML-1640 is the lack of duplex printing. These days, duplex printing has become the most sought after feature in all laser printers and the direction taken by the manufacturer in this regard is a little perplexing.