Printers are complicated. All of them. But if you want to keep the complication aspect to a minimum, we recommend a laser printer, especially if you run a small business: Not only do laser models print sharp text and crisp graphics, but they also run more reliably than inkjets, and they won’t clog if they sit unused for weeks between jobs. One of the more versatile printers we have used in recent times is the HP Colour LaserJet Pro MFP 3303sdw. What makes it perfect for you?

Rock solid

First, the setup. It’s not the lightest of printers you will come across. So make sure you have a sturdy table in place. As usual, there are two cables that come with the device — a power cord that’s quite long for most homes and offices and a USB-A connector. After all these years, I don’t know why most printers don’t offer USB-C, which is becoming a standard across the world. For example, if you use an iMac or a MacBook Air, you don’t have USB-A, which means you need a dongle to convert USB-A to USB-C. Such a dongle doesn’t cost a lot but you still have to get it.

Otherwise, the setup process is simple and efficient, thanks to the colour touchscreen control panel, which offers an interface that’s easy to navigate. The screen is large and responsive, so punching in Wi-Fi passwords isn’t too much of a chore. My iMac quickly detected the printer… within 40 seconds.

Fast printing speeds

One of the best features of the printer is its support for duplex printing in colour and monochrome modes. It saves time and paper. Further, this is a sensible option to have for small businesses or in offices with a heavy print cycle.

The Wi-Fi on the printer is reliable and during the course of the review, we didn’t have issues with connectivity. Each time, the printer was restarted, the machine was able to latch on to the Wi-Fi within seconds.

Where the printer shines is in printing speed and quality. The paper input tray can hold up to 250 A4 sheet paper, which is sufficient for most small offices. Unlike inkjet printers, the machine didn’t play up when pulling papers and there was not a single paper-jam moment during the course of two weeks.

What about printing speed? It offers two-sided colour printing up to 26 pages per minute (letter-size) or 25 pages per minute (A4). Equally impressive is the first-page-out timing. This is the time taken for the first page to print after booting the printer. In this case, it is as low as around 10 seconds.

What I most liked about the printer is its accuracy. Text documents have a razor-sharp feel — fonts are perfectly replicated. Since the unique selling point of the printer is its colour printing, it can replicate subtle gradients in photographs.

During the course of the review, I was able to print a 30-page document in the blink of an eye. Further, there are some unique preset options. If you are using the printer at home, kids may ask for graph paper, music notation paper or even single-line note paper. There are preset modes that can handle the same without you needing to wake up the computer.

Scans from the automatic document feeder looked just fine. This model’s flatbed scanner maxes out at a resolution of 1200 dpi, double what some competing machines offer.

Make the call

This printer comes with an extra USB port in the front, so you can save your scans directly to a thumb drive or access documents. The app works fine, however you may not be using it all the time. Replacement cartridges can fetch you around 1,200-1,300 pages and the number increases substantially if you opt for high-yield cartridges.

Overall, the 3303sdw works fine for homes and small offices. It’s a good do-it-all option — even if you need colour prints.

At a glance

Device: HP Colour LaserJet Pro MFP 3303sdw

Price: ₹61,181

High notes

Sharp output

Good duplex colour printing

A biggish touchscreen display

Scanning speed is high

Official cartridges are easily available

Muffled note

USB-C connectivity option is missing