Dell 1135n Multi-function Laser Printer

Searching for a multi-purpose fax, scan, copy and print device for office use is far more difficult than it should be these days, mainly because there's such a wide range of products out there that all do a fairly similar job.

Dell has made a solid, if uninspiring, shift in the printer market recently, and the 1135n complements associated models in the same range by adding multi-function capabilities along with wired network support.

Despite its tilt towards an office environment, this is really a medium-yield laser printer with a 250-sheet main tray, 80-sheet output bin and a 40-sheet automatic document feeder.

 

It's capable of a maximum 1,200 x 1,200dpi, and can take paper weights up to 160gsm, which should be sufficient considering this is a monochrome device and handles a purported 12,000 pages per month in terms of volume.

Dell's recent range seems to follow a common pattern of prioritising simplicity and straightforward operation over features and versatility, and things are no different here.

It's a little disappointing not to see features such as wireless compatibility and automatic duplex printing, although it is possible to perform the latter manually by configuring the request through the print settings.
The front-mounted control panel is well laid out and offers access to all common functions including switching modes, and incorporating two 'hotkeys' to reduce or enlarge prints to, for example, output multiple pages onto a single sheet, and an 'ID Copy' function that can scan both sides of an ID card onto a page. These seem rather specific functions for dedicated keys, but they work well and may be of benefit to some.

A quoted speed of up to 22ppm seemed typically optimistic, although not as far-fetched as we've come to expect in this market. A fairly slow warm-up time from cold of around 20 seconds is the main thing preventing the 1135n from reaching these speeds, but once it gets going we noticed that larger jobs get far closer to the advertised number.

In our tests it turned out a page in around eight seconds during typical use (or around 7.5ppm). Five pages averaged about 12ppm and 30 pages 18ppm, so it's certainly capable of achieving a decent rate with volume jobs.

Quality is very good, and text prints showed solid blacks and sharp lettering that would be perfectly suitable for professional use. Greyscale images, including raster graphics, graphs and photos, also looked good.

 

It was sometimes difficult to discern between shades in more complex photographs but, since this is unlikely to be a common use for the printer, it shouldn't be a major problem.

 

Elsewhere we noticed that the 1135n has a tendency to 'cook' paper somewhat, something that's especially apparent with low-grade stock, and prints frequently appeared rather dog-eared when first printed.

While this is a fairly minor grievance as sheets obviously settle over time, it's worth bearing in mind if you're expecting to run straight from print out to meeting with a professional looking document.

The scanner is capable of saving images to a range of formats including BMP, TIFF, JPEG and direct to PDF, and can save files to networked folders. The copy and fax functions also work well, with the latter capable of storing up to 200 numbers in an address book for quick-dial access.

Combined with the management software provided there's just enough versatility on offer for those who aren't expecting to print or copy anything too adventurous.

Overall this is a solid offering from Dell that ticks all the most important boxes in offering fast speeds and solid print quality, and is generally very easy to set up and use. It does omit some features that may be extremely useful in a business environment, however, and we'd have expected to see at least a couple of these provided as standard considering the price.

 Source: v3.co.uk