A
small workhorse for document printing
The Panasonic KX-MB1530CX (just MB1530 from now on) is a
pretty basic printer surrounded by more advanced sub-features. It only prints
in black and white, but has an automatic document feeder (ADF), rare for such a
small printer, and a speakerphone option, letting you switch from fax to
telephone.
The KX-MB1530CX is really made just for
document printing as graphical output is visibly streaked.
The KMB1530 is really built for the professional who
doesn’t have too much to print and doesn’t need to print a lot of graphics. The
printer is easy to set up; paper-feed and toner-loading are all done from the
front. The upper lid contains the ADF and scanner, and the entire lid can be
raised to increase the height of the output tray, although not by a lot.
Raising the lid is easy, but restoring the tray can be troublesome, as the
plastic stand inside the tray does not catch when returned to its original
position.
The MB1530’s onboard controls are basic, and here’s where
the printer could have used a little bit more work. You can’t determine the
quality of scans, for example, even though there is a Quality button on the
printer. To set things like DPI, you have to go access the Panasonic software
on your PC. Otherwise, you’re stuck using pre-set profiles that are obtusely
named; ‘scan to viewer’ means to scan to JPEG, and ‘scan to file’ means to scan
to PDF. The lack of onboard options means this is really a set and use printer.
As we mentioned, the MB1530 is made for the working
professional. Graphic prints aren’t very good (as is typical for a laser
mono-printer). Graphics are laced with printing lines, marring the final
output. Text prints fare much better and are done quickly. Copies look just
fine to the naked eye, if a little less defined if closely scrutinized. Color
scans return a little ‘hot’ with higher than original contrast, but colors are
rendered just fine and will be acceptable for non-graphic intensive work.
We really like the fact that there is an ADF built in,
something which small printers of this size and price lack, but you should know
that the ADF can accommodate only a maximum of 15 pages at one go. This isn’t
exactly a high number, but it still makes copying easier than if you had to
load 15 pages one by one. In the end, the Panasonic KX-MB1530CX is a fast,
capable document printer and copier with fax and speakerphone options.
|
At a glance
Print tech: Laser
Functions: Copy,
Print, Scan, Fax
Resolution: 600x600dpi
Dimensions: 391x360x242
mm
Price: $239
|
Verdict: 7.0
Physique: 7.0
Features: 7.5
Print speed: 8.0
Print quality: 7.5
Value: 7.0 |
