Test color laser: HP Color Laserjet CP1215 and CP1515n

von Ulrich Junker

HP plays along in the same league now as Samsung does, launching two low-budget color laser printers, CP1215 and CP1515n. And at the same time testing the customers´pain tolerance in regard to cost of print. Quality of print excels in this performance category, however.

Erschienen am 29. Oktober 2008 bei Druckerchannel.de, 10 Seite(n)

https://www.druckerchannel.de/artikel.php?ID=2374

Layout I: Paper, Connections, Handling

In the box you find the printer, four cartriges with low yield content (750 pages for each color and Black), an installation CD with miscellaneous additional software, and a power cord. A USB cable is not included.

Both printers are nearly identical in construction, the differences are shown in a table at the bottom of this page.

Paper handling

The paper tray (picture left side) accommodates 150 sheets. The CP1515n has an additional single sheet feeder (picture right side). To insert paper we recommend to fully take out the somewhat rickety tray. This way it is easier to center the media.

CP1515n: Paper tray.

CP1515n: Single sheet feed.

After adding paper: No "GO"- or "Select"-button

If the paper tray is empty, you find an onscreen prompt to insert paper (picture right side). After that you are supposed to push the "Go"- or "Select"-button, to continue printing. You will look for both buttons in vain, there is none. Following inherent logic ("It must be something green!") you press the "Start"-button: Printing is resumed.

Paper deposit

Papier deposit: Holds 150 sheets.

According to HP it can hold up to 125 media, an unexpedient solution, since the paper tray houses up to 150 media.

The tray can take up 150 sheets without problems, the paper stack becomes somewhat untidy at the end, however. If you plan a (manual) doublesided print after, you have to readjust the sheets thoroughly.

Paper jam

Upper limits: Very small, little effect.

Paper jams are not encountered in our tests, if you insert the sheets properly. They happen, if you put in too much paper. And that occurs quite frequently.

Druckerchannel recommendation: Pull out the paper tray completely, if you want to replenish it.

To clear a paper jam you open the rear cover. That needs a lot of force, the lever deforms in a way you will think it is going to break off. But in the end the latch will open.

Rear cover: Lots of force...

...to open it.

Connections

The CP1215 (picture left side) connects via USB, the CP1515n (picture right side) features an additional network connection.

Connection CP1215: USB only.

Connections CP1515: Network on top, USB below.

An optional USB network adapter (Q6275A) is available for the CP1215. It´s price is approximately 60 Euros. And the CP1515n/ni can be upgraded to Wlan (Q6259A) for approximately 50 Euros. All available connections can be found in this table.

Handling

The two laser printers have different control panels (CP1215, picture left side), the CP1515n (picture right side) has a double-spaced display which is hard to read. You have to step back at least three feet to read what it says. That complicates handling.

Control panel CP1215: LEDs, no display.

Control panel CP1515n: Display hard to read...

...and with ceiling lighting impossible.

In a room with ceiling lighting readability worsens even more (picture right side).

Scouring through the menu becomes a rigmarole.

Model range

As enhanced model the CP1515ni comes as "Photo-Imaging-Model". More on that in this table.