Epson AcuLaser M2300DN

Epson's AcuLaser M2300DN is a single-function mono laser printer designed for small- to medium-sized businesses that promises productivity, reliability and professional print quality. The M2300DN is one of four models in the M2300D series. The "DN" at the end of the name means it features duplex and Ethernet. The M2300D model features duplex but no Ethernet (for individuals), the M2300DT features duplex, has no Ethernet and includes an extra paper tray, and the M2300DTN does "the works": duplex, Ethernet and additional paper tray. Other than the optional features, everything else in the series stays the same (design, print quality, speed, etc.).

Design and Build

This sober and compact printer (38 x 39 x 25 cm, for 11 kg) will fit on any open desk space. The M2300D series has no screen, just a few buttons on the right side of the top panel. The 64 MB of RAM allow for convenient sharing within a workgroup of 10 people. If 64 isn't enough for you, you can expand it to 320 MB. Designed for professional use, all four models support PCL5 and PCL6 page description languages, which optimise data flows for the network traffic, among other things.


The paper tray holds 250 sheets. With the additional paper tray on the M2300DTN and M2300DT, the capacity grows to 500 in total. Each model supports a wide variety of paper sizes: A4, A5, A6, LT, HLT, LGL, GLT, GLG, EXE and F4, plus envelopes and labels. The tray is quick and easy to adjust for the different paper sizes.

Speed

This is definitely a fast printer. To compare it to recent mono laser printers, it falls behind the Dell 5230n, a higher-end and more expensive machine that prints 43 pages per minute (ppm), but proves faster than both the Brother HL-2240 (25 ppm) and Canon i-SENSYS LBP6000 (19 ppm).

Naturally, the M2300DN prints duplex slower than simplex, but it's still relatively swift at 15 ppm.

Print quality

And the plot thickens! For basic text, this printer will do just fine. But images of any kind are an entirely different story. Take a look at the quality of our test graph below. It lacks nuance and sharpness. I suggest you compare that image to other models in our Face-Off; you'll see a marked difference between it and the other products.

Then you have to add to this unexceptional quality a high Delta E 94, as shown in the graph below. Delta E 94 measures how accurate the printed colours are compared to the intended colours. For comparison, the M2300DN's 12.6 dE 94 is greater than the Samsung SCX-3405W's, which already has an extremely high dE 94 of 10.1. The target for any printer is 3 or below.

Power Use

The M2300DN, like the rest of the series, goes above 50 dB—the cut-off point beyond which a printer is considered noisy—with 53 dB picked up on our sound level meter.


The M2300DN uses a moderate amount of power: 500 watts during use and 3 watts in sleep mode.

Cost Per Page

As an incentive to get consumers to recycle their cartridges, Epson is offering preferential rates with its cartridge return programme. Users are encouraged to return their used cartridges to the company for recycling. With the return cartridges, the cost per page drops from 3.9 to 3.3 pence per page, which is in the upper average of the laser printers we've reviewed. The Samsung SCX-3405W has a CPP of 3.8 p, and the Dell 5230n, which also has a Use & Return scheme, offers a record cost per page of 0.9 pence.

Standard ISO lifespan

Standard ISO lifespan - Cartridge Return

Cartridge	Price (starting at)	ISO lifespan	Cost per page
C13S050585 (black)	£100	3000	3.3 pence