Samsung CLX-4195 Color Laser Multifunction Printer Driver and Software

The Samsung CLX-4195 offers most of the basics you’d probably expect from a color laser MFP, from high speed to full MFP features. This alone is enough to create a potentially good solution for a micro or small office with light to medium printing needs.

But it goes beyond the basics with extras like a color touchscreen control panel and Wi-Fi Direct, which makes it easy to connect from a smartphone, tablet or laptop. If you can take advantage of these extras, it can be an even better fit.

A 4.3-inch screen makes it easy not only to select menu options for copying, faxing, and the like, but also to change printer settings and even set up features like Wi-Fi Direct. After you’ve used it for a while, you may notice that traditional controls – with buttons and a small text-only LCD – seem painfully limited.

The Basics

Extras like a touchscreen are nice to have, but without solid foundations they wouldn’t be particularly important. Not only can the Samsung CLX-4195 print and fax and scan to a computer using commands, it can also scan to a computer and scan to or print from a USB stick using the front panel menu commands, and it can Work as a standalone copier and fax machine. It can also be used as a direct email sender, although it does not work with email servers that require SSL. This means it may not work with the email system you use.

Other key features include a 50-page automatic document feeder (ADF) for scanning multi-page documents as well as legal-sized pages, as well as Ethernet and standard Wi-Fi support, as well as Wi-Fi Direct.

Unfortunately, handling paper is not a strength. The single tray only has a capacity of 250 sheets. While this should be enough for most micro and small offices, there is no option to add more if needed, pretty much limiting the printer to medium-duty use. Also notable for its absence is a duplexer (for two-sided printing), also as an option.

A little extra for paper handling is an unusual sheet feeder mounted on top of the paper tray itself. It’s a bit inconvenient to use as you have to pull out the tray, insert the single sheet into the feeder, and then reinsert the tray. On the other hand, it is an improvement over replacing all the paper in the tray to print a single envelope or an odd sheet of paper. While it’s not as useful as a separate manual feed tray, it’s better than nothing.

Setup, Speed and Output Quality

At 17.6 x 16.5 x 16.8 inches (HWD), the Samsung CLX-4195 is a bit large for sharing a desk, and at 47.3 pounds, it’s heavy enough that you’ll probably need help inserting it . However, once you find a place for it, the setup is standard fare. For my testing, I connected it to a wired network and installed the driver on a Windows Vista system.

The text in our tests was light enough for any business that doesn’t require top-quality desktop publishing. Graphics output was similarly more than good enough for internal business needs, including PowerPoint handouts or the like. Depending on your level of perfectionism, you may consider it good enough to pass along to important clients or clients if you need the output to convey a sense of professionalism. Photos were at the top of the range for color laser MFPs, making them close to actual photo quality.

Related Printer: Samsung CLX-4195FW

The only possible drawback for this printer is its paper handling. If you need automatic duplexing, higher paper capacity, or at least a true manual feed tray, you’ll have to look elsewhere. If paper handling is good enough for your needs, the Samsung CLX-4195 is more than attractive in terms of speed, output quality and MFP features, as well as the convenience of touchscreen menus.