Expert Verdict
The HP LaserJet Pro 200 Color Printer M251n is designed for companies who want to increase efficiency and make a better first impression with color documents. It is a low-cost color laser printer that prints in black and color with HP LaserJet Pro 200 Color M251n toner cartridges for SOHO clients and has a wireless connection for printing from phones and tablets. It's compatible with apps that make printing easier while also saving time, and it has other features that keep operating expenses low. The printer, on the other hand, is large, expensive, and slow.
With a sleek matte frame that measures 9.8 inches tall, 20.1 inches deep, and 15.9 inches broad, the HP LaserJet Pro 200 M251n color printer looks attractive. It has a 750MHz processor and weighs 18.7 kg. The HP M-251n LaserJet Pro color printer has a memory capacity of 128MB. A two-line, text-only LCD screen is included on the operator panel. A high-speed USB 2.0 port and Ethernet provide connectivity.
The low-profile black housing features an easy-to-use touchscreen LCD on a stalk that can display thumbnails of documents from any USB drive attached to the front panel socket. USB and 10/100 Ethernet networking connections are located on the back panel. However, because of the availability of ePrint and direct wireless printing via AirPrint for Apple devices and HP Direct Print for Android, most consumers will likely opt for the wireless connection.
The machine comes with four HP LaserJet Pro 200 Color M251n toner cartridges already installed, and all you have to do is remove the protective tapes to get it up and running. Drivers for PCL 6 and PostScript Level 3 are included, as well as consumable monitoring and other notifications. Economode, which saves HP LaserJet Pro 200 Color M251n toner cartridges, is available on the printer, but it is not a real draft mode. In Economode, a five-page text document took 42 seconds, while in standard print, the 20-page test produced 10.3 pages per minute, the fastest pace we recorded.
The printed papers we got from the printer were all of consistently good quality with HP LaserJet Pro 200 Color M251n toner cartridges. There is no evidence of splatter on the black text, which is razor-sharp and completely black. Economode uses a white dot pattern to fill the text, giving it a tiny feel, although the color visuals are rich, and the superimposed black text shows no symptoms of misregistration. Color photographs, which have never been a strong point of color laser printing, are reproduced effectively here, and while the color spectrum is slightly limited, there are no signs of banding or other undesirable abnormalities. Only the black HP LaserJet Pro 200 Color M251n toner cartridges come in normal and high-yield variants, but running costs remain low, with a black page costing 3.2p and a color page costing 12.1p.
Finally, the printer is simple to set up and use. The HP LaserJet Pro 200 Color Printer M251n has a maximum print speed of 14ppm, which is sufficient for low-volume printing. Apple AirPrint and HP ePrint are both supported. The device is simple to integrate into a network. A wide range of specialised papers is supported by the printer. Energy is saved by using auto-on and auto-off technology. The HP LaserJet Pro 200 Color M251n toner cartridges use ColorSphere II toner to provide eye-catching printouts for attractive marketing materials and other professional-looking documents. Although, because of the paper trays, the printer requires extra installation space. The HP M251n takes longer to print color pages, and it might become slow when dealing with specialist media. Despite the high duty cycle, HP recommends printing only 250 to 1,500 pages per month to guarantee optimal performance. Also, there is no way to enlarge the memory.
Review
HP Laserjet Pro 200 Color M251n is a full-black device that comes with decent printing functions. It is a low-end printer with no wireless capability and low paper handling capacity.
Although it is not a multifunction device, it is 18.70 kg in weight. The rest of the measurements correspond to 405 mm width, 510.5 mm depth and 250 mm height. Despite the lack of wireless support, it enables ePrint and AirPrint and Ethernet, as well as USB ports, are available on the rear side. A 150-sheet main paper tray capacity is only suitable for light duty business requirements. An additional paper tray is not provided for special media. The top speed of the laser printer is 21 ppm which is well above average for office use. And, the output quality is visibly professional. Each HP Laserjet Pro 200 Color M251n toner cartridge yields more pages which reduce the expense per page. The device supports many versions of Windows and Mac operating systems.
Advantages- Printing in colour mode
- Speedy printing
- Good quality output
- High-yielding HP Laserjet Pro 200 Color M251n toner cartridge
- ePrint and AirPrint support
- Ethernet connectivity
- A USB port for printing via USB drives
- No copy, scan or fax facility
- Lacks wireless connectivity
- Low paper handling capacity
- Not intended for a busy work environment
The compatible HP LaserJet Pro 200 Color M251n toner cartridges are:
- CF210X Black Toner Cartridge
- CF211A Cyan Toner Cartridge
- CF212A Yellow Toner Cartridge
- CF213A Magenta Toner Cartridge
HP LaserJet Pro 200 Color M251n is a printer-only device with no wireless networking facility. However, it supports ePrint and AirPrint due to which you can consider the purchase. The printer is ideal only if you are looking for a low-end printing device with minimal features such a decent printing with Ethernet and USB interface.
Repeated marks occur on the HP LaserJet Pro 200 Color M251n printer. How to print a cleaning page to remove dust and excess toner from the paper path?
To print a cleaning page, perform these steps:
- Press the OK button at the control panel, to open the menus.
- Open the following menus: Service and Cleaning Page.
- Load a plain paper in Tray 1 and then start the cleaning process by pressing the OK button.
- The product prints the first side and lets you remove the page from the output bin and reload in Tray 1, keeping the same orientation.
- To continue the cleaning process, press the OK button. Wait until the process completes. Discard the page that prints.
An “Ink Cartridge Problem” error message displays for HP LaserJet Pro 200 Color M251n printer. How to resolve the message?
When this message displays and the print does not print, try the following:
Step 1: Before you start, make sure that the installed HP LaserJet Pro 200 Color M251n toner cartridges are compatible with your printer.
Step 2: Make sure that the toner cartridges are installed properly.
- Press the power button and turn on the printer.
- Open the cartridge access door. The carriage will move to the center of the printer. Before continuing, wait until the carriage is silent and idle.
- You need to make sure that the coloured icon on each cartridge matches the coloured icon on the carriage slot.
- To detect unseated cartridges in the carriage, run your finger along the top of the HP LaserJet Pro 200 Color M251n toner cartridges.
- Close the cartridge access door once you ensure that the printhead latch is in the down position.
Step 3: Remove and reinsert the cartridges.
Step 4: Rub the electrical contacts with a dry and clean cotton swab until no toner or debris remains on them.
Step 5: Reset the printer and replace the HP LaserJet Pro 200 Color M251n toner cartridge.
Step 6: Replace the printhead.
Step 7: Even after considering all the preceding steps, the issue remains, service or replace the HP product.