PRINTING. The Lexmark MS317dn prints using laser technology, which picks up powdered 'toner' on a roller and fuses it to the paper with heat. It prints black-and-white text with Excellent quality, as we've come to expect from a laser printer. Text printing was very quick, 21.4 pages per minute, costing 3.4 cents per page. It prints black-and-white graphics well enough for most purposes, such as school reports, at 6.7 pages per minute, costing 15.5 cents per page. It has auto-duplex printing to print both on sides of the page, with no loss of quality. The capacity of the main paper tray is 250 sheets, a generous size. There's a second tray for full-size paper, allowing you to load letterhead paper, for instance.
CONTROLS and DISPLAY. The printer has a small 2-inch display screen.
CONNECTIVITY and NETWORKING. You can connect directly to a PC with a USB cable, or to your network router with an Ethernet cable.
COST OF OWNERSHIP AND TONER. When this section was last updated, the printer's purchase price was about $50, cheap for a black and white laser printer. Printing uses up toner. Over time, as you print, the costs add up. This printer uses one cartridge. The Lexmark toner cartridge used in testing was the MS/MX 317. At the time, its price was $121. We estimate the toner cartridge to last an extraordinarily long time -- around 33 months -- following a typical printing schedule. After 2 years of typical use, we estimate the total cost to be $189, low for a mono laser. The estimated yearly cost is $70, high for this printer type. So the 3-, 4- and 5-year estimates are $259, $328 and $398 respectively.
NOTE. The power switch is inconveniently located on rear panel, though like most printers, it goes into a low-power 'sleep' mode a few minutes after use.
PRINTER FIRMWARE. Firmware is software that exists inside the printer. All models are evaluated using the latest firmware version available at the time of testing.
SOFTWARE. The collection of software accompanying the printer may include: the printer driver, printer applications, electronic user manual, (and for all-in-ones:) scanning, faxing, and OCR apps. These get installed on your personal computer. All models are evaluated with a Windows 10 PC using the latest version of printer driver and printer support apps available at the time of testing. The software version was 2.7.1.0.
ABOUT THE TONER CARTRIDGE, SOFTWARE AND FIRMWARE. Our test results are valid only for the Lexmark-brand toner cartridge, and the software and firmware versions indicated. If your printer's software or firmware differ from the ones shown you either have an older or a newer version of these. Manufacturers may periodically upgrade the printer's firmware to enhance operation, fix bugs, or add features. Firmware updates are downloadable directly to your printer via a wired or wireless network (if internet capable). You can check your printer's firmware version, or upgrade to the latest firmware by either (1) running the Lexmark printer-update app installed on the PC, or (2) accessing the "Settings" section of the printer menu and navigating to the firmware update option. Consult the user manual or Lexmark's website for further guidance. Try searching online.
