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Photo Speed/Timing (0)
The X342n is not built for printing photos, so we did not conduct a photo printing test.
Color Accuracy (0)
The X342n is solely a black-and-white printer, so no color accuracy tests were possible.
Color Gamut (0)
The range of reproducible colors is not relevant to the X342n, since it only prints with black toner.
Dmax (2.80)
Dmax is an important gauge of a printer’s capabilities of reproducing gray and black tones. We test this by printing out a standard test chart from Imatest. Then we read the chart’s black strips with our EyeOne Pro spectrophotometer, which results in density readings. The blackest black the X342n could produce resulted in a Dmax score of 1.49, on par with other laser printers, but certainly no comparison to the densities of blacks from inkjet printers. (The maximum density typically achievable by high-end inkjet photo printers is 2.50.) We used Staples Heavyweight Gloss Color Laser Paper for this test.
While the X342n is not intended for photo printing, the multifunction can print in grayscale, so the Dmax score is a good indicator of the range of tones the printer can produce. With the black density scoring as low as it does, this narrows the range of reproducible gray tones. Examples can be seen in the next section.
Monochrome (4.00)
This narrowed range of tones discussed in the Dmax section above can be clearly seen in these reproduced test images below. The image on the right is the digital image we use as a test image for our monochrome printing test. The image on the left is that same image printed using the Lexmark X342n. (The image printed with the Lexmark X342n has been scanned, so it is used here for illustration purposes only and not as a direct reflection of the printing capabilities of the printer.)
Despite this being a scanned version of the print, it can still be seen that the range of tones is clipped, notable especially in the highlights and shadows of the X342n image. The baboon baby’s head lacks the detail found in the original. Likewise, the noses of the two adult baboons are more blown out and contain less detail than in the original.
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Lexmark X342n
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Original Image
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