Hewlett-Packard’s Color LaserJet 4700 family offers few frills, but it is a reliable, fast color printer series at a moderate price.

At 31ppm, it was a major speed upgrade from the once popular but discontinued 22ppm Color LaserJet 4650 family, though it otherwise has similar features and prices. The 4700n, which is now the network-ready base model, has a street price of $1,349. A networked version with duplexing, the 4700dn, goes for $1,599. The 4700dtn adds two extra standard paper trays and goes for $2,499.

The Color LaserJet 4700n and 4700dn come standard with a 100-sheet multipurpose tray and a 500-sheet paper tray capacity. The 4700dtn comes with three 500-sheet trays standard, for a standard capacity of 1,600 sheets. Optional inputs in increments of 500 sheets can be added to all models to increase the total paper supply to 2,600 sheets.

Output capacity is 500 sheets, which is better than some, but still low for heavy-duty workgroup use. Optional single-position stapling of up to 30 sheets at a time adds 750 sheets of output capacity for $699. That is suitable for simple office work.

These models also have job retention features. These include proof and hold (which allows you to send a job to the printer, print only the first copy for proofing, and then either release the job from the printer control panel or delete it if you find mistakes in the proof) and private (or secure) printing (which allows you to send a confidential job to the printer and hold it for release at the control panel to avoid it being seen by prying eyes). HP has been gradually introducing these features to all its laser printers, after first introducing them on its upscale monochrome models. (To activate these features, you need the hard drive.)

There are a variety of features that enhance the 4700 family’s attractiveness. The printers

The consumables costs for the Color LaserJet 4700 models, at around 10.3¢ in color and about 1.8¢ in black-and-white, are pretty much in line with industry averages. The high-capacity cartridges, though very convenient in the long run, will require large initial cash outlay once the starter cartridges run out. The color cartridges have a street cost of about $283 each, and the high-capacity black costs $199!

For a fuller review and for information on other similar products, see the Better Buys for Business Color Laser Printer Guide.

Tags: 4700dn, 4700dtn, 4700n, HP, LaserJet