The Lexmark B3442dw is a speedy, reliable business class monochrome printer. Designed with a print volume of 8,000 pages per month in mind with a maximum of 80,000 ppm. If security, speed, and reliability are a priority this printer will fit that bill.
It has outstanding security out of the box plus more security can be configured. Faster than many office copiers with a print speed of 42 pages per minute. Lexmark printers are very reliable in my experience.
The HP M404 and Canon Imageclass LBP226 have similar specs to the Lexmark B3442dw. The Lexmark is slightly faster than either printer. Although 2 ppm faster isn’t that remarkable. The dual core processor in the Lexmark will be have more impact on day to day printing.
HP and Canon are certainly cutting edge when it comes to security, however Lexmark decided to include some security features found on higher end models.
While the Canon and Lexmark are close in cost, the HP is significantly more expensive. While all 3 of these printers are great, the Lexmark represents the most bang for your buck.
Features
The Lexmark B3442dw comes standard with WiFi, USB, and ethernet connections. It has auto duplex, a 250 sheet cassette, and a 100 sheet multipurpose tray. A 550 sheet cassette is optional but recommended.
Many printers have just two toner cartridge capacities. Yet the Lexmark B3442dw toner cartridges are available in three capacities: standard at 1,500, high yield at 3,000, & extra high yield at 6,000.
It has a dual core processor and 256 MB of memory. Which gets the first page out in 6 seconds. Processing of excel spreadsheets or larger PDF’s will be faster as well.
To test the print speed I printed emails and my tax forms. These pages had less coverage than the ISO/IEC 19752 standard B&W test page. My tests revealed the Lexmark B3442dw clocked in at 41.8 pages per minute. The text was sharp and bold, more than adequate for any document.
The web interface is much more advanced than other printers in this segment. It has a modern layout with many images for a quick relay of information.
There are two optional cabinets available. These options are one or the other, both cannot be used. The first is an adjustable printer stand on wheels. Which can raise or lower the Lexmark B3442dw and be moved around.
The second option is a swivel cabinet with a locking drawer. The top can swivel around and it can hold 3 reams of paper in the locked drawer.
Setup
For setup I unboxed the unit, removed some packing tape, and added the toner cartridge. I entered basic info like region, language, and time upon first boot. Configuration of the network involves manually inputting the information using the 2 line display. As long as you have patience and time it isn’t too difficult in my experience.
Once available on the network everything is better done from the web interface. Being a business class printer it does not have a setup utility.
To test it’s weight and proportions I used a standard ruler and scale. I placed the printer on the scale and determined it weighed 21.4 lbs.
I measured its dimensions at 14.4 inches wide, 14.2 inches deep, and 8.8 inches high. A fairly light and compact laser printer.
Security
One of my accounts has just over 40 Lexmark printers. They are a pharmacy and keep their printers busy. One of the things that appealed to them was Lexmark’s built in security. Lexmark recently won the Buyers Lab PaceSetter award for document security. It has more out of box security than other printers in this segment. Plus customizable security sets it apart even more.
It has built in security for remote management. Unauthorized network requests are restricted. A standard practice by Lexmark is to only install necessary software modules from the factory. If an idle process isn’t running it can’t be exploited. Any of these features can always be added if needed.
Those are the built in features, Lexmark also has configurable features to further increase security. Confidential printing will hold jobs at the printer until a 4 to 10 digit code is entered, then jobs are printed. IPSec protocol is supported. User codes can be enabled to restrict access to printing, web access, or other features.
The event log can be accessed by the web interface should an IT or tech savvy person need it. It can be configured to send emails should there be unauthorized access or failed login attempts. While these features are standard for office copiers, they are rare on printers.
Printer Support
Lexmark printer support has been top notch in my experience. Although being an authorized tech gives me access to tech bulletins and the service library, the same support site is provided for everyone. Their support site can be easier to navigate than some other support sites I’ve used. Some sites seem so vast since they include everything from computers to cameras as well as printers.
Not so with the Lexmark support site. Each product has its own library. The B3442 has a one stop shop for print drivers, knowledgebase, warranty, manuals, how to’s, etc.
Lexmark provides phenomenal phone support. I’ve used their phone support both as an authorized tech and an end user. Either way they were quick, knowledgeable, and able to provide a solution.
Print Drivers
Lexmark offers the most diverse range of print drivers I’ve seen. Banks, healthcare, and government offices should have no issues finding a suitable print driver for the B3442. The typical print drivers for Windows and Mac are provided. Still print drivers for Linux are well developed and supported.
Included print languages are: PCL 5c Emulation, PCL 5e Emulation, PCL 6 Emulation, PostScript 3 Emulation, Direct Image.
The 32 & 64 bit print drivers for Debian and OpenSUSE should cover most installs of Linux. A 32 bit print driver for Linux Mint users. Lexmark also provides a CUPS print driver for Linux installs.
Of course the Airprint or Mopria print services are available too, making tablet or mobile device setup a breeze. Mac and Chromebook also support these services.
Universal Print Driver
All Universal print drivers should be like the Lexmark Universal print driver. Most universal print drivers I work with are just stripped down versions of PCL. Other brands remove all the features in order to make it universally compatible. Which works as far as it goes.
Lexmark does something different with their universal print driver. All the features are disabled by default, which fulfills universal compatibility. Yet they are not removed and can be enabled as needed. Job accounting. watermarking. or sorting can still be used with their Universal Print Driver.
Even advanced features such as adding fonts or assigning forms to trays can be done directly from the print driver. These features are typically done through the web interface
Summary
A fast and reliable business class monochrome printer. The Lexmark B3442dw can handle mid to high volume printing. The diverse connection and print driver features ensure compatibility with about any environment out there. An optional cassette and toner capacities offer flexibility for different placements. A good fit for healthcare, financial, government, or any office with security as a priority.
The Copier Guy, aka Dave. I’ve worked on scanners, printers, copiers, and faxes over 23 years. When I’m not fixing them I’m writing about them. Although, I’m probably better at fixing them. I’ve worked with every major brand. As well as several types of processes. If it uses paper I’ve probably worked on one.
