The HP Color LaserJet CP1215 is a simple, single-function laser printer designed to fit comfortably in a small business work group. Its unobtrusive footprint and excellent quality color and black output would have made an excellent alternative to the pricier HP Color LaserJet CP2025n, but we can't recommend a printer this limited; on top of being incompatible with any Mac OS, all of our speed tests indicate a superslow output speed, and a severe feature drought dries up our enthusiasm. If you happen to be on a Mac, or typically print a large volume of color documents, take a look at the more cost-effective Dell 1320c, another color laser that offers faster color prints and even a single-sheet manual-feed slot.

Design and featuresLike the HP CP2025n, there isn't much to say about this printer's looks, or lack thereof. The same gray-and-white shades cover the exterior, except this model is missing an LCD screen. Instead, HP includes a basic control panel on the side of the faceplate that contains all the buttons necessary to operate and troubleshoot the device: a Ready light, Resume button, Cancel button, Paper Jam light, Attention light, and a series of icons that glow to indicate low toner levels all make up the majority of the control panel, with Paper Feed and Power buttons rounding out the set. The notification lights work fine, but we found ourselves wishing for just a simple two-line LCD that could display specific troubleshooting help or detailed information about a print job.

In terms of size, the printer measures a manageable 15.7 inches wide by 10 inches tall by approximately 20 inches deep. It weighs 38.9 pounds, which is considerably lighter than most laser printers, thanks to a lack of internal autoduplexing and networking hardware.

The rest of the printer is just as simple as the front, with a small Power button on the left side and a power plug on the lower back. All the paper handling and toner access takes place up front by way of several fold-out drawers. Looking from the top down, you'll find the output tray, toner drawer, and input tray at the very bottom, which can only hold up to 150 sheets of plain paper. Most businesses, even smaller ones, prefer to use a larger capacity tray with at least a 250-page capacity that won't require constant refilling.

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