The Pantum P2502W mono laser printer is smaller than many inkjet printers and is best suited for home, home office, or micro office use with low print volume, where the focus is on text output and there is no need for color. Many of its capabilities, including paper capacity and speed, are closely modeled on the HP Neverstop Laser 1001nw, our Editors’ Choice for an entry-level mono laser printer. One key difference between the two is that the P3012DW is much cheaper to buy, while the 1001nw is much cheaper to use.
Like most small black-and-white laser printers, the P2502W is easy to set up thanks to its small size-just 10.5 pounds and 7 x 13.3 x 8.7 inches (HWD) with the trays closed-and the fact that it uses only one cartridge. Aside from finding a place for the cartridge, all you have to do is take it out of the printer, prepare it by removing the protective film from the drum and the plastic tab that holds the toner in place during transport, and then put the cartridge back in the printer.
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]The small size not only makes for easy setup, but also makes the printer a convenient desktop companion and an enticing choice for any office where space is at a premium. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct, as well as USB, so you can place the printer on any flat surface and print wirelessly when you need to. The choice of white or black finish makes it even more versatile.
However, if you want to print on both sides more than occasionally, you should have it within range. That’s because the P2502W only offers manual duplex printing, which means it prints on one side of the paper when it receives a duplex print job, then waits for you to reload the stack in the correct orientation and press the “Next” button before printing on the second side of each page. The button is part of the control panel, which consists of two buttons and two status lights on the top of the printer near the front right corner.
The single paper tray is located at the front, where its open design makes it easy to refill, swap out the paper to change paper types, or add a sheet or two of specialty paper to the top of the stack if needed. The 150-sheet capacity means you’ll need to refill the paper tray a little more often than once a week if you’re reaching Pantum’s recommended usage of 700 pages per month.