Printers aren’t exactly known for their innovations. But every now and then there’s a printer that catches the eye.

The HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw has done just that. The printer builds on the company’s long tradition of high-quality laser printers with its new environmentally friendly and energy-efficient TerraJet toner and its unique dial-based user interface.

I put the new Color LaserJet Pro through its paces to find out how well this new technology works, checking print performance, quality and long-term costs. To be considered one of the best color laser printers, it has to be outstanding in every way – and I’m happy to report that this printer is.

design

The HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw is an attractive printer with a striking navy blue front panel on a white chassis. It has a sturdy design but is not too bulky. It measures 42.4 x 42.4 cm and is 28.4 cm high. It weighs 16 kg, so it is not too heavy to move if necessary.

The Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw’s user interface is unique. To keep costs down, printer manufacturers often use buttons and a standard screen instead of a touchscreen, but HP has opted for a 4-line monochrome display and a dial – a smart choice.

Think about how easy it is to adjust the volume with a dial or to adjust the temperature of an oven. With a quick turn, you get exactly what you need without having to repeatedly click a button. I really enjoyed the dial on the Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw. for navigating and scrolling. The dial also functions as a button, so I press it to select or hold it to open a context menu.

A USB-A port on the top left is hidden behind a flip-up dust cover, making on-site printing convenient.

A 250-sheet paper tray is located in a drawer on the bottom of the HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw. The tall blue cover above it tilts forward to reveal a 50-sheet media tray for labels, envelopes, and alternative media.

Printing performance

The HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw is designed for speed without sacrificing quality. The first page is out in just nine seconds. For longer documents, pages are printed at 35 pages per minute (ppm). Color prints are just as fast as black and white prints. Duplex speeds are slightly slower to 31 ppm, and using both sides of the paper saves paper.

HP’s TerraJet toner fuses at lower temperatures, uses 27% less energy, and delivers more consistent colors. In my tests, the Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw processed photos almost as well as an inkjet printer and much faster.

To be clear, an inkjet printer handles subtle tones better, offers borderless printing, and some, like the Epson EcoTank ET-8500, use a six-color ink system to expand the dynamic range and color accuracy of photo prints.

The HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw is designed for the office, where you need color documents more often than glossy images, and it handles the task with flying colors. Color graphics blocks are printed cleanly and without streaks, lines or spots.

It’s a great color laser printer that’s versatile and fast enough for any task.

Special features

The HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw has two USB-A ports: one on the front and one on the back. Both accept USB sticks.

For walk-up printing, I tried the front port and found that I need to enable it before it works. The toggle is under advanced settings in the HP Smart app.

Using the rotary knob, I can select any file on the flash drive, PDF or image, adjust print settings and print without having to install a driver on my computer or an app on my phone. This is very convenient in a shared workspace.

I haven’t tried the rear USB-A port, but HP says it’s for job storage. A USB stick can store print jobs to quickly make copies of frequently used documents or hold prints until a specific person arrives at the printer. Again, this is a great feature for a busy office, but not as important for home use.

Software and compatibility

Setup on the printer was quick and easy. HP’s self-healing dual-band Wi-Fi connected to my network in seconds. I used the dial to enter my Wi-Fi password. In hindsight, I should have pressed the WPS button on my router and selected that option from the Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw’s menu.

There are USB-B and Ethernet ports on the back for direct connection to a computer. Windows and Mac computers recognize the HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw immediately, and the HP Smart app for iOS and Android lets me check toner levels and access advanced settings.

Once I enabled the front USB-A port, everything worked as expected. I was able to print everything quickly and with great quality on labels, envelopes, cardstock, or standard paper.

Price

HP’s list price for the Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw is $569, but you can find it for as little as $399. That’s a great price for a reliable and robust color laser printer that prints 35 pages per minute. The Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw’s retail price makes it almost as affordable as Brother’s HL-L3295CDW.

I researched toner costs, an important aspect when assessing the long-term value of a printer. HP makes the 210A and 210X cartridges. The latter last three times longer and offer significant savings over time.

A standard black toner cartridge lasts for about 2,000 pages, while the high-capacity cartridge delivers 7,500 pages. Each standard color toner cartridge lasts for 1,800 pages, while the high-capacity model delivers up to 5,500 pages.

I calculated the cost based on current cartridge prices and found that black and white printing is cheap while color printing is affordable. The average cost for black and white documents is 2 to 5 cents per page. For color printing, the high-yield cartridges are more important, costing 12 to 20 cents per page.

The cost of color printing is lower than Canon’s highly rated imageClass MF654cdw multifunction device, while offering faster speeds.

Is this the right printer for you?

The HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw is a great color laser printer that is fun to use. I like the retro dial interface. The print quality is exceptional and the speed is impressive.

For small businesses, there’s plenty of capacity as your office grows. The recommended duty cycle is 4,000 pages per month, but the printer can handle up to 50,000 pages to handle large projects. An optional 550-sheet paper tray means you don’t have to refill paper as often.

The Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw is an ideal choice for small businesses, but also works well for home offices. It’s affordable, not too big or heavy, and can do everything you want in a printer.

If you need copy, scan, and fax capabilities, the HP Color LaserJet Pro 4301fdw offers the same print quality and speed but includes a flatbed scanner and automatic document feeder.