The primary purpose of any printer is to print. As the SCX-5635FN is a multifunctional printer we will also be doing some scanning. I find copying is a combination of both scanning and printing so we won’t be focusing too much on that.

The SCX-5635FN has a listed print speed of 35 pages per minute. Using this text document, I managed 36 pages per minute with the first page hitting the output tray around the 9 second mark. Samsung lists 8.5 seconds. Switching to duplex mode, I managed to reach a print speed of 18.4 sheets per minute, Samsung lists 18. So far it looks like we’re spot on.

The print quality is pretty good; there are no streaks of toner on any of the lines. Here’s a scan generated by the SCX-5635FN. The print and scan are set to the best quality possible.

I also printed 5 color pictures in black and white: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4, Image 5. I would say that it’s not uncommon that you accidentally print pictures in text mode so I wanted to include the results of that as well.

Color Photos Printed Mono – Best Photo Mode

Color Photos Printed Mono – Normal Photo Mode

Color Photos Printed Mono – Best Text Mode

Color Photos Printed Mono – Normal Text Mode

There is definitely a very clear difference when it comes to text and photo quality. The shades are more gradual with the photo mode and the print job certainly has a much finer appearance. Even the difference between a normal and best quality level is apparent. If you want to save money and extend the life of your toner you will certainly save a lot by printing in normal text mode compared to best photo mode.

The last section I want to cover is power consumption. This is not an easy task as the power usage jumps throughout the entire print job. For my measurements I recorded the power usage display of my Power Angel as I printed my single-sided Word document. I did this for three print jobs and averaged the readings; I also recorded the peak recording. This should give a reasonable indication of how much the SCX_5635FN draws while printing, and it’s a lot. The average wattage drawn during a print job was 537W! Scanning any document used a reasonable 35 watts and when the printer is sleeping, 12 watts are drawn.

At work where I use a variety of Canon and Xerox printers, copiers, scanners and fax machines, I frequently encounter paper jams bringing my productivity to a halt. I’ve owned a predecessor of the SCX-5635FN and it has yet to jam on me after a few thousand print jobs. Samsung has done a remarkable amount of engineering to ensure as little maintenance as possible required.

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