Dell S3845cdn review

A color office MFP with a genuinely single-pass document feeder

The Dell S3845cdn is an earlier color multifunction printer combining printing, scanning, copying and fax. Its useful document-workflow feature is a 50-sheet, dual-head single-pass duplex feeder. That mechanism is explicitly named in the original specification, rather than inferred from an automatic-print-duplex label.

It can be relevant to an established wired office network handling two-sided originals and color output. The 5-inch touchscreen and built-in credential-security features are additional controls, but the actual connection and paper routes remain the important matching conditions.

Network scanning is supported; USB computer scanning is not

The original footnote expressly says that scanning through a USB connection is unsupported. A rear computer USB port still supports its documented printing role, and front thumb-drive or card-reader ports have different functions. Those sockets should not be combined into a fictional USB computer-scanning workflow.

For computer scanning, the specification names network TWAIN and Mac ICA drivers, alongside configured SMB folders and FTP servers. Appropriate compatible software, network visibility and destination credentials are part of the arrangement. Select Ethernet when that full print-and-scan workflow is essential.

Legal sheets can use the single-pass feeder, not the shorter glass

The feeder accepts originals up to 8.5×14 inches, including Legal. The flatbed maximum is 8.5×11.7 inches, covering Letter and A4. A need to scan Legal on the glass therefore differs from a need to feed ordinary Legal sheets.

The single-pass dual-head mechanism can handle both sides through the documented feeder route. It does not imply that every original, bound item or special sheet belongs in the ADF. Color scanning is separately supported; scanning rates are different from the color printer's output rate.

700 sheets are standard; the larger configuration adds a drawer

The standard input arrangement is a 550-sheet cassette plus a 150-sheet multipurpose path, totaling 700 ordinary sheets. A separately sold 550-sheet drawer raises the configured maximum to 1,250. A cabinet, wireless adapter and other depicted options should not be presumed included.

The main cassette explicitly names Letter, Legal and A4. For a paper-specific minimum, we use that confirmed 550-sheet path rather than extending every multipurpose permission without its detailed operating table. Automatic print duplex is explicitly demonstrated for Letter; a general one-sided size list does not establish Legal or A4 automatic duplex here.

Mobile protocols and private collection use their own conditions

Native AirPrint and Mopria are documented for an appropriate shared network. The optional Wi-Fi adapter is not an included radio, and USB computer printing does not inherit those network mobile protocols. Check the actual network and device setup.

Secure Print uses a 4–12-digit PIN to release a job. The built-in TPM protects stored credentials and is a separate security feature. The SharePoint integration is specifically for On-Premise 2010 and 2013, so it should not be presented as guaranteed compatibility with today's cloud platform or every later server.

Use the recommended workload and actual installation measurements

Dell recommends 2,000–6,000 pages per month, distinct from the 80,000-page maximum duty cycle. One-sided printing is declared at 36ppm Letter in monochrome or color, with a separate Letter duplex rate. These are manufacturer declarations, not our test results.

The body measures 17.4×21.2×23.6 inches and weighs 72.8lb with consumables, before optional installation changes. Allow feeder, glass, paper and service access. Check the actual US rating label, compatible current drivers and available supplies. Historical toner yields do not establish remaining component life, current stock or today's cost per page.