HP Color LaserJet 3800dn: wired color and automatic Legal duplex review

A wired color printer with the dn hardware included

The HP Color LaserJet 3800dn suits an earlier office setup that needs color printing, a shared Ethernet queue and automatic two-sided pages. Its deciding limitation is its print-only scope: there is no scanner, copier or fax. Wireless networking and the hard disk needed for retained PIN jobs are additional accessories.

HP's exact US page identifies Q5983A#ABA and explicitly marks it discontinued. This review concerns the documented low-voltage US configuration. The US brochure lists 110–127 V at 50/60 Hz; the later original manual gives 100–127 V for its low-voltage models. Both accommodate ordinary US 120-V power, but they do not make a separate 220–240-V machine interchangeable. Inspect the actual plate and installed hardware.

Keep standard paper capacity separate from expansion

The included inputs are a 100-sheet multipurpose Tray 1 and a 250-sheet Tray 2, giving 350 ordinary sheets. The original size table supports Letter, Legal and A4 in both. When both inputs contain the selected stock, the documented included capacity is therefore 350 for each of those sizes. Heavier or thicker media can reduce capacity.

The 500-sheet lower Tray 3 is optional on this dn. It is included in the different dtn configuration, whose 850-sheet headline and taller photograph should not describe the standard dn. The top output bin holds a separate 250 sheets; output space is not another supply of blank paper.

For ordinary one-sided Tray 1 work, extend its support, load printable side down with the short top edge entering first and bring the guides lightly against the stack. Keep paper below the tabs and avoid adding it during printing. Tray 2 uses its size-marked length and width guides. One-sided letterhead loads face up with its top toward the front; its duplex orientation differs.

Set the actual tray type and size through Paper Handling and select matching stock in the driver. ANY SIZE and ANY TYPE make Tray 1 act as a first-choice input when a job does not name another tray. Specific settings are more appropriate when protecting a consistent form or special stock from unrelated print jobs.

Automatic duplex needs the correct stock and binding

The exact 3800dn includes automatic duplex, independently confirmed in the model configuration table. Its documented ordinary automatic sizes include Letter, Legal and A4 at 60–120 g/m². This is a printing function, not two-sided document scanning.

Use the compatible driver's two-sided setting and confirm its installed-duplex configuration. Long-edge binding gives the familiar book arrangement; short-edge binding suits a calendar-style turnover. A control-panel duplex default affects all jobs, so a per-job driver choice is preferable when different people use the queue.

For automatic duplex preprinted forms, load Tray 1 face up and bottom first. In Tray 2, load them face down with the top at the back. During the job, a sheet briefly projects into the output area before being pulled back for its second side. Wait until it finishes rather than taking it early.

Envelopes use a separate one-sided routine in Tray 1, up to ten suitable envelopes. Load the printable face down, stamp area farthest from the printer and short edge toward it. Match envelope size and source in software. Avoid clasps, windows and unsuitable adhesives, and never duplex envelopes. Labels, transparencies, glossy film and other restricted media should not inherit the ordinary duplex setting.

USB and Ethernet are actual included computer routes

A computer can connect to the printer's USB 2.0 port with a separately supplied cable. For a shared office queue, the dn includes a Jetdirect 10/100 Ethernet interface. The EIO expansion slot, optional wireless adapter and host-accessory connection are different facilities; none establishes included Wi-Fi or another ordinary computer USB port.

The original network procedure supports setting an IP address, subnet mask and gateway through Configure Device, I/O and Embedded Jetdirect. A configuration page helps identify the actual address, and the embedded web server provides device, tray and network administration. A browser management page does not turn this printer into a scanner.

AirPrint and Mopria were not established in the reviewed sources. Bonjour-compatible discovery alone does not prove either. The original operating-system list is historical, so verify a usable driver and the necessary duplex controls on the intended computer before choosing a unit.

PIN retention needs an added hard disk

The manual explicitly limits both Retrieve Job and stored-job management to printers with an installed hard drive. Its four-digit PIN procedure is real, but the disk is not in the standard dn box. The recommendation therefore does not promise included PIN release merely because the machine has 288 MB of RAM or a Job Storage driver tab.

If secure held output is essential, seek a documented configuration that includes the required storage and compatible driver. For this standard dn, ordinary wired duplex color printing is the supported use. An office needing document capture should instead choose an actual multifunction device.

Inspect supplies and working space

HP recommends 1,500–5,000 monthly pages, separately from a 65,000-page maximum duty. The main original configuration specifies up to 22 Letter ppm, with black and color supported by the US brochure; A4 is separately 21 ppm. These maker ratings do not establish measured output or duplex speed.

Exact supplies are Q6470A black, Q7581A cyan, Q7582A yellow and Q7583A magenta. The US brochure declares 6,000 pages per supplied full-capacity cartridge on a five-percent coverage basis. That historical declaration is neither an ISO yield claim nor evidence of toner remaining in an earlier unit. Confirm exact cartridges rather than borrowing the neighboring 3600 color supplies.

The dn body is about 15.7 inches wide, 17.7 deep and 16.7 high. The brochure gives 61.6 lb with cartridges; the manual's 47.4 lb excludes them. Allow additional room for open trays, cables, duplex output movement and front-door supply access. Inspect condition, service needs and supplies before committing.