HP LaserJet 1200: direct monochrome printing with two included paper feeds review

The base 1200 is a monochrome printer

The HP LaserJet 1200 is an earlier monochrome laser for directly connected computer printing. HP's exact US product page identifies C7044A and marks it discontinued. This review covers the documented US electrical configuration, with the original manual's 110–120-volt, 50/60-Hz requirement. Its separate higher-voltage editions should not be treated as interchangeable hardware.

The shared user guide covers both the printer and Print-Copy-Scan products, so reading only its cover can be misleading. Inside, HP explicitly identifies C7046A as an added copier/scanner attachment. That accessory is not included in the base 1200 configuration reviewed here. The printer therefore does not qualify for scanning, copying paper originals or fax just because those tasks appear elsewhere in the same book.

Two included feeds provide ordinary paper flexibility

The main input holds 250 sheets of 75 g/m² paper, while the priority input holds another ten ordinary sheets. Their combined included ordinary-paper capacity is 260. Letter, Legal and A4 fit the documented supported-size range. Adjust the side and rear guides for the actual paper rather than letting a smaller stack sit loosely inside a larger setting.

The priority tray feeds before the main tray, which is useful for a different first page or a short special-stock job. For example, the guide describes loading a letterhead cover separately from the following plain-paper pages. This does not mean that the same physical tray can simultaneously hold two full stacks of different sizes.

Heavier media reduces sheet capacity. The ordinary top output path supports a different weight range from the straight-through path, so follow the appropriate stock instructions. The original guide rates the top output bin at 125 sheets; it is not a 260-sheet output stack just because the inputs can hold that much.

For one envelope, use the priority tray; multiple envelopes use the main tray. Open the straight-through output door to reduce curling, load with the stamp end forward and print side up, fit the guides and choose the Envelope optimization. Media leaving the straight path does not form a normal output-bin stack: it drops to the surface below unless collected.

Two-sided printing requires manual reloading

The 1200 does not provide automatic print duplex. HP's Windows manual-duplex routine runs the paper through twice: print the first sides, remove unused paper, straighten and reload the printed stack in the instructed orientation, then continue the second sides. For ordinary lighter paper the guide uses the closed straight-through door and top output bin; heavier stock has a separate straight-path routine.

The guide explicitly limits its documented manual-duplex feature to Windows. A general two-sided setting in another program is not independently verified here. If the work requires automatic two-sided pages, this printer is outside that requirement even though it can produce manually turned documents.

Use the actual direct connection and software

Standard computer connections are USB and a legacy IEEE-1284 parallel interface. A parallel setup needs the appropriate bidirectional cable and computer-port settings. The original guide specifies ECP on the host computer. A compatible current print driver and a real test job matter more than assuming the software on an old installation disc still fits a present computer.

The manual lists PCL 5e, PCL 6 and PostScript Level 2 emulation. Those printer languages can help define a compatible existing print workflow, but do not promise every feature in every modern operating system. The separately obtained Jetdirect 175X print server adds networking; it is not included Ethernet. Native Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, AirPrint, Mopria and secure document PIN release are not established for the base direct configuration.

Read volume and toner figures with their original basis

HP rates printing up to 15 Letter pages per minute, separately 14 A4. These are maker specifications, not measured results from this review. The manual calls 10,000 single-sided pages a maximum monthly duty figure and separately gives an average of 1,000. An average is not presented here as an independently established recommended monthly maximum.

Replacement toner is C7115A, declared at an average 2,500 text pages, or C7115X at 3,500. The stated condition is 5% coverage, print density 3 and EconoMode off; an ISO declaration is not invented. These figures do not establish remaining toner in a particular cartridge.

The printer specification gives approximately 16.3 inches width, 19.1 depth and 10.0 height, with 16.1 pounds including the cartridge. Allow extra access and output clearance. Inspect feed rollers, separation parts and output, and verify the actual cable, driver and paper routine. A maintained base 1200 can serve a modest monochrome computer queue when its print-only scope and manual handling suit the job.