Xerox VersaLink C405 review

A versatile printer with a handy touchscreen

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We liked

This is an especially high-capacity multifunction printer that can really churn out the pages without losing any clarity or consistency, which makes it great for a busy office with a high workload. Vivid colour copies land in the document tray just as quickly and look no less crisp and detailed. 

Although it looks like a professional enterprise-only printer, it can be set up without calling for IT support, so it will also suit small to medium-sized businesses. What really stands out, though, is the helpful touchscreen interface, populated by ConnectKey apps. Once you have chosen and configured your favourite apps, the 5-inch screen is much easier to use than the usual LCD control panel.

We disliked

The first barrier to buying this MFP could be accommodating its sheer size and weight, as it’s just too tall to stand on a desk. And despite the bulk, the paper size is limited to A4 with no A3 expansion tray.

It’s also expensive and we suspect some of the cost goes towards paying for the large colour touchscreen, which is an unnecessary luxury in our opinion. In an age of smart devices, it makes more sense to harness the power of the nearest smartphone for any processing jobs. It’s also a shame the Wi-Fi module is not included by default, and is just an optional extra.

Final verdict

For a small to medium business where paper is used liberally, this high-capacity, high-speed printer is a reliable workhorse. It prints quickly and accurately in colour and monochrome and feels as though it is built to last. Scanning is just as speedy at resolutions up to 600 dpi. 

Much is made of the 5-inch touchscreen display, which is indeed far easier to interact with than the usual LCD control panel. It is still somewhat sluggish and frustrating, however, and we’d rather use a smartphone to operate the various ConnectKey apps. Of course, that’s often not practical in a business environment, in which case, the simplified interface and speedy paper handling will surely justify the high price of this MFP in the long run.

Jim Hill

Jim is a seasoned expert when it comes to testing tech. From playing a prototype PlayStation One to meeting a man called Steve about a new kind of phone in 2007, he’s always hunting the next big thing at the bleeding edge of the electronics industry. After editing the tech section of Wired UK magazine, he is currently specialising in IT and voyaging in his VW camper van.