Product Listing

Lexmark Genesis S815 All-In-One Printer - Snap and Print

By Ng Chong Seng - 7 Jun 2011
Launch SRP: S$499

Image Quality

Image Quality  

Below are crops of the Genesis S815's document print and copy outputs. The font used was Arial at size 12. As mentioned in the test setup page, the Normal quality setting was used. When printing the document that consisted only of pure black text, the 'Print using black ink only' option was selected. For most printers, if this option isn't selected, color inks may be mixed and used even when printing black text or graphics. This is often done to improve print quality and longevity.

Print quality: Normal, B&W  Print quality: Normal, Color
Copy quality: Normal, B&W Copy quality: Normal, Color

Overall, we were very happy with the Genesis S815's text print quality. Text was very black and very well formed, rivaling some of the best we've seen from other brands. On the other hand, the copied version wasn't as black as the original, and the letters appeared thinner (most apparent in the B&W copy). Graphics quality was very respectable too: generally sharp and with good contrast. While print dots could be seen when we scrutinized photo paper print closely, they became hardly noticeable when viewed at an arm's length away. Contrast and sharpness were a tad too much for our liking, but they did lend to a punchy-looking image.
 

A Closer Look at the Scan Quality

We've already established in our speed tests that the Flash Scan technology resulted in super-fast scans. But since the Genesis S815 also claims to use a 10-megapixel imager to scan (or should we say capture) an image, we became very eager to find out how the quality would stack up against a typical AIO using a CIS (contact image sensor) scanner. Though we've used the Lexmark Prospect SE Pro208's scans in the comparisons below, we've also compared the S815's scan results against those from other AIOs we've reviewed in the past to derive our conclusion.

In general, the S815's scan quality turned out to be good. To put it another way, it didn't disappoint us, but neither did it wow us. Because it functions rather similar to a digital camera, we expected some degree of distortion, especially toward the peripherals. To our relief, distortion was non-existent. For the most part, the scans showed smooth gradations and pleasing colors. However, they also appeared soft. Details, while present, were not as sharp. They looked as if they had gone through some kind of noise-reduction or smoothening process.

In the end, these results would also mean that the Genesis S815 is probably a better option for photos since they don't really require sharp details but could benefit from smoother gradients. Documents with line diagrams, sketches and CAD drawings for example,  would fare better with a typical CIS-based scanner. As such, it really depends on your personal needs and what you might dabble with more often - there's no clear winner from our findings.

The Genesis S815's scan produces a softer-looking image, but gradations are arguably smoother. This crop from a scan by the Lexmark Prospect SE Pro208 exhibits noticeably sharper details, but grain is apparent too.
Here's another example of the softness in the S815's scan. Notice that the numbers and words on the scale become less legible. Comparatively, while the Pro208's version shows more "noise", the numbers on the scale are more distinct.

 

Overall Quality Scores - A Subset of Performance Ratings
Criteria Score (out of 10)
Text prints 8.0
Graphics prints 8.0
Scan quality 8.0
Photo prints 8.0
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8.5
  • Design 8.5
  • Performance 8.5
  • Features 8
  • Value 8
The Good
Fast scanning
Good print quality
Custom apps enhance usability
The Bad
Scan quality not dramatically better
Only one paper input tray
No ADF function
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