Description
What The RICOH IM C3500 Is
The RICOH IM C3500 is a color laser multifunction copier for an office floor rather than a desk. Ricoh lists it at 35 pages per minute with copy, print and scan functions and optional fax, automatic duplex, network connectivity and WiFi, PostScript 3 support and a maximum print resolution of 1200 by 1200 dpi. Paper capacity is quoted up to 4,700 pages.
The chassis dimensions tell the rest of the story: 23 by 37.9 by 27 inches. This is a floor standing office machine of the type usually specified by a dealer and placed in a copy room, not something bought for a home office. Compared with a desktop color laser multifunction such as the HP LaserJet Pro M477fnw, it is a different category of equipment with a different purchase process.
Speed And Paper Capacity
Thirty five pages per minute is a moderate speed for a floor standing copier, which typically means the machine is positioned for a department rather than for an entire building. The more telling number is the paper capacity of up to 4,700 pages. That figure describes a configuration with multiple trays and a high capacity tray rather than a base machine, and it is the specification that separates a copier from a printer: the point is not printing faster, it is running a long job without anyone reloading paper.
Media handling is listed as Letter, Legal from the bypass tray, 12 by 18 inch and various other sizes, with maximum media size given as Custom. The 12 by 18 inch support is worth noting because it covers oversized documents and full bleed letter output, which office printers generally cannot handle.
Always Current Technology
Ricoh builds this model on what it calls the Always Current Technology platform, describing it as allowing the device to be updated with new features, enhancements and online services after purchase. On office equipment with a service life measured in years, that is a real consideration: a machine that can gain new workflow integrations over time ages differently from one whose feature set is fixed at manufacture. The listing does not describe how those updates are delivered or whether they require a service agreement, so that should be established with the supplier.
Toner And Running Costs
The included components field lists toner cartridges, which is useful to know but incomplete. A color laser uses four toners rather than one, and machines of this class typically also use imaging units or drums and a waste toner container, each replaced on its own schedule and each a separate part number.
This listing does not say whether the included toner is a full set or a starter set, does not give a yield figure for any cartridge, and does not mention drums or waste containers at all. On a copier, consumables and service usually dominate the total cost of ownership rather than the purchase price, so those figures matter more here than on a small printer. Buyers should establish the cartridge part numbers, their yields and the drum replacement interval before committing, and offices comparing running costs across brands can look at machines such as the HP Color LaserJet M751dn and the Xerox C410.
One more point about the format. Floor standing copiers are usually operated by many people who have not read a manual, which is why the control panel and the default job settings matter as much as the print engine. This listing does not describe the control panel at all, so anyone specifying the machine for a shared office should ask to see the interface before ordering.
Highlights
- Color laser copying, printing and scanning in one machine.
- Rated at 35 pages per minute.
- Maximum print resolution of 1200 by 1200 dpi.
- Paper capacity quoted up to 4,700 pages.
- Automatic duplex printing.
- Network connectivity and WiFi.
- PostScript 3 support for graphics workflows.
- 12 by 18 inch media support.
- Optional fax.
- Ricoh Always Current Technology platform for feature updates.
Things To Consider
Before the specific gaps, one general note: equipment at this size is normally quoted rather than bought off a page, and much of what a buyer needs is missing here.
This listing has no product images at all, which is unusual for a machine of this size and price and makes it impossible to see the configuration being sold. That matters here more than on most products, because floor standing copiers are sold in many configurations with different tray counts, finishers and cabinets, and the 4,700 page capacity figure implies optional trays that may or may not be included. Only four feature bullets are published and no weight is given.
- No product images are published on the listing.
- The configuration being sold is not described, and the paper capacity figure implies optional trays.
- Whether the included toner is a starter or full set is not stated.
- Drums, waste toner containers and their replacement intervals are not mentioned.
- Scan speed and copy speed are not stated separately from the print speed.
- Fax is optional, not included.
- Machine weight is not published, and equipment this size normally requires professional delivery and installation.
- Copiers of this class are usually sold with a service agreement, which is not addressed here.
Who Should Buy It And Who Should Not
The IM C3500 suits an office department that produces substantial volumes of color documents and wants a single machine handling copying, printing and scanning with large paper reserves. The 12 by 18 inch media support and PostScript 3 make it a reasonable fit for offices producing marketing material in house, and the update platform suits an organization keeping equipment for several years. Paired with a production scanner such as the Canon DR-G1100, it covers both directions of a paper workflow.
It is the wrong machine for a home office or a small business, where the size, the installation requirement and the service model are all disproportionate. Those buyers should look at desktop color lasers such as the Brother MFC-L8900CDW or a comparable desktop color laser instead, comparing across the laser printers category and the copiers category.