OKI B412 — Features, Specs, Performance & Business Use
OKI B412 — Features, Specs, Performance & Business Use
The OKI B412 (most commonly seen as the B412dn in vendor listings) is a compact, business-focused monochrome LED printer built to deliver reliable, high-quality black-and-white output for small workgroups and branch offices. It’s part of OKI’s strategy to offer A4/A3-capable engines in a small footprint, combining fast throughput, flexible paper handling and economical consumables for teams that print a lot of text documents, invoices and forms. This article walks through the B412’s hardware, the practical performance you can expect, its strengths and trade-offs for business use, deployment tips, and total cost of ownership considerations.
Product positioning — who the B412 is for
The B412 is aimed at small to medium teams that need a dependable monochrome printer that can keep up with bursts of output without taking up a lot of desk or copy-room space. Typical buyers include finance and accounts departments, legal reception areas, branch offices, educational admin teams and general office environments where crisp text and low running cost matter more than colour or specialty finishing. The device trades fancy finishing for speed, reliability and low footprint — that’s its sweet spot.
Key specifications — the numbers that matter
Below are the B412’s headline specifications that define its capabilities:
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Print speed: Up to 33 pages per minute (A4) in normal mode, with very fast first-page-out times (≈5 seconds from Ready).
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Resolution: Up to 1,200 × 1,200 dpi for crisp mono output.
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Warm-up / performance: Rapid warm-up and a fast embedded processor (667 MHz) combine with 512 MB RAM and additional eMMC to smooth complex jobs and reduce wait times.
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Paper handling: Standard 250-sheet main tray + 100-sheet multipurpose tray; optional 530-sheet second tray expands capacity (maximum input up to ~880 sheets depending on options). Duplex (2-sided) printing is included as standard on the “dn” variants.
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Duty cycle: Maximum monthly duty cycle up to 60,000 pages, with a recommended monthly range around 250–3,000 pages for sustained reliability.
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Connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet and USB 2.0 are standard; optional Wi-Fi is available for mobile and cloud printing. Mobile printing standards such as AirPrint, Google Cloud Print (where still supported regionally), and OKI’s mobile apps are supported on configured devices.
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Consumables: Multiple toner yield options to match volume needs — standard toner (~3,000 pages) and high-capacity toner (~7,000 pages) at 5% coverage (ISO yield). A separate image drum with long life lowers per-page cost.
Those specifications summarize why the B412 is often chosen: a fast desktop printer that scales with optional trays and high-yield consumables while maintaining a small footprint.
Design, build and user experience
Physically the B412 is compact — about the size of a small desktop box — and engineered for straightforward front access to consumables and paper paths. The control surface is functional (LCD + buttons on many regional SKUs) for status and simple configuration. OKI’s LED print engine is inherently compact and tends to be quieter and mechanically simpler than older laser engines, which helps the B412 fit well in open office settings and branch counters. The build quality is pragmatic: robust enough for daily office use without the premium materials of enterprise floor machines.
Real-world printing performance
Text & document quality
The B412’s 1,200-dpi output produces very sharp, high-contrast text and extremely legible small fonts — ideal for legal documents, invoices and financial reports. Line art, tables and barcodes also print cleanly, which matters for administrative workflows.
Throughput & responsiveness
Rated at ~33 ppm on A4, the B412 handles typical office bursts smoothly; first-page times are short, so short jobs don’t feel slow. The 667 MHz processor and the device’s memory/eMMC combination help when spooling moderate PDFs or mixed content across multiple users on the network. For sustained heavy volumes, the optional second tray and high-yield toner reduce user intervention and keep the device running longer between supplies.
Reliability & serviceability
OKI’s LED architecture and the B412’s modular consumables (separate toner + image drum) simplify routine maintenance and reduce downtime: replacing a toner doesn’t require swapping the drum, so service events are quick when compared to all-in-one cartridge designs. As with any office printer, uptime improves with scheduled maintenance and genuine consumables; many customers pair the B412 with a maintenance contract for mission-critical uses.
Business use cases — where the B412 adds value
1. Small finance / accounting departments: The B412’s crisp mono output and low cost per page (with high-yield toner) make it ideal for printing invoices, statements and reconciliations.
2. Branch offices and reception desks: Compact footprint plus network printing and optional wireless make the B412 an excellent choice for satellite locations that need reliable, fast monochrome output without a large device.
3. Legal and document-intensive teams: Sharp small-font rendering and high duty capability allow lawyers and legal assistants to print dense documents and bundles efficiently.
4. Schools and administrative centers: For libraries, admissions, and admin offices that need steady black-and-white printing with low TCO, the B412 is a pragmatic pick.
5. Production light-duty consolidation: Organizations that want to bring small A3 or larger single-sheet jobs in-house can use the B412 to reduce outsourcing for basic posters or larger invoices, though it’s not a full production press.
Total cost of ownership (TCO) & consumables
The B412’s per-page economics revolve around its consumable options and duty profile:
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High-yield toners (≈7,000 pages) lower the per-page cost for busy offices and reduce staff intervention for cartridge swaps. Standard cartridges (≈3,000 pages) are useful for light users or spares. Both yields are measured at ISO/IEC coverage standards.
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Separate image drum with long service life (tens of thousands of pages on typical OKI parts) means you don’t replace a drum each time you change toner, which reduces waste and running cost.
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Optional additional paper trays increase effective uptime between refills and lower labor overhead for frequent print jobs.
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Power & efficiency: The B412 supports eco modes: low-power Deep Sleep and quick recovery, which helps reduce electricity costs in office deployments.
When modeling TCO, include toner yield/cost, drum/service kit cycles, energy, and any service contract costs. For steady mono volumes, the B412’s combination of speed, drum/toner split and high-yield options usually results in attractive per-page economics versus small desktop lasers.
Security & manageability
For networked office deployments, the B412 offers the usual suite of network protections: Ethernet connectivity with configurable protocols, encrypted secure print (to hold confidential jobs until the user releases them), and admin controls. IT teams can manage the printers via standard network management tools and monitor supplies and meter counts for fleet planning. For regulated environments, pair the device with appropriate network segmentation and print-audit policies to maintain compliance.
Strengths & limitations — a balanced view
Strengths
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Fast and consistent monochrome output (≈33 ppm) with short time to first page — great for busy offices.
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High native resolution (1,200 × 1,200 dpi) yields crisp text and legible small type.
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Multiple toner yield options (3k and 7k) and separate drum reduce running costs and waste.
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Compact footprint and optional trays make it flexible for branches and small workgroups.
Limitations
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Monochrome only — not suitable where colour output is essential.
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No integrated finishing (stapling/punch/booklet) in the basic configuration — if finishing is required, you’ll need a separate device or higher-tier MFP.
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For extremely high monthly volumes (well beyond the recommended 3,000 pages), a heavier-duty floor printer may be more cost-effective despite the B412’s 60k maximum duty rating; warranty and service plans should be chosen accordingly.
Deployment tips & practical advice
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Right-size the SKU: Buy the optional 530-sheet tray if your office prints long runs regularly — it reduces user intervention and is usually cheaper than frequent top-ups.
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Choose high-yield toner for busy users: If your monthly pages are in the hundreds, the 7,000-page cartridge lowers your effective cost per page significantly.
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Use genuine consumables and service plans: This preserves device reliability and warranty coverage; OKI’s recommended consumables also maintain image quality and reduce jams.
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Enable secure print for sensitive documents: In shared office spaces, use PIN release to prevent confidential pages from sitting in the output tray.
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Plan for firmware & driver management: Keep drivers and firmware current and use your print server or endpoint management tools to push updates and monitor meter counts.
Final verdict
The OKI B412 is a pragmatic, well-rounded monochrome printer for small workgroups and branch offices that need speedy, high-quality black-and-white printing with low running costs. Its strengths are fast throughput, sharp text quality, flexible paper handling and multiple toner yield options that let organisations match cost to volume. While it’s not a colour MFP or a finished production press, for document-centric business workflows (finance, legal, admin) the B412 offers an excellent balance of performance, economy and footprint — particularly when deployed with the right consumables and a sensible service plan.
Selected references (manufacturer & spec pages)
OKI B412dn specification pages and product brochures; OKI consumables pages listing toner yields; regional reseller datasheets and user manuals for first-page and duty cycle figures. For the latest local SKUs, firmware and warranty options check OKI’s regional site or your authorised OKI reseller.
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