The Dell 1250 and 1350 desktop color printers were introduced in September 2010. Print speeds were OEM-rated at 10 pages per minute (ppm) for color and 12 ppm for black, and 12 ppm for color and 15 ppm for black respectively. The MFP version of the 1350, the 1355, was released two months later, having had the same rated print speed as the 1350, but with print, copy, scan and fax functionality. All three models carried a monthly duty cycle rating of 30,000 pages per month.

All three models share the same supplies set - just four small toner cartridges. These cartridges are unlike conventional laser toner cartridges, being more like a toner reservoir, with no internal replaceable parts. They are keyed by color to ensure correct installation, and require chips for the printers to function correctly. The drum and fuser unit is not user-replaceable, and is designed to last for the life of the printer.

In November 2012 Dell introduced two new models based on the same print engine, with all new cartridge SKUs. Specifications for the C1760 printer and C1765 MFP were the same as the earlier 1350 and 1355 MFP models, and the new toner cartridges are backwards compatible to the earlier models. The old toner SKUs are also usable in the newer models.

Dell 1250c Color Laser Printer