What is the best color laser printer?

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Posted By
Amy_DeTar
Feb 21, 2008
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497
Replies
15
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I am looking to purchase my 1st color laser printer. Iam a graphic designer that does print and web projects. I would like to find one that is great but not too pricey. Any help would be wonderful.
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best color laser print

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P
Phosphor
Feb 21, 2008
"Too pricey" is a relative term. How much do you want to spend?

Other questions you need to answer:
• What requirements do you have for paper/card stock handling? • Do you want, or need, automatic duplexing?
• How many images do you foresee printing every month?
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Amy_DeTar
Feb 21, 2008
Is it possible to get one that will print good on photo quality for under $600??

Mainly #100text and some cover stock.
Automatic duplexing would be nice.
Printing about an average of 75 a month

Thank you,
I
ID._Awe
Feb 21, 2008
Check out the Xerox Phaser, they are not much more expensive than your budget and it includes full Adobe PostScript3. I’ve been using an 8550 model for over a year and I am quite happy with it.
BL
Bob Levine
Feb 21, 2008
Check out the Dell 3110cn.

Best bang for the buck you’ll get. You can pick up a refurb now at the Dell Outlet for $339.00.

At that price it’s an absolute steal.

Bob
RK
r.koelzer
Feb 21, 2008
Hello!

schrieb:
I am looking to purchase my 1st color laser printer.
Fine!

Iam a graphic designer that does print and web projects. You do print for customer’s preview?

I would like to find one that is great but not too pricey. Look for the Lexmark C530dn. Costs ~450-500$
We first got a KM mc5430dl, but the price of the color-cartridges were way to expensive (~140-210$ each for 3.000 pages). He also lack a bit of color-acuracy.

The Lexmark has built-in duplex, Postscript, PCL, an Ethernet-interface, an much less cost-per-page due to the fact that the cartridges are much more cheaper (~50 for 3.000 pages). And, in fact, we print a lot with this printer, cardstock, labels, overhead-transparencies, and a lot of id-cards. The Lexmark renders photos a little bit like my old reliable Epson Stylus PhotoPro, even on the worst paper you can feed him.

And on top: there’s an extra driver for black printing only! The only advantage of the KM is the very fast time-to-first-print, he is 3-4 times faster than the Lexmark, but that could be influenced by the memory (768MB for the KM, 128MB for the Lexmark, had to try it out)

Any help would be wonderful.
Hope you enjoy your first color-laser.

Roland
JJ
John_Joslin
Feb 21, 2008
But, as far as I know, no laser printer can approach an inkjet for photo quality.
BL
Bob Levine
Feb 21, 2008
Nope

Bob
DM
dave_milbut
Feb 22, 2008
or a dye sub. (kodak pro 1400).
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Amy_DeTar
Feb 22, 2008
Thank you guys for your input on laser printers! Iam looking at the Brother HL 4070 CDW. Any opinions??
Feb 22, 2008
Taking into accout what John Joslin said (true), I’d take a look at Xerox too. They have a wide range in prices and quality. We have used some of them and they are rather good. Besides they usually accept a very wide range of paper stocks (but always check before buying).
I
ID._Awe
Feb 22, 2008
Brother has faux PostScript and can be a real pain in the butt.
RK
r.koelzer
Feb 22, 2008
Hello!

schrieb:
Thank you guys for your input on laser printers! Iam looking at the Brother HL 4070 CDW. Any opinions??

We got some Brother printers and faxprinters (mostly laser, mostly monotone) and the only thing I can tell you: don’t even think of buying any brother printer!
Any other brand will satisfy your needs and your nerves better!

Roland
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Amy_DeTar
Feb 22, 2008
Looked up the xerox Phaser 5500dn. Uses the solid ink technology, that cool. Any opinions on this printer?? It is also 1200 dpi. Cost refurbished is about $550, is it worth it??
I
ID._Awe
Feb 22, 2008
I like solid ink. I’ll check the basic specs for ya’ and be back in a jiffy.
RK
r.koelzer
Feb 23, 2008
Hello!

schrieb:
Looked up the xerox Phaser 5500dn. Uses the solid ink technology, that cool. Any opinions on this printer?? It is also 1200 dpi. Cost refurbished is about $550, is it worth it??
These are really fine printers. But you have to know, that due to the fact that they are using wax-like ink, you dump the whole heated ink by powering down the printer. The amount differs from printer to printer.

If you do this twice a day, you’re wasting money. If you let him switched on, you pollute the environment with CO2 and wasting your money, too.

If you really print less than 100 pages in full color a month, stay with a toner-based laser.

HTH
Roland

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