Laser Printer Recommendations

Questions begat questions

This is another one of those question that requires so many more questions to answer properly. As for the interface, are you using one computer or multiple computers? Do you have a home network already? Are you knowledgeable enough to maintain a home network (without tearing your hair out)? Most PCs today have only one or no LPT port. If you want two printers on one machine, you can use an A/B switch but some companies (such as HP) advise against passive A/B switches. For the cost of the switch you can buy an inexpensive network server. Yes the alternative to the external network print server is to buy a printer with the 10BaseT interface built in to it.

The LPT or USB port is easiest. The network interface or stand alone network server box (most are less than $100 and some have two LPT ports or a combination of USB and LPT ports) is most flexible for multiple computers but at the cost of some additional complexity.

Why not read some reviews in PC Magazine? There is some criticism they are biased by advertisers. It may be true. I’ve found their advice and recommendations to be more than satisfactory. You may find someone here that has broad knowledge about printers but it isn’t as likely that person has used and tested as many printers as the magazine have reviewed.

Best of luck in your search.

I've used Xerox, Lexmark, Epson, Canon, Brother and HP products for most of the last 10 years of my I/T career. I am partial to HP products.

If I was going to buy a cost-effective desktop LaserJet printer, I'd pick up an HP LJ 1020. For a cost-effective desktop color LaserJet printer, I'd pick up an HP LJ 2605.

I'm assuming you're looking for a desktop printer to hook up to your PC much like your BubbleJet currently is.

budget perhaps?

I may be different then most, but since I do a LOT of printing - I like to buy laser printers that I can get very inexpensive toner for... and when I need it - consumable parts (rollers & fusers).

HP has been the king of that zone... Right now I have an HP 4+ and a 4SiMx that I got on ebay last year for $40 and $165 respectivly. I can buy new toner (not re-manufactured) for almost nothing because there are so many out there and everyone makes generics for it.

I'd bear the toner cost i mind - brand name stuff if horribly expensive and not all models have enough saturation for generics to make sense for manufactures.

In the next year, I'm going to upgrade the 4SiMx to something bigger and faster, probably something that does 11x17. For me it's not just the pages per minute, but the fact it can do it for 2000 sheets straight or 600 6x9 envelopes... I'm thinking the 8550.

Hey Doug,

Am the Technology Director for a School Corp and we have recently switched over to the RICOH Aficio line for our smaller laser printers (Can be had anywhere from $500 to &850 with all the bells and whistles). The color and speed for the money is phenominal. Consumables are also less expensive and have higher print yields than HP's stuff. Customer service and repair is excellent as well.

Is more cost effective to buy a decent color laser and purchase consumables for one printer as opposed to two. All of Ricohs Black toner cartridges have higher print yields than the Color cartridges so if your going to do a ton of black & white printing your fine.

FYI, personally... we have had bad luck with Brother products. Are economical but have had issues. Once again, my experience.

As far as the companies go, there are many good ones out there. HP is one of the most popularly used, in my opinion.

I've used the HP Color Laserjet 2600N several times with clients and have had nothing but good reviews. Toner isn't the cheapest, but isn't bad. Color laser printers normally have 4 cartridges: 3 color and a black. I believe for the 2600N cartridges run $70-80, but again the colors are seperate -- you don't need to throw away 2 half-full colors because one is gone like some inkjets are/were.

Your question is a little like asking this group what the best brand of speaker is though... there are lots out there, and everyone will have their own opinion. I can say that in working with computers (my main job) I see and place many more HP units than other brands.

>>make your own conclusion here<<

One thing to keep in mind is that for some (dumb) reason a lot of printers don't actually keep track of how much ink is left in the cartridge, but rather a page count on each cartridge (that is reset when a cartridge is replaced.)

Therefore, if you print a page with one line of black text, a page is counted for all four cartridges. Doesn't make sense.

The way around that, that I've seen, is to install the printer twice so it looks like you've got two printers installed, and have one of them permanently set to grayscale. I believe if the page is sent to the printer in grayscale only the black is counted.

Essentially what you will see is that the printer thinks it's low on toner when in reality it is not. You should be able to ignore (or disable, depending on the printer) the toner warnings until you visually see a streak(s) on the page, and even then you can still take the corresponding toner cartridge out, shake it back and forth, and re-install it to get (a significant number of, actually) more pages.

Any more questions, feel free to ask. If anyone sees anything they question here, by all means bring it up.

Doug - What kind of jobs are you looking to do with these printers? Do you see the printer as an enabler with marketing? do you intend to print mostly one-offs, or do you expect to start using it for some of your promotional materials?

The kind of info we'd need to give you a good recomendation would be pages per month in b&w vs color, appx speed requirements, paper type requirements (like I need letter, legal and 6x9 envelopes) and the appx print run size.

sometimes you'd be amazed that your needs once put on paper could send you looking for something very different.

PeteT said:

Doug - What kind of jobs are you looking to do with these printers? Do you see the printer as an enabler with marketing? do you intend to print mostly one-offs, or do you expect to start using it for some of your promotional materials?

The kind of info we'd need to give you a good recomendation would be pages per month in b&w vs color, appx speed requirements, paper type requirements (like I need letter, legal and 6x9 envelopes) and the appx print run size.

sometimes you'd be amazed that your needs once put on paper could send you looking for something very different.

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If we upgrade, I would want a printer that would make very nice promotional ( color ) pieces.... basic brochures, fliers. enevelopes..... but would also like it to be a fax machine, probably.... any ideas?

I cringe a little at the fax machine comment... the all-in-one concept sounds good but I don't like to cram everything into one unit.

My PERSONAL recommendation would be to figure out what your needs are (like the reply above me mentions) and find a color laser printer that fits those needs.

If you've got to get (or keep) a seperate fax machine it's not a huge (monetary) deal, unless your cramped for space....

Basically from what I've seen unless you spend a ton, when they try to cram everything into one unit at a low price, it gets by with each function, but doesn't excel like a dedicated unit would.

If you were looking for a black and white ONLY laser / copier / fax that's not so bad and there is quite the list of options, but when it comes to an all-in-one COLOR solution, I'm not sure.

<<Anyone else may chime in for or against my theory here>>

awdj said:

I cringe a little at the fax machine comment... the all-in-one concept sounds good but I don't like to cram everything into one unit.

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Me too, but space is VERY limited.

Papa Deuce said:

Me too, but space is VERY limited.

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Have you seen color laser printers? If you try to put a scanner and printer on it you're going to have a small toyota on your desk before you know it!

Papa Deuce said:

If we upgrade, I would want a printer that would make very nice promotional ( color ) pieces.... basic brochures, fliers. enevelopes..... but would also like it to be a fax machine, probably.... any ideas?

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Well, if the volume is there - some Cannon and Kyrocera devices are amazing...

Do you see yourself preparing color pieces for clients, personalizing marketing materials, planners etc?

Fax is normally an option that doesn't end up as cost-effective as it seems since quality and speed can't really be pushed - nor can color. Network based scanning is a cool feature as is email delivery.

If you look at a mid-sized multi-op, or even a full-time single-op, you'd be amazed how much a pro-quality copier-based copier/printer/scanner can drive marketing efforts cost-effectivly.

Deejay Dan said:

You can fax through your computer. Windows has a built in component, there are also several 3rd party programs that can do the job. As long as your computer is equipped with a regular modem you should be set to go. It's worked for me the few times I've had to fax paperwork.

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I don't think so.....we don't have one, I mean.

BTW - I see Fax going away in the next 5-10 years... With email & the Internet... telephone based imaging is dead.

Notice that the VoIP providers hasn't made it a priority to support fax machines or even modems... TIVO modems either!