Laser printer introduction
Despite promises of a paperless office, almost every document that is created on a computer
is eventually printed. As a result, printers remain a critical component of any computer system.
Among the different types of printers, laser printers remain the fastest, most efficient way
to reproduce text and images, offering high resolution and quick speeds at a relatively low
cost.
This buying guide is designed to give you the facts you need to choose the right laser printers
for your firm. You can choose to read this guide from beginning to end, or jump directly to
a section of interest by clicking on the links above.
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Laser printer technology
A laser printer uses an electrostatic process similar to a photocopier. The laser charges
areas of a photosensitive image drum.
Toner particles are then attracted to these areas of the drum. By rolling this drum against
a piece of paper, the printer creates an image on a page.
In the final stage, heat is used to fuse the toner to the paper.
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Compatibility
Most offices with IBM-compatible PCs will want to look for a printer that uses PCL5. This
language, originally developed for Hewlett-Packard printers, is the de facto standard in the
industry. Watch out for low-cost printers using older PCL versions such as PCL4; these printers
are fine for basic text, but will not handle some complex images.
The most popular alternative to PCL is called PostScript. This is a very powerful language
that will produce the same image regardless of the equipment it utilizes. However, printers
equipped to handle PostScript are usually quite a bit more expensive than PCL printers.
Look for a PostScript-compatible printer if your office regularly sends work to service bureaus
for outputting, or if your network includes any Macintosh computers.
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Printing speed
Manufacturer reports of printer speeds are often somewhat misleading. Most advertisements
tout the printer's engine speed, which is given in terms of pages per minute.
Unfortunately, this speed simply refers to the maximum number of sheets the printer can physically
spit out per minute, not the actual speed of the printer in practice.
For files that use many fonts or incorporate complex graphics, the speed of the printer's
processor tends to be much more significant than the engine speed. A large portion of print
time is spent waiting for the processor to calculate where to place each dot on the page to
create the desired image.
Because processor speed is not easily measured and is rarely advertised, you need to look
at the type of processor to get a sense for the overall speed of the machine. In general, processors
using RISC technology are the fastest available. Inexpensive machines often use 80186, 68000
or 68020 chips, all of which are relatively slow.
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Resolution
Resolution for laser printers is measured in dots per inch, or dpi. This refers to the number
of dots, both vertically and horizontally, that are printed per inch of paper.
For many years, 300 dpi printing was considered the standard for office documents. However,
many printers now offer 600 dpi resolution, which translates to a four-fold increase in print
quality.
Fine lines and dark curves look better at 600 dpi, but text will look very similar at either
resolution. Buyers looking at PCL printers will need to purchase a model equipped with an extended
version of PCL5, called PCL5e, for 600 dpi capability.
Printers that boast printing resolutions greater than 600 dpi are nice to have, but are not
necessary for most offices.
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Paper supply
When purchasing a laser printer, do not overlook basics such as paper feeding. Most users
will find paper trays that hold fewer than 250 sheets to be too small for the office environment.
Better are printers with two paper trays, since one tray can be filled with letterhead, legal-sized
or scrap paper. Such features will allow you to leave the printer unattended for longer periods
of time.
A manual feed tray is also very helpful for printing envelopes, labels or card stock. If you
will be frequently printing envelopes, a dedicated envelope feeder can be a reasonable option.
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Price
The cost of a laser printer will vary depending on whether you purchase a personal or network
laser printer. Personal laser printers are designed to be used by a single person or a few
people in an office. They are small, relatively slow, and can handle only a few types of paper.
These printers start around $400 and go above $1,000.
Network laser printers are designed to be used by many people across a firm. These printers
are generally equipped with an interface that allows them to directly connect to a local area
network. Network printers generally operate at speeds of 15 to 30 pages per minute, and can
handle a variety of paper sizes and types. Network laser printers usually fall into the $1,500
to $4,000 range.
The cost of consumables for a laser printer, over the printer's life, will often far exceed
the printer's initial purchase price. The cost for consumables including toner, drums, developer,
ozone filters, and corona wires can range from $700-$3,500 per 100,000 pages. As a result,
it makes sense to calculate the price of these consumables, especially toner cartridges, before
making a purchase.
Service and repair costs tend to be minimal for laser printers. If you can keep the model
clean, you are unlikely to face any serious breakdowns.
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Buying tips
Remember Memory
An additional factor that contributes to printing speed is the printer's memory, or RAM. Particularly
when printing complex graphics, equipping a printer with additional RAM can speed the printing
process significantly.
Saving Energy
Look for a printer that is Energy Star compliant. These printers should save you a modest amount
in electricity bills each year and are likely to last longer, since lower energy usage translates
to lower demands on the cooling system.
Alternate Sources
Keep in mind that your warranty remains in effect even if you do not purchase consumables (toner,
etc.) produced by the original manufacturer. This is required by law.
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