Colour printers are nice to have, but due to the cost of consumables they are still considered a luxury item in many medium-sized offices. And let's face it, not everyone in the company will need to print in colour. While mono printers don't have the same appeal, they can be the essential office workhorse printer being cheaper to purchase and run, with the capability to print at high speeds.
This month we have reviewed black-and-white printers from Brother, Fuji-Xerox, Minolta-QMS, Kyocera-Mita, Lanier, and Lexmark. We also invited other big-name vendors such as Canon, Ricoh, and Epson but unfortunately those companies chose not to submit this time.
After purchasing your printer, there are two main driver types you need to consider: PCL and Postscript. The PCL driver is the workhorse; printer speed tests are done in this mode. The PostScript driver is used when top quality is your priority. For example, you would use it to print PDF files or wherever a detailed professional finish is important. For testing purposes, the printers were set as network machines.
One thing of interest when testing mono printers is how they respond to colour input. First, the software has to convert each colour to greyscale. Second, the greyness is converted to a proportion of black to white and then printed as an array of black dots whose proximity to each other (or degree of overlap) increases with the required darkness -- this is the traditional "poster" printing.
Colour conversion varies with the printer driver -- for example, I noticed that the sky in our sample picture was far darker in PCL mode than in PostScript mode. The result is remarkably good since you won't see the individual dots without using a microscope -- 1200dpi is about 10 times the resolution discernible by the naked human eye (thus even 600dpi is quite adequate for most purposes).
If you are really interested in super-high resolution, some of these printers will claim 2400dpi capability using tricky dithering techniques -- personally I don't see the need. In truth, resolution is rarely an issue in printed material; of more concern is the evenness of ink spot placing and darkness. Often lines will appear -- particularly noticeable in photo and other pictures. However lines tend not to appear when using high-resolution paper, so you might consider using this for booklet front covers or other critical pages. A bit of experimentation will soon tell you what printer settings are most appropriate for your application. Economics of printing
You will find that your printer has a toner saving mode. When using this mode, printing will not be as black, but it should be more than adequate for most purposes. Staff should be trained to use such features, particularly for draft documents that may never be seen by anyone but the original author. You can expect savings of around 30 percent when using economy mode.
While the toner itself is one aspect of printer economics, it is not the only consumable to consider. Drums and rollers also need periodic replacement. For example, the Brother HL-5060 requires a new drum after every 30,000 pages (at around AU$175 a pop). The Minolta-QMS PagePro 9100 requires AU$150 worth of rollers every 150,000 pages and a new fuser unit after 300,000 pages (at AU$265).
Allowing for toner price, this makes the Minolta's running costs roughly 30 percent cheaper per page than the Brother. On the other hand, the Minolta printer itself costs twice the going rate of the Brother. If you expect to have a very high volume of paper usage, the Minolta becomes very attractive, whereas the Brother would be better for relatively low printer use.
In other words, after about 400 reams of paper have been used the overall cost of printer and consumables will be similar for these two machines.
The medium-priced Kyocera EcoSys FS-1920 is even more frugal with consumables than the Minolta, though it's print quality is not as good.
Before you purchase a printer consider how much paper your office uses, and shop around -- you'll find a wide range of prices for consumables (and printers) if you hunt around on the Internet.
In the end, return on investment will be influenced by your usage rates.
Brother HL-6050DN
Installation of this machine was a breeze. Driver installation and network attachment was a 10 or 15 minute process, the only trick is to do a custom installation in order to setup the PostScript driver.
In terms of speed, this machine was on par with most of the others but it excelled in print quality and price -- it even has a built-in duplexer.
The toner cartridges are only rated at 7500 pages but the pricing is OK -- I guess it's no accident that they're sold in packs of three. Since the toner is a little more expensive than that of most of the other printers, it makes sense for this machine to service a smaller or lower paper usage office than its competitors.
An additional 500-page paper drawer is available and the two year on-site warranty is extendable to three years. The Brother has a very energy efficient sleep mode (11W) and can be connected to your computer via LAN, parallel, USB, and even has a wireless option.
Fuji-Xerox DocuPrint 240A-AP
Installation gave us a little trouble since the install program had an inoperative button, which meant that we had to look for the correct file and initiate it manually. The menus on the printer itself were easy enough to use.
The machine was average in terms of speed, but it slipped back a bit on quality. That is perhaps not entirely fair, however, as this machine did not ship with PostScript drivers -- this is an option for the Fuji, which is a bit rough considering the price.
Toner cartridges are average in price and lifespan. Maintenance kits work out very cheap but you may have trouble finding them if you look up suppliers on the Net (interestingly, I had no trouble finding suppliers for the faster 340A).
Up to two additional paper drawers are available, plus a duplexer. Warranty is for one year, on-site. Fuji Xerox does recycle cartridges and they claim that the reconditioned units are equal to the quality of new the product.
Minolta-QMS PagePro 9100
We had some difficulty setting the TCP/IP network connection automatically and ended up installing the Minolta-QMS machine as a local printer and later changing it to the network setting manually.
The Minolta was generally very good on quality. In terms of speed it was inconsistent; it easily rated the highest peak pages per minute, but was the slowest on average speed. This slowness was associated with a tendency to pause for a couple of seconds after printing two to four pages -- with no apparent pattern.
Options available include a duplexer, lower tray, and a four-bin sorter. This doesn't seem to be the best machine economically; the big 15,000-page toner cartridges are reasonably priced and the maximum power consumption is 1000W. On a more positive note the PagePro will accept A3-sized paper. The printer can be connected via parallel, USB, or network.
Kyocera-Mita EcoSys FS-1920
The menu system on the printer was a little hard to follow but not a real problem when we gave up and looked at the documentation. Again, it proved necessary to set up initially as a local printer and then manually adjust the settings for network operation. Speed-wise the EcoSys was typical of these machines, and it wasn't so good on quality -- it barely outperformed the DocuPrint in PCL mode, and in both cases it was the photo file that lost it points.
Kyocera claims that all consumables for this device are completely recyclable and a collection program does exist for these items. Options include: duplexer, five-bin sorter, and up to three 500-page drawers.
Toner is very cheap per page and comes in 15,000 page packages.
Kyocera is very carefully promoting a "green" image and the Ecosys is very economical in energy -- it uses only 11W on standby and 425W when printing. Parallel, USB2, and network connection are available.
Lanier LP025n
The software installation for the Lanier was easy; network setup was automatic once the IP address has been entered into the printer I had no problems with the menus.
This machine was slightly ahead of the rest on average speed, and it was average in terms of maximum pages per minute. Despite being unable to print our large photo file in PostScript mode (due to lack of memory in the base model), the LP025n still managed to rate very well on print quality, equalling the PagePro and coming very close to the HL-6050DN.
Optional extras include an envelope feeder, up to two extra 500-sheet trays and, of course, duplex printing. Toner is rather expensive, although the machine price is average for those reviewed. And it's reasonably easy on electricity. Parallel port, USB2, and network options are available; it can also connect to your network via Bluetooth.
Lexmark E332n
Without an LCD display and menu system, setting up the network connection was a little fiddly but we worked it out eventually. The trick is to ask the printer what address it has by printing a status page and then matching the network to the printer address. We could then use the setup install software to reset the printer address according to our needs and return our network to its customary address.
The Lexmark fell a little behind most of the others on speed, but not disastrously so -- it still out performed the PagePro on average print speed. On quality, it fared similarly, slipping just behind the others. Having said that we don't want to suggest that the quality was terrible -- we were being picky.
Only one additional tray is available and there is no duplexing option -- apart from printing every second page, manually turning them over, and then printing on the back. Power-wise it is quite economical; it's as good as the EcoSys when printing but more typical of other printers in standby mode.
Toner-wise the E332n fares more poorly; it is easily the most expensive machine to run and still manages to retail as a higher price than the Brother, which is the next most expensive in running costs. Parallel, USB, and network connectivity are all standard, with serial and wireless options available.
How we tested Interoperability
What operating systems, hardware platforms, and networking protocols are there? Futureproofing
What is the maximum amount of RAM you can install on each printer? Its paper-handling options? ROI
Initial cost of the printer and replacing consumablesvs print quality and speed. Service
What is the length of warranty and the support hours? Print Speed
For the speed tests, printers were set to PCL mode at 600dpi. We used plain paper. Each printer was linked to the computer via a 100Mbit switch. The computer itself had a 2.8GHz Pentium 4 processor and 256MB RAM. The operating system was Windows XP Professional. Software used was Microsoft Office. Peak pages per minute benchmark:
A 30-page, plain text document, of typical type coverage, was printed on each machine. The timing does not include lead time to first page. We use the following formula:
PPM = (60 / (time to print 30 pages - time to first page)) * 29 Average pages per minute benchmark:
This time a 20-page document was printed. It contained various fonts at different colours and sizes along with, columns, simple graphics and photos. Lead time to first page is included. Formula:
PPM = (60 / (time to print 20 pages)) * 20 Print Quality
Printers were set to 1200dpi PostScript mode for these tests with two notable exceptions. The sample machine from Lanier did not have the memory capacity to deal with the 50MB photo file. The Docuprint from Fuji Xerox did not have a PostScript driver -- this is an optional extra.
Plain paper was used for each test. I should note that many of the faults in quality noticed in the printing would likely have been alleviated by the use of high resolution paper. The PDF files were naturally printed from Adobe Acrobat and the TIF picture file was printed from Paint. Fontkey.pdf
Here we look at the printer's ability to accurately form fonts at various sizes ranging from 48pt to 4pt. The sample document contained both Times New Roman and Gaudy Handtooled fonts. We looked for smooth lines and curves, spatter, smoothness of ink distribution under magnification, and overall appearance with the naked eye. Laserkey.pdf
Linear and curved greyscales (both discrete and spectral) were observed for smoothness and shade consistency. Fine lines, curved horizontal, and oblique, were judged for accurate spacing and smoothness. Observation was by the naked eye. Photo
A large (~50MB) TIF image was used for this test. The image was a composite, showing a range of colours, textures, and shading. It included sky and water, plants and a baby, bone, glass, and weathered wood. The image was viewed by eye for gradient smoothness, accuracy of fine detail, darkness and lines, and dithering in low contrast areas.
Case study: Barclays hires EDS, Xerox for services
EDS and Xerox Corporation have signed a AU$452.2 million contract with Barclays Plc in the UK to supply its Workplace Management Services solution, which will deliver fully managed office document services for print, copy, and fax on a price-per-page basis.
EDS' Workplace Management Services solution is a key component of the company's Agile Enterprise Platform strategy. Under the terms of the Barclays' contract, EDS is working with Xerox, a member of the EDS Agility Alliance, to provide Barclays with Managed Output Services. Managed Output Services is a co-branded EDS and Xerox offering that integrates advanced IT and document management tools and expertise with a Six Sigma-based methodology to reduce overall print spend while improving productivity.
Through this offering, EDS and Xerox will manage Barclays' procurement, service and maintenance, helpdesk and user support for more than 2250 Xerox and other devices across nearly 200 Barclays Group Office sites in the UK. In addition, a team of Xerox DocuCare professionals -- on-site personnel who handle preventive maintenance and first-level service activities on all customer devices -- will be dedicated full time to Barclays, at their new world headquarters in London.
The five-and-a-half-year contract expands the services that EDS currently provides to Barclays as part of an existing seven-year, AU$456.7 million IT services agreement signed with the bank in June 2003. Under that agreement, EDS supports 41,700 desktop seats across the various businesses of the Barclays Group. At the time it was the largest-ever desktop services agreement in the retail banking sector.
The agreement will enable Barclays to deliver tailored print, copy, and fax services to approximately 40,000 users across Barclays' UK campus sites, while managing service requirements and costs at both individual user and departmental levels. Robust service level agreements will underpin the quality of service experienced by Barclays' users.
Look out for... Speed: when a printer claims up to 30 pages per minute it is speaking of ideal conditions -- standard resolution, PCL mode, no pictures, one font at a single size, and no other fancy formatting. Such features could bring your average print speed down markedly. Quality: will your printer be used to produce professional looking documents for circulation to your clients and vendors? Make sure PostScript, or equivalent, drivers are available and, if possible, ask to see a sample of the output. Total Cost: consider not only the initial outlay of purchasing the machine, but look at the warranty period and the cost per page of consumables (toner, fusers, rollers). An expensive machine might work out cheaper long term. The six printers in this review varied in usage costs from under 1.5¢ per page to over 3¢ (excluding the paper itself). Paper Capacity: if your office goes through a lot of paper, a one ream paper capacity is probably not adequate -- you will be loading the printer all to often. Check to see how many optional drawers are available. (Similarly, look for high capacity toner cartridges.) Ensure that the paper sizes you use are supported. Expansion Options: besides extra paper drawers, you might need greater memory capacity (RAM and or a hard drive), duplexer, multiple output bins or an envelope feeder. Not all printers in this class have all these options. Consider also what all these extras cost! Final words
Before you grab your chequebook and rush off to your local peripheral supplier, make a few notes for yourself first. Firstly, roughly work out your monthly printing load in terms of pages. Second, rank in order of importance to your situation: Price, print quality, and speed. Third, note any other details that might be critical to your situation, such as the need for Linux printer drivers or A3 paper capacity.
You must consider all your needs now and consider what your needs may be in 12 months time. This article was first published in Technology & Business magazine. Click here for subscription information.
Editor's choice Brother HL-6050DN for small offices, and Konica Minolta PagePro 9100 for large offices
As usual, the choice comes down to user priorities as much as the integral quality of the product. We must assume that price is a major consideration, yet print quality and flexibility will certainly be serious factors in many situations.
For a smaller office, the Brother HL-5060DN is a good choice as it has lots of features and great print quality. Where it falls down is on the price of consumables, but for relatively low usage rates it offers good value for money having the lowest initial outlay.
For an office with heavier printing needs, the Kyocera EcoSys and the Konica-Minolta PagePro are both worthy of consideration. In terms of economics and add-ons the Kyocera is a clear winner, unfortunately it wasn't stunning in terms of print quality. The PagePro is quite appreciably better in this regard -- mind you it takes its time to do a good job, although it is also capable of very fast text printing.
It should also be noted that Kyocera only make drivers for Windows and MacOS operating systems. Given its flexibility and quality, the PagePro is a very good choice, but the Kyocera cannot be ruled out as an economical option.
As for the scenario below, when you need plenty of printing done with low long-term running costs, the winner is the Kyocera-Mita. It is quite fast and very inexpensive to run. It's failing is lower print quality, although it is quite adequate for most purposes.
RMIT IT Test Labs is an independent testing institution based in Melbourne, Victoria, performing IT product testing for clients such as IBM, Coles-Myer, and a wide variety of government bodies. In the Labs' testing for T&B, they are in direct contact with the clients supplying products and the magazine is responsible for the full cost of the testing. The findings are the Labs' own -- only the specifications of the products to be tested are provided by the magazine. For more information on RMIT, please contact the Lab Manager, Steven Turvey.
HL-6050DN