Postscript still important for laser printers? How much RAM isenough? LexMark?
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From: Warren Block on 24 Jul 2010 11:11 Andrew Hamilton <Ahamilton90900(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > I need to buy a "small office" laser printer to replace my Samsung > ML-2150, which has gotten very erratic lately. This printer has > Postscript emulation and 16 MB of RAM. (Years ago, I tried to upgrade > the RAM, but could not find a compatible third-party memory stick.) > > Is Postscript emulation still important. I do mostly text, but also a > lot of PowerPoint, including graphics, plus the usual Excel graphics, > webpages, etc. That's a judgement call. I'd say yes. A PCL-only printer is livable, and some people can use a host-based printer without problems. But a PS printer gives you more options and is more versatile. > How much memory is really needed? I would like to be able to spool > off a 5 or 10 MB PowerPoint preso to the printer as soon as I click on > PRINT. Right now, my PowerPoint jobs often take several minutes to > complete, before PowerPoint is ready to do other tasks. More is usually better, although it depends on the printer and how it allocates the memory. Adjusting how the computer spools the print job can also make a big difference. > Finally, I have found a LexMark printer for about $200 that does > PostScript, has Ethernet support, etc. But I have the impression that > LexMark is not a quality brand. Is this correct? I've been advising people to stay away from Lexmark for a long time. Their high-end lasers are supposed to be good, but I may never know because their anti-customer policies of years ago combined with their terrible disposable low-end printers convinced me that giving money to Lexmark will just encourage them. You may be able to find a good deal on a used business-class laser which will not have the problems of a low-end model: http://www.wonkity.com/~wblock/docs/html/usedlasers.html
From: Warren Block on 24 Jul 2010 23:47 Tim Okergit <to(a)notme.com> wrote: > On 07/24/2010 02:41 PM, Andrew Hamilton wrote: >> On 24 Jul 2010 15:11:56 GMT, Warren Block<wblock(a)wonkity.com> wrote: >> >> >>>> Is Postscript emulation still important. I do mostly text, but also a >>>> lot of PowerPoint, including graphics, plus the usual Excel graphics, >>>> webpages, etc. >>> >>> That's a judgement call. I'd say yes. A PCL-only printer is livable, >>> and some people can use a host-based printer without problems. But a PS >>> printer gives you more options and is more versatile. >> >> Sounds like I really should have a Postscript printer. I am >> self-employed and can't deal with printer limitation hassles. > > Maybe Andrew can explain further what he means by "more options and more > versatile" -- I must admit my needs are fairly basic -- but PCL > certainly does the job on my now old Laserjet 1012. (It doesn't feel old > in any way :) > > I had the same worry when I bought this printer but never regretted. > Maybe the PCL drivers other manufacturers provide leave to be desired, I > have no idea, but the PCL standards are open, I believe. Linux drivers > for HP printers certainly are. So I suppose if the PCL drivers don't > work well, maybe the same will go for PS. > > I'd certainly appreciate more explanations from Andrew for my own benefit. That's a quote from me. PostScript is the standard page description language, usable on everything from low-end printers all the way to overgrown copiers. It's resolution-independent: the same file can be printed on a 300 DPI laser or a 2400 DPI phototypesetter. PCL, by contrast, is only text or bitmap. If you get a PostScript printer, you generally get PCL included for free.
From: Warren Block on 24 Jul 2010 23:56 Tim Okergit <to(a)notme.com> wrote: > On 07/24/2010 01:37 PM, MD34 wrote: > > So, given that I won't print much, that I want inkjet comparable > quality, that I don't need wireless or networking, that I need fully > compatible Linux drivers, which printer would you go for? There may not be a good answer to that. Epson has open-source drivers and the printers don't seem to be terribly prone to clogging or drying out. Good ink and photo paper is still expensive, though. Another option would be local or online photo printing services like mpix.com. That can be a lot cheaper than maintaining your own inkjet.
From: Warren Block on 25 Jul 2010 20:10 Tim Okergit <to(a)notme.com> wrote: > On 07/24/2010 11:56 PM, Warren Block wrote: >> Tim Okergit<to(a)notme.com> wrote: >>> On 07/24/2010 01:37 PM, MD34 wrote: >>> >>> So, given that I won't print much, that I want inkjet comparable >>> quality, that I don't need wireless or networking, that I need fully >>> compatible Linux drivers, which printer would you go for? >> >> There may not be a good answer to that. Epson has open-source drivers >> and the printers don't seem to be terribly prone to clogging or drying >> out. > > ??? Arthur Entlich who often help solve Epson problems on this group > even has a guide on unclogging! > >> Good ink and photo paper is still expensive, though. > > From what I've seen, laser color printing doesn't come cheap either but > I suppose it might be cheaper. Which price ratio do you figure? I've never really worked out color laser price per page. Partly that's because a photo printed on a laser just can't compare to the shades and ranges available on an inkjet. Rough guess would be that color laser printing is something like 1/2 to 1/10 the cost of inkjet. >> Another option would be local or online photo printing services like >> mpix.com. That can be a lot cheaper than maintaining your own inkjet. > > I doubt it. An 8½ x 11 is $3 at mpix, plus sales taxes in Canada. > Postage maybe? Even at 500 sheets a year, it would be $1,500. So I > certainly expect the printer to pay for itself in less than a year. It really depends on what you're printing and what quality level you expect. Do you think you can print 8x10 or 8.5x11 on an inkjet with photo paper and non-fading OEM ink for less than $3 Canadian? As an example, a set of black and color ink for the older Epson six-ink printers is $18 + $66 US, + $27 for sixty sheets of paper. You'd have to get 60 perfect 8x10 prints from that, and I'm skeptical if that's possible. And that would still cost just a bit more per print than the photo lab prints at $2 (US) each. A CIS could reduce that a lot. So could cheaper supplies, but whether that's acceptable depends on what you're doing with the prints. Sending them to relatives? No big deal. Selling them as art? Color matching and fading are important.
From: Warren Block on 26 Jul 2010 14:49
Tim Okergit <to(a)notme.com> wrote: > On 07/25/2010 08:10 PM, Warren Block wrote: >> >> I've never really worked out color laser price per page. Partly that's >> because a photo printed on a laser just can't compare to the shades and >> ranges available on an inkjet. > > Really? Even with a printer that would cost, say, $500? Unfortunately, yes. Color lasers have fixed toner colors, and those colors are opaque and can't really be mixed. They can dither dots, but that reduces the effective resolution. An inkjet can overprint to make shades. >> As an example, a set of black and color ink for the older Epson six-ink >> printers is $18 + $66 US, + $27 for sixty sheets of paper. You'd have >> to get 60 perfect 8x10 prints from that, and I'm skeptical if that's >> possible. And that would still cost just a bit more per print than the >> photo lab prints at $2 (US) each. > > If you count only the consumables, it's $111 / 60 , so less that $2. Yes, if in fact you can get 60 8x10 prints. That seems really unlikely to me. Even half of that still seems unlikely. > Even if it was to send to relatives, second quality wouldn't be > acceptable to me. I suppose I'll have to send a picture or two to one or > two labs before I buy a printer :) That's the only way to really be sure. |