Posted by Andreea_MI on 4/29/05 12:00am
Msg #34766

Question_for_PAW

I've read in one of your messages that a printer with PCL 6 has to be a laser printer, or that is better to be a laser printer, i didn't get that. What do you think about an HP officejet 9130 All-in-one with pcl 6 and thermal inkjet for this biz.

TIA

Reply by PAW_Fl on 4/29/05 12:49am
Msg #34779

HP and probably others, have started to equip their high-end inkjet printers, especially the color ones, with PCL engines, since PCL has become so wide spread, and ink has become much better, and the ink technology has greatly improved. But, there is still one major drawback to ink. It is applied "on" the paper. Which means, over time, it will have a tendency to crack and chip as the paper expands and contracts at a different rate than the ink, and absorb dampness and dry out, causing the ink to lift or separate from the paper. Laser technology fuses the toner to the fibers of the paper, creating a molecular bond. This resists cracking and chipping, since the toner will expand and contract with the same rate as the paper due to the molecular structure. Also, dampness has little to no effect on fused toner, again due to the molecular structure.

So, even though PCL is available with inkjets, for long term record storage, laser is the way to go.

On a different note, laser printing costs at least 1/3 that of inkjet printing.

Reply by Andreea_MI on 4/29/05 1:10am
Msg #34780

Thanks, PAW very helpful.
Thought I didn't see an HP all-in-one laser with pcl 6

Reply by PAW_Fl on 4/29/05 7:10am
Msg #34798

HP Laserjet 3380 is a MFP (Multi Function Printer), though it only has one input paper source.

Reply by Ernest_CT on 4/29/05 1:34am
Msg #34784

Double-checking the last sentence

Paul, the last sentence says "... laser printing costs at least 1/3 that of inkjet printing." Am I reading correctly? The cost of inkjet printing is approximately three times that of laser printing? If that is what you meant, does that ignore the initial cost of the machines themselves?

Reply by PAW_Fl on 4/29/05 7:08am
Msg #34797

Re: Double-checking the last sentence

Yes, that's what I'm saying. Even with the higher initial cost of laser printers, they are more robust and have a higher duty cycle, which means they will last longer with less problems, resulting in a lower cost of ownership. Also, just in ink vs toner costs, do the math. Divide the total cost of an ink cartridge by the number of pages that can be printed and compare that to the total cost of a toner cartridge by the number of pages that can be printed. There is a remarkable difference. And then, consider that the cost to refill toner cartridges really lowers the overall cost of printing a document.

Reply by Ernest_CT on 4/29/05 7:28am
Msg #34800

Thanks, Paul! n/m

Reply by Big B on 4/29/05 10:22am
Msg #34838

Stick with pure laser that relies on toner. You will be glad that it is a time saver, and it is far less expensive. Avoid any ink in this business. Way too slow, and it does not properly reproduce the print like a copier that uses toner.