Color Laser Printer(s) - opinions ?

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Rick Bergeron - CPF

Rick Bergeron - CPF

SGF, Supreme Grumble Framer
Joined
Aug 18, 1999
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2,280
Location
Canistota, SD USA
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Lost Cajun Chateaux
Opinions, realistic cost per page using mix of text and 300dpi photos, negative points, other comments/considerations.


I'm looking at the Konica/Minolta and HP models for occasional use printing 300-400 copies of the same flyer at a session.
 
Rick

I’m not sure if you have looked at the Dell printers…..they are hard to beat when you look at the cost of ownership……one of them might fit your requirements…

This is the link for printers at Dell in the US
http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/compare.aspx/colorlaser?c=us&cs=04&l=en&s=bsd

I have just put an order in for the laser colour printer 3000cn., I have been using the Mono 1600 for over a year now without a hitch….and there delivery on supplies is unbelievable

Good luck

Dermot
 
I would go with a HP. Make sure you're looking at a "light commercial" or commercial. Also you want one that takes the oversized ink.

Don't know the new ones as well, but a good gear head at Office Depot can set you running.

I've got the 990cse, with built in duplexing, which I use on occation. Very handy when you can set to print 20 copies of that 32 page booklet, and go to dinner, return and they are all done and coalated.

Epson is also another work-horse for small business with a reasonable print/page cost.

Konica/Minolta is nice, but do you really need to spend that $$ if you're not going to be printing "reams" of sheets a day.... Lawyers office, yea... framer...??
 
This is something we have been struggling with too, as the prices keep coming down. For now, we're sending our color printing out to be done on the net. These are light duty convenience copiers, not really meant for a duty cycle of 500 or more pieces at a time. Our decision was to wait a year to see what the next wave of technology will bring.

The Dell 3100cn is often on sale for $329, with a combined sale where extra toner is 40% off. (printer is normally $549)

I believe most of these take 4 toner carts, which are about $80 *each*. They're not cheap to operate. The black one is larger than the other colors.

There's a 12% off everything sale coming soon at Staples. You can also buy (and stack) $55 off $150 coupons on ebay LINK

Dell $35 off $300 coupons available on ebay LINK

Office Depot $40 off $200 with code 45527377, $30 off $150, Free MINI FRIDGE with coupon 017085306
 
The light duty versions are almost in the price range to be considered "disposable" vs the cost of color lasering 400 duplex legal copies. If a person gets better results, then they're ahead of the game; except the accountant gets a bit twisted when I toss components into the trash before she's finished writing them off. Oh well.

From what I can gather, price order comes the Konica/Minolta ($299), HP ($399) then Dell ($449); but low price isn't everything.

Mike, who's doing your online printing?

TNX guys
 
Well, we tried doing our newsletters in FULL color this time around and they should be here Tuesday morning, according to UPS. (anxious to see)

I'd like to review the quality before commenting and recommending them. I also have a link for 20% off your first order, which i'll be glad to share.

Kinkos, Staples, and local printing places wanted about $3.60 for each newsletter. (4 8.5x11 pages on single 11x17 folded in half) This place quoted us a price of 68 cents each, including freight. (small qty of 500. The price would be much lower with a higher qty) The sample/proof was CONSIDERABLY better quality than the laser/photocopy samples we had done locally, the paper was much better, etc.

I'll be glad to post the info in the morning, once I've confirmed the quality. I don't want to steer anyone in the wrong direction until I see it myself.

We want to get a color laser, but just for promotions that are being inserted in the newsletters (coupons or special promos printed 3 per page and cut up)

Mike
 
I based my estimates from OfficeMax regular list price of 8.5x11 color, duplex 24# white for $0.78 per sheet (.39/page) either colorcopy or color print from filetype of your choice.

You'd think that 11x17 printing would be more economical than the equivalent 8.5x11, but not usually the case.

I have a 35,000 sheetperhour folder which makes that task easy as long as you have earplugs. Sounds like an AK47 with an endless magazine. It takes longer to setup the machine than to do the actual work.
 
Here are some coupons for ya:

Exp Wed 5/11 11:59pm CT

Dell 3000cn Color Laser Printer 600dpi 25ppm/5ppm: $449 - 30% off coupon
code: 2M23TCCDK?5JCR = $314 shipped free

Dell 3100cn Color Laser Printer 600dpi, 25ppm/5ppm, Postscript 3, 400 sheet input: $549 - 40% coupon code: WCK8VZ02DJCG2H = $329 shipped free

Dell 5100cn Color Laser Printer 1200dpi, 35ppm/25ppm $999 - 20% off coupon
code: V?4HRKPTF56MCS = $800 shipped free.


NOTE: THESE COUPONS WILL ALSO DISCOUNT ANY ADDITIONAL TONER YOU BUY UP FRONT. (4@ $95 each, less the 40% in the middle example above) These come with toner already but only for 4000 copies.

For example: The 3100cn with 2 sets of toner is $858 - $343.20 (40% coupon) = $514.80 with free shipping.

You twisted my arm and I just ordered the above deal.

Note: If you finance it through Dell credit (at checkout), they give you an additional 2% discount.
 
Mine came to $491 I think, after the 40% and 2% discounts. (with 2 complete sets (8) toner carts) Then some local tax.

It shipped today.

Hopefully we'll be happy! We have wanted color for a long time and inkjets are too costly to operate.

If you think about it, if we bought 8 toner carts at $95 each it would have been $760. We're paying $500, 8 toners, extra paper tray, WITH the printer included. The printer is basically free, (-$260) if you follow that warped logic.
 
You guys got a great bargain on the cartridges….we pay full list in Ireland at present….they did have a deal going a few weeks ago but I missed it….

I’m expecting my printer in the next day or so…..

I hope I get some ink with it ……I did not order spare ink as it makes no difference on cost when I order….the price in Ireland includes shipping……anyway the last time I ordered ink for my Dell 1600 …….I ordered at just before 3.00pm on a Thursday expecting delivery on the following Monday or Tuesday……it arrived the next day Friday just before 4.00pm………but would have been with me that morning only I was out…..the courier looped back to me in the afternoon……..and what surprised me even more was that the hub the ink came from was in Germany…….super service

I paid €344.85 for a 3000cn which included shipping of €12.00 and VAT @ 21% (Sales Tax) of €59.85

Enjoy


Dermot
 
I just checked I can get the four cartridges for €201 plus shipping and VAT….BTW for a business VAT is an offset tax against sales VAT….which for the most part is also 21%

A pleasant surprise is that the black ink for the 3000 is about half the price of the cartridge for the 1600…
 
RICK: Mike, who's doing your online printing?
Click to expand...
Our newsletters came in today, and we're *EXTREMELY* (underlined 3x) impressed with the quality and communications of this print shop. They now have our high recommendation.

They're on a heavy 100lb glossy stock, the colors are outstanding, theyre pre-folded and grouped in small batches of about 75 each (in celophane). Dealing with them was a breeze. We uploaded our art through their website, and they emailed us every step of the way, right up to the tracking #. The local print shops (Kinkos, Staples, etc) were >600% higher for an inferior product on matte copy paper.

The company we used was PSPRINT, based in Oakland, CA. You get to choose 5 or 10 day delivery, which affects the price. They do postcards, business cards, newsletters, flyers, etc. We did a lot of searching around before picking a company, and this is the only one that guarantees satisfaction. The downside is that it takes about 10 days, plus UPS delivery time. I asked why the prices were so low and was told it was because they add the jobs with other clients, when there's free space on the offset printing plates, minimizing costs. I was suspicious until the finished product came in today.

The price goes down as the qty goes up. The 10 day price for:
500 newsletters w/100lb glossy/folded $0.76 ea (before 20% off)
1000 newsletters w/100lb glossy/folded $0.45 ea (before 20% off)
2000 newsletters w/100lb glossy/folded $0.35 ea (before 20% off)
3000 newsletters w/100lb glossy/folded $0.25 ea (before 20% off)
10000 newsletters w/100lb glossy/folded $0.19 ea (before 20% off)

5000 color postcards full color front/black back 12pt glossy $0.068 ea before 20% off

LINK FOR 20% OFF FIRST ORDER (max $100 savings) (refer a friend link)

ok, that was a LONG answer
Sorry

Mike
 
Did you get your printer yet? Ours is supposed to come this morning. Weighs 72lbs!!!
 
I'm impressed. Once out of the box, not totally unwieldy for a single person to stab the main printer onto the bottom tray. I take back half the bad things that I've said about Dell printers in the past.

Print quality is much better than the color laser that Office Max does (did) for me.

shrug.gif
It does make a mess if you accidently put inkjet only paper into it.
shrug.gif


TNX again for the notes and coupon codes.
 
We set ours up 30 mins ago and the print quality is better than expected. I didn't expect it to have an ethernet server built in, which made sharing it with other computers a snap.

Did anyone else take advantage of this?
 
Originally posted by Mike-L@GTP:
I didn't expect it to have an ethernet server built in, which made sharing it with other computers a snap. Did anyone else take advantage of this?
Click to expand...
We have one of the 1600n B&W multifunction printers and use the ethernet print server. The only thing I don't like about it is that you can't use the scanner, or I can't figure out how to use the scanner, apparently because there's no computer actually connected to it. You can see it as a scanner from the networked computers, but it won't actually do a scan. It's my only disappointment with it.
 
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