Sum-up: Solid ink printers with good speed and acceptable consumables costs.

The Phaser 8560 family is one of the latest product offerings in Xerox’s constantly evolving line of solid ink printers. Solid ink printers (Xerox is the only company selling office printers with this technology) have little to do with the more common thermal ink jet printers of the small or home office. Instead, solid ink is a technology in office printing competing with laser and LED machines. We consider it a laser-class technology, and it compares favorably with standard color lasers.

Resolution: Solid ink printers offer what we consider to be excellent image quality. Even the default settings seem to produce pretty accurate color renderings, though this print technology is not intended for those who need exact color matching (unlike, say, Xerox’s own Phaser 7760 series).

These printers work at a variety of speeds, depending on resolution. As we have said, resolution is not the biggest issue when dealing with color quality, especially given the way a solid ink jet deposits ink on the page. On the other hand, if you demand extremely crisp black-and-white type, you’ll have to run at higher than the standard resolution.

This generation of solid ink printers offers very respectable speeds. The 8560 engines are rated for up to 30ppm, both in color and in black-and-white. Numbers don’t tell the complete story here -30ppm are achieved in the “fast” color mode, which is 225 x 400dpi. The default mode is “enhanced” mode, which is 1,200dpi interpolated. On the 8560 printers, that runs at 16ppm, a bit over half the speed of “fast” mode.

In addition, the Phaser 8560 models have two other modes. The “standard” mode prints at 300 x 450dpi at a speed of 24ppm. The “photo” mode has an interpolated resolution of 2,400dpi and prints at 10ppm.

You select a printing mode (other than the default) as an option in the print dialog box. Because solid ink technology is so different from toner, it is hard to make exact comparisons between these resolutions and those of other color printers in this guide. To our eyes, the “enhanced” mode is excellent for demanding design work. The standard resolution sounds low compared with the 1,200dpi claimed by some rivals, but we find that the resolution is totally acceptable, even in “standard” mode. Likewise, “fast mode” resolution (30ppm) is totally acceptable for drafts, memos, and most other internal documents. Again, this is more an issue about type rather than graphics. And while photo-quality printing is not very fast, it runs circles around the real-life photo printing speeds on most regular (liquid) ink jet printers.

Features: These models come with powerful 600MHz processors, ensuring that they will handle images fast enough to keep the engine cranking out pages. Indeed, this printer series is very respectable for everyday black-and-white office printing as well, especially because it is less expensive for printing in black than many rivals.

The Phaser 8560 printers are also very easy to maintain. For example, when you have to change consumables, you need only open the top cover of the machine and slide in blocks of ink that look and feel like crayons. The printer melts those “crayons” and sprays the melted extract onto the paper.

You can’t even make a mistake, as each of the four colors has a unique shape that only fits in the appropriate slot. Replacing supplies on some color printers can be a daunting task, but not on these models.

Per-page prices are moderate and compare well to similar small-workgroup color lasers. An average color page costs about 10.8¢, and a black-and-white page costs 2¢. These prices are for the default resolution, the so-called “enhanced” mode. Costs for “standard” and “fast” modes, since they lay down less ink, are less expensive.

Versions: There are four Phaser 8560 models. All of them come with both USB and Ethernet ports, as well as optional Wi-Fi. They are:

• The Phaser 8560N (street price $699), which comes with 256MB of memory, upgradeable to 1GB, and 625 sheets of standard paper input.
• The Phaser 8560DN (street price $899), which adds duplexing.
• The Phaser 8560DT (at $1,399), which has 512MB of memory upgradeable to 1GB and comes with 1,150 sheets of input.
• The Phaser 8560DX (at $1,999), which comes with 1,675 sheets of input and a hard disk standard.

Each model starts with a 100-sheet bypass and a 525-sheet standard paper tray. Second and third 525-sheet paper trays are available (optional on the lower-end models). The maximum input capacity for the models is 1,675 sheets. The bypass can handle up to 80lb. cover stock, which is heavier stock than 110lb. index. Output capacity is a simple 250-sheet tray.

PostScript and PCL are standard features on all models. Direct PDF printing requires a hard disk, which is standard on the 8560DX.

When it comes to pricing, the Phaser 8560 series is very competitive with its laser and LED counterparts at the low end of the midrange level of the market. But the Phaser 8560 family is really in a category by itself.

One additional plus, these machines are small in dimension and weight, unlike some laser competitors.

However, the Phaser 8560 models are not intended for really high-volume use. Xerox rates them for 85,000 pages per month, but the small output tray is a clear indication that this printer series is better suited for a moderate flow of work. The warm-up time may be an issue as well. It’s considerably longer than that for LED and laser, but this should be a once-a-day issue. The first-page-out time once the machine is warmed up (around 5 seconds in both color and black-and-white) is outstanding.

These machines are capable of producing very good color output and good black-and-white documents as well. They are easy to use and can be pretty fast when it comes to full-color output, though not at the highest resolution. Keep in mind, however, that this series does not have the paper-handling capability to be used in place of a departmental laser printer.

If you plan on printing heavier volume, you should look at the Phaser 8860DN below. But all things told, we really like the Phaser 8560 family. We find its attractive pricing, small footprint, quiet operation, and reasonable sticker prices to be excellent features – so excellent, in fact, that the 8560 family earns our Editor’s Choice Award for a third year.

Xerox Phaser 8560N

Xerox Phaser 8560DN

Xerox Phaser 8560DT

Xerox Phaser 8560DX

30ppm color (”fast” mode)

30ppm black & white (”fast” mode)

These new models, the Lexmark C730 Series, are part of an overall upgrade in Lexmark’s whole printer and printer-multifunctional line with a comprehensive new design that offers both obvious and subtle improvements.

The C734 models run at 30ppm in both black-and-white and color, while the C736 models run at 35ppm in both. These are far faster than most comparably priced color printers. And they add some very nice new features that go beyond earlier generations of Lexmark machines.

The members of the C734 family are:

• The C734n, which offers standard Ethernet ($699).
• The C734dn, which adds automatic duplexing ($899).
• The C734dw, which adds Wi-Fi connectivity ($999).
• The C734dtn, which adds a 550-sheet paper drawer to the C734dn configuration ($1,149).

The C736 family consists of:

• The C736n, which offers standard Ethernet ($899).
• The C736dn, which adds automatic duplexing ($1,149).
• The C736dtn, which adds a 550-sheet paper drawer ($1,399).

All of these models are network-ready out of the box. USB connectivity is also standard for all models, and Wi-Fi is optional on all of the C734 and C736 models but the C734dw, where it is standard. Lexmark also offers serial, parallel, IPDS, and gigabit Ethernet options. There are options for barcoding and forms storage as well.

All models print at true resolutions up to 1,200 dpi. Likewise, all models start with 256MB of memory that you can upgrade to 1,280MB, and all have an optional 80GB hard disk drive. There’s a standard USB port for flash drives, so you can print directly from the flash drive. There’s also a PictBridge port. PostScript and PCL are standard. PDF, TIFF, JPEG, and XPS files can also be output.

The C734 models are powered by a 600MHz processor. First-page-out time is under 9.5 seconds, and under 12 second when in Power Saver mode. The monthly duty cycle is 85,000 pages, with a recommended range between 1,500 and 9,200 pages.

The C736 models come with a 900MHz processor. First-page-out time is a bit faster at 9 seconds, and has the same under 12 seconds speed in Power Saver mode. The monthly duty cycle is also 85,000 pages, but with a recommended range between 2,500 and 10,000 pages.

Paper handling is also solid. For all models (except the dtn ones), you start with a 550-sheet drawer and a 100-sheet bypass. The dtn models have two 550-sheet drawers. But you have the option of adding far more. With the C734 models you can add up to three more 550-sheet drawers. You can also add a 2,000-sheet stacker (which replaces one of the drawers). The C736 family is the same, but you can add one additional 550-sheet drawer beyond the C734 family. You can place the whole printer stack on a roll-away caster.

The C730 Series also allows for printing banner paper, up to 36″ on the C734 models and up to 48″ on the C736 models. In a nice design touch, automatic duplexing (standard on all but the n models) is built into the machine and adds no extra height to the stack.

Standard output is 300 sheets. That is the one weak point in these models: with an enormous wealth of input capacity, you’ll still have to empty the output tray frequently.

In terms of ergonomic features, Lexmark has upgraded the handles on the paper drawers, making them easier to manipulate. The 4-line backlit LCD panel is tiltable for easier access and features an animated help display. Lexmark has also reduced noise levels and offers a (somewhat slower) Quiet Mode with low decibel levels along with an already quiet idle mode. Firmware can be upgraded by a service tech using the USB flash interface.

Lexmark has reduced energy consumption on these models, in part due to the Instant Warm Up fuser that allows for fast recovery from Power Saver mode. Lexmark also notes that it has reduced excess packaging, has a comprehensive Return Program, and offers longer-life supplies than comparable competitive models.

Supplies for the C734 models consist of a set of four photoconductors and four toner cartridges. The black cartridge is rated for 8,000 pages, while the color cartridges are rated at 6,000 pages. The cost per page is 2.3¢ for black, which is very good in this market segment, and 12.9¢ in color, a bit on the high side. For the C736 family, you have the option of high-capacity toner cartridges: 12,000 pages for black and 10,000 pages for color. That ends up costing 2.2¢ in black and 12.1¢ in color.

Given all the features, it’s hard to imagine that these printers are just in the middle of the Lexmark color printer lineup and that most of the models cost under $1,000. The inclusion of PostScript is significant in this market segment, their speed is impressive, and the inclusion of duplexing on most of the models is notable. All of this earns them our Editor’s Choice Award.

Sum-up: Lexmark’s feature-laden color printers, aimed at small-to-midsize workgroups.

Earlier this year, Kyocera introduced its FS-C5200DN and FS-C5300DN color laser printers. Then, it added two new members of the same series, the FS-C5100DN and FS-C5400DN. Finally, it came out with the FS-C5350DN. All five models run at the same speed in color as in black-and-white. For the FS-C5100DN ($942) and FS-C5200DN ($1,424), the print speed is at 23ppm. For the FS-C5300DN ($1,739), it is 28ppm; the FS-C5350DN ($1,983) runs at 32ppm; and the FS-C5400DN ($2,593) has a speed of 37ppm. The two 23ppm models differ in terms of paper capacity and duty cycle.
As the DN suffix indicates, these models are Ethernet-ready and have standard automatic duplexing. PostScript and PCL are standard, and PDF and XPS files can be printed directly. All those features indicate that these are serious workgroup machines.

The processor runs at 533MHz on the FS-C5100DN and FS-C5200DN models. On the FS-C5300DN, it runs at 667MHz; 600MHz on the FS-C5350DN; and on the FS-C5400DN, it is 733MHz. Memory starts at 256MB, and it can be increased to a total of 1,280MB. A 40GB hard disk is optionally available on the FS-C5300DN, FS-C5350DN, and FS-C5400DN for $336. Aside from Ethernet, there is a standard USB port, as well as a USB port that can be used for printing from flash drives.

These models have respectable paper-handling capabilities. They support letter- and legal-size output. All models feature a standard 150-sheet multipurpose tray. The FS-C5100DN comes with a 250-sheet main tray, while the others have a standard 500-sheet paper tray. On the FS-C5100DN, you can add two 500-sheet trays for a maximum of 1,400 sheets. On the FS-C5200DN and FS-C5300DN, you can add up to three 500-sheet trays for a total of 2,150 sheets, while on the FS-C5350DN and FS-C5400DN, you can add a fourth 500-sheet tray. The multipurpose tray holds stock up to 120lb. index, while the other tray holds paper up to 28lb. bond in weight. Automatic duplexing, as noted above, is standard on all models.
Kyocera gives you a choice between two slightly different 500-sheet add-on paper drawers: one is called a “Multipurpose Feeder” ($399, each) and can handle card stock up to 120lb. index, labels, and coated stock. The other drawer type ($299, each) handles stock up to 28lb. bond. You can mix and match both drawer types.
On the output side, there is a 250-sheet tray, expanded to 500 sheets on the FS-C5400DN. We think that’s too little given the input capacity, but it’s typical in the industry.

Kyocera products typically feature impressive consumables costs, and these machines are no exceptions. These machines have four toner cartridges and a drum to replace. The black-and-white cost per page is very good for a color printer. For the FS-C5200DN, its cost runs at 1.8¢, while it costs around 2.1¢ for the FS-C5100DN. Cost per black-and-white page is around 1.3¢ on the FS-C5300DN, FS-C5350DN, and FS-C5400DN. Those costs would be very good for black-and-white-only printers, but among color printers, it’s extraordinary.

The color per-page costs are even better. While for the FS-C5100DN, color costs 12.7¢, it comes in at a little over 7¢ a page for the FS-C5200DN. The figure is around 5.8¢ for the FS-C5300DN and FS-C5350DN and 5.4¢ on the FS-C5400DN. At almost half the industry average for desktop color printing cost, that alone makes these printers standouts.

Like many Kyocera printers, these have a relatively high initial cost. But if you print a lot of pages, the value of the low cost per page will make a major difference. The official duty cycle given by Kyocera in two forms, the maximum and a range for recommended monthly use is:

• For the FS-C5100DN, 60,000 pages maximum, 1,000 to 5,000 recommended
• For the FS-C5200DN, 100,000 pages maximum, 2,000 to 7,500 recommended
• For the FS-C5300DN, 130,000 pages maximum, 2,500 to 10,000 recommended
• For the FS-C5350DN, 140,000 pages maximum, 2,500 to 10,000 recommended
• For the FS-C5400DN, 150,000 pages maximum, 3,000 to 30,000 recommended

Kyocera can provide accounting and remote administration utilities as well. It also boasts of excellent green credentials, thanks to the minimization of waste through high-capacity consumables.

If you plan to use the printer up to those volumes, and you need inexpensive black printing as much as color printing, these are great bets. Kyocera is usually the leader in total cost of operation, and these printers follow in the same tradition. We believe that these are very solid small to midsize workgroup printers, and they get our Editor’s Choice Award.

Sum-up: Outstanding per-page costs make these models stand out.

The two models are essentially the same, but the 5650EN ($999) prints at 31ppm in both black-and-white and color and the 5670EN ($1,199) prints at 37ppm in both modes.

These models include some solid upgrades from some earlier magicolor printers. They include Konica Minolta’s Infoline technology, developed for its copier line. This band of variable color LCD light signals, from a distance, shows the status of the machine – most important when there is a problem with the printer (such as a paper jam).

Two other nice features are a strong toner-saver option that can save money on draft prints or printing intended for internal use. Konica Minolta also allows for edge enhancement, useful for clear printing of small fonts.

Konica Minolta has provided some strong color output tools. These include its Enhanced Automatic Image Density Control (eAIDC) allowing for consistent color from page to page. It also allows the option of continuous tone screening, letting users simulate the look of commercial color printing. That’s especially important for creating color proofs of work that will eventually end up on the printing press.

For a full review, see the Better Buys Color Laser Printer Guide.

The Xerox Phaser 7500 series is made up of departmental or large-workgroup color printers that can handle pages up to ledger size. They run at 35ppm in both color and black-and-white. Xerox rates it for a 150,000 page per month duty cycle, and a more realistic volume for sustained use might be somewhere between 10,000 and 15,000 pages, using our rough rule of thumb. That’s a pretty heavy workload in an office environment.

This model family ranges in price from $3,999 to $4,999, with the higher-end models adding automatic duplexing and extra standard paper capacity.

The paper handling is adequate. It can handle ledger-size paper (and a little bigger), if that’s your requirement, along with legal- and letter-size pages. The maximum capacity is 2,100-sheets of input.

The main trays handle paper up to 11.7″ x 17″, while the bypass can hold paper 12.6″ wide and can accept banner paper up to 47.2″ long.

Output capacity, however, is a bit disappointing. There are only 400 sheets of output and there’s no finisher available.

These are solid printers at reasonable prices given the paper size they can handle. For those who handle a mix of standard color pages and ledger-size ones (for signage or proofs, for example) is a strong performer.

For larger version of this review, see the 2009 Better Buys for Business Color Printer Guide, due out later this year.

Kyocera’s new TASKalfa line of color copier-multifunctionals is based on a clean-sheet design, not merely upgrades of an older generation of Kyocera models. All of these models come with standard copy, print, and scan. Fax and network fax from a workstation are options, as is Internet fax.

The new machines are the TASKalfa 250ci (25ppm in color and black-and-white), 300ci (30ppm), 400ci (40ppm), and 500ci (50ppm).

You can select either a reversing document feeder (RADF) for $1,360 or a duplexing feeder (DADF) for $1,800.

There’s an 8.5″ color touchscreen. Kyocera also features a new programming interface — dubbed Hybrid Platform Advanced Solutions, or HyPAS — for developing software for the control panel. This interface can accept device-level Java-based applications or Web services targeted at the server level.

These are the first models to use Kyocera’s new microfine toner that also promises higher yield levels and better quality output. The company is also reportedly announcing a new standard dealer warranty of three years on these TASKalfa MFPs, a big upgrade from the three-month warranties standard on copiers (you normally have to buy an extended warranty).

For a full review, see the Better Buys 2009 Color Printer Multifunctional Guide.

And while Kyocera list prices are higher than those of the competition, they always have a cost-per-page proposition that is among the best in the business.

That’s true for Kyocera’s entry-level monochrome lasers, the 30ppm FS-1100 and FS-1300D. And though the 30ppm speed used to be typical of medium-sized workgroup models, these two come as desktop printers that can be upgraded with a network card to serve a small workgroup.

The FS-1100 sells for a list price of $316, while the FS-1300D sells for $530. The two models are based on the same platform, but the FS-1300D has a larger optional paper supply, standard duplexing and different supplies.

Kyocera uses a separate drum unit that’s rated for 100,000 pages for both of these models. The FS-1100 uses a 4,000-page toner supply that produces a page for about 1.8 cents. That’s excellent for a desktop printer, since competitive models approach 3.0 cents or more.

The deal for the FS-1300D is even better, with a 7,200-page toner-only cartridge that will run about 1.2 cent per page. That’s a cost per page you can only find on competitors’ highest-speed departmental models and, of course, on other Kyocera models.

For a full review, see the Better Buys for Business Office Printer Guide.

All three models are network-ready. The base model, the C710n, is priced at $1,099; the C710dn (which includes automatic duplexing) sells for $1,239; and the C710dtn, which adds an extra input drawer, sells for $1,449.

OKI touts its HD (high definition) color technology, which includes microfine toner and multilevel LED printheads, single-pass color that lets media follow a streamlined path, and firmware/software that provides automatic adjustments for optimum print quality.

The HD approach is designed to allow you to get higher gloss and more detail in color prints. Software for remote management and accounting are also available. All of the C710 models include Color Access Policy Manager, a built-in feature that gives an administrator the ability to define color printing access by user or application.

The C710n and C710dn start with a 100-sheet bypass and a 530-sheet main tray. You can add up to two extra 530-sheet drawers for a total of 1,690 sheets of input. The C710dtn comes with a second 530-sheet drawer standard, and you can add one more such drawer. A 350-sheet catch tray is standard, but there are no additional output options.

Consumables costs are 7.9¢ per page for color and 1.1¢ a page for black-and-white – much better than average for color and excellent for black.

With their memory, paper handling and duplexing, the C710 models are bargains well worth considering.

For the full review see the Better Buys for Business Color Laser Printer and Business Inkjet Guide.

Moreover, the new model has a list price of $549, $200 less than the SP 4100N.

This machine runs at 31ppm, and its first-page-out time is equally good at 6.9 seconds. Ricoh estimates the monthly duty cycle of this machine at 100,000 pages.

PCL and PostScript are supplemented by Ricoh’s host-based printing called RPCS. Direct PDF printing is also supported. Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet connectivity are optionally available. You can also add a direct USB port, for printing files from a flash memory drive.

Based on its suggested retail price for the toner cartridge, Ricoh estimates a per-page cost for the SP 4100N should run around 1.9 cents. Since supplies are not available on the open market, you’ll need to negotiate with a dealer. However, you are likely to find that a dealer can offer better-than-suggested retail pricing for supplies.

Security features include authentication and job encryption, and secure printing. Optional hard-disk overwrite and disk locking are available as well.

To read the full review, see the Better Buys for Business Office Laser Printer Guide.