Evaluate how well a Color Laser Printer meets your needs and compares to competing products
If you've completed step one you've identified what you need in a color laser printer and you've learned about the different features of color laser printers. While you were doing your research, you probably started the process of determining which features - and thus which type of color laser printer - will best meet your needs. Now you are going to continue that process, but in greater detail.
In this step you will
evaluate the color laser printers available on the market to determine how well they meet your personal needs and establish, by a process of elimination, an initial short-list of contenders. Then you will compare these short-listed color laser printers to find out which ones stand out from the competition.
Evaluate how well a Color Laser Printer meets your needs
Your priority at this point in your evaluation is to find the available color laser printers in the market that best meet your needs. You can save a lot of time during this activity by quickly eliminating any printers that are unsuitable because they don't meet your key requirements. For example, if you have a limited budget for this purchase then you can ignore any color laser printers that clearly exceed your price limit.
You should consider the following when looking at color laser printers: the ease of operation, how many pages each toner cartridge will produce, printer speed, and additional functions such as collating and duplexing.
Operating the printer should be your main concern. Depending on the type of color laser printer you purchase, you may have to enter in color settings, paper settings, and more in order to achieve the results desired. Make sure the controls are clear and simple to use. Also, consider the space the printer will take up, which direction the printer will be facing, how easy it will be to reach the controls, change the toner and refill the paper tray.
The number of pages you will be able to print using both color and black is important. Presentation materials and other documents should always look their best which means clean lines and clear print. You will have to change the toner cartridge once the print begins to fade. Knowing roughly how many pages you can print using one toner cartridge will give you an idea of what you will need when printing a larger project.
Tip: Planning in advance will save you time and money when working on a large project. If you know in advance how many pages you need to print off, then you will be able to estimate supplies including toner cartridges and paper needed.
Toner cartridges are usually rated to print a certain number of pages. Find the cost of the toner for each printer and divide this by the number of pages the toner is rated to produce. This will give you a per page cost of each sheet you print. You can then do this calculation for other printers and then compare them to get an idea which printer is cheaper to run.
Tip: Manufactures generally use a 5% page coverage when estimating how many sheets a toner cartridge will print. If a different manufacture uses a different percentage, you will have to take that difference into consideration when making your calculations. A manufacture who uses a 10% coverage is basing their calculations on 100% more toner use per page than a manufacture who uses a 5% coverage!
Understanding the functions you need when buying a color printer will help you decide which one to purchase. While collating and duplexing options may be nice to have, if you don't use them, then you are wasting money. Buy a laser printer with the functions you know you will use.
Tip: Additional functions such as collating and duplexing will make putting presentation packets together much easier. Duplexing means to copy pages on both sides. This will cut down on paper volume and allow you to prepare smaller packets.
Finally, the speed the printer works at may be important to you. The speed of the printer is reflected in a page per minute rating. If you do a lot of color printing you will want a faster page per minute printer, somewhere between 20 and 30 pages. The performance of a printer can also be boosted by increasing the RAM in the machine.
Tip: Test the printer to see how long it takes to produce the first page. Once a printer gets going it can be pretty fast but if you're printing just one page at a time, it may take the printer awhile to load each page before printing it.
When you were considering your requirements in a color laser printer it's likely that you singled out certain factors such as speed, cartridge type, resolution and cost as being of major significance. As with so many other products, the more features offered, the higher the price.
Buyz123 has created a checklist containing examples of major features; you can work from this checklist when evaluating how well various laser printers meet your personal needs:
Features Checklist
Printer Size
- 16.1 x 17.8 x 14.6 inches; weight 40.5 lbs.
- 17.2 x 20 x 20.7 inches; weight 48.5 lbs.
- 16.2 x 20.0 x 16.9 inches; weight 59.6 lbs.
- 20.5 x 23.5 x 22.9 inches; weight 104.5 lbs.
Printer Speed (black ink/color)
- 8 ppm/8 ppm (pages per minute)
- 12 ppm/10 ppm
- 17 ppm/ 17 ppm
- 22 ppm/22 ppm
- 30 ppm/25 ppm
Print Resolution (black ink / color)
- 600 x 600 dpi / 600 x 600 dpi (dots per square inch)
- 1200 x 1200 dpi
- 2400 x 1200 dpi
- 2400 x 2400 dpi
- 9600 x 600 dpi
Printer Memory
- 16 to 128 Mb
- Expandable (extra) memory up to 1Gb (Gigabyte)
Paper Capacity
- 250-sheet input tray, 100-sheet multipurpose tray
- 250-sheet input tray, single-sheet priority feed slot
- Two 250-sheet input trays, single-sheet priority feed slot
- 500-sheet tray, 100-sheet multipurpose tray
Paper Size
- Letter, legal, executive, envelopes (No 10, Monarch)
- 8.5 x 13 inch, A5, A4, A3
Connectivity
- 1 USB
- Ethernet
- Parallel Port
- Serial Port
Operating Systems
- Windows
- Mac OS
- Linux
- Unix
Warranty and Support
- 1 to 4 year limited parts warranty
- Extended warranty (available for purchase)
- User's Manual available with product and online
- Software installation CD with manual and spec sheet
- 24/7 customer support via email and phone
- Troubleshooting support available online
There are a lot of features listed here, and some of them may not be relevant to your particular requirements. So, work your way through the list and assess how each of these features impact on your color laser printer needs. You can then create a personalized checklist of the features you really require in a color laser printer.
Once you have finished evaluating the color laser printers available for sale in the light of your personal needs and arrived at a short-list of 'possibles' you are ready to progress to the next stage. This involves comparing the color laser printers one-on-one in order to find those that really stand out.
Evaluate how well a Color Laser Printer compares with competing Color Laser Printers
Comparing the items on your interim short-list, one to another, is an important part of the purchasing process - we all want to buy the best product we possibly can. So once you have established a short-list of color laser printers that meet your needs it is time to evaluate how well they compare in fine detail. This way you can assemble a select list of color laser printers that stand out from the crowd.
Questions to ask yourself:
Which color laser printer on my short-list offers best value for money?
Which of my short-listed color laser printers has the best warranty?
Which color laser printer has technical support?
Which of the color laser printers is the easiest to install and use?
Which color laser printer seems of the highest quality?
Which color laser printer is the most suitable for my needs?
Which printer has drivers that work on my operating system?
By answering these simple questions, you are actually eliminating color laser printers that aren't absolutely right for you. This is an excellent time - if you haven't done so already - to evaluate how well your short-listed products measure up in the following areas: Physical Quality, Warranty Conditions and Accessories & Extras.
Physical Quality
Regardless of the method you use when purchasing the color laser printer, you need to find an opportunity to examine the product to evaluate how well it is made, and to check that it is truly suitable for you and your purpose. This is the time to examine the quality of the materials, and how well the item is put together. Check the assembly - are the joins solid, and do the screws hold the printer casing together snugly? It's also important to examine the item from the perspective of ease of use. How easily are components removed for cleaning, replacement and maintenance? Are the controls easy to use? Make sure the printer fits the physical space you have for it, and that it's manageable to use - some items look great on paper, but unexpected problems will show up when you finally get your hands on them.
Physical Inspection Checklist:
- Materials - quality, appearance
- Assembly - all parts held together securely, good quality fittings
- Solidly constructed - stable, no loose components
- Proper fit of removable parts - easy to remove and replace, fit snugly
- Controls - visible, easy to use, accessible, clearly labelled
- Size - appropriate for surroundings and purpose - fits user correctly
- Appearance - well finished, appropriate color, neat fittings etc
- Easy and intuitive to use
Warranty Conditions
Similar products may be available with significantly different terms and conditions, and you want to get the best deal you can. Parts and labor are often covered under separate warranties, for different time periods; sometimes there can be a significant difference in the warranty offered with one model compared to that offered with the next model up. It is particularly important to investigate any conditions that might void a warranty, such as if you use different cartridges to those recommended.
Warranty Checklist:
- Duration - check the specifics
- Parts, Labour, Mechanical, Electrical
- Exactly what is covered
- Exactly what is excluded
- Conditions or actions that may void the warranty
Accessories, Extras and Consumables
When evaluating similar products, it is a good idea to include accessories in your assessment. You need to be clear about exactly what accessories are necessary to run the product to its full capacity, and whether these are included with the purchase. What other facilities are required - do you need a particular software program, for instance? What about a contract or service plan? It's also important to consider consumables, such as cartridges - some products have higher associated costs than others.
Accessories Checklist:
- Accessories - included or extra cost
- Upgrades - will the product needs upgrades, what are the costs?
- Compatibility issues - will it work with your existing computer?
- Registration - what are the time frames and costs?
- Internet access - is this necessary?
- Consumables - how often and how much?
- Contracts or Service Plans - conditions, penalties, costs
- What else will you need to enjoy this product?
Once you've worked through the Evaluation step you will have a final short-list of color laser printers that meet your needs and stand out from competing products on the market. It's time then to move on to the third and final step: Purchase.
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