Printable View
I have a black & white laser printer. I know how it works. The black
toner cartridge is much like a copier. But I have no idea how a color
laser printer works? How do they get the colors. By mixing toners?
Are these printers expensive to run. Will the toner cartridges last as
long a black toner cartridges and is there more then one toner cartridge
for the colors?
Jerry
Wikipedia: Laser Printers > Color
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_l...laser_printers
They use separate Cyan, Magenta and Yellow toners, as well as black toner. The cartridges can be expensive to replace, though the per page costs till work out far cheaper than inkjets. It depends on the particular printer, but generally the colour toner cartridges are lower capacity than black cartridges.
The colour output is very nice, but for printing out photos a good inkjet photo printer gives the best results.
Negatives:
- They are large and heavy. Carrying one up a flight of stairs is usually a two man job.
- For the same reason transport to a service center may cost more than the repairs. One of the few products where I would consider paying for additional warranty coverage, if it includes shipping or on-site service.
- As Nick noted, photo print quality is not up to the best ink-jets.
- As with ink-jets, the best photo quality is on glossy paper but you must use glossy paper designed for a laser (ink-jet glossy may stick to the drums). There is little competition (HP is the only brand I've seen) so the paper may be more expensive than that for ink-jets.
- Check the manufacturer's web site for consumables offered. Users are sometimes expected to replace drums, belts, catch tanks, etc. which will increase the cost of operation. I've never seen these "extras" included in promotional material.
Positives:
- Per page costs should be substantially less than for ink-jets.
- Print speed is usually much faster than ink-jets.
- Since the primary market is businesses, lasers are generally better made and more reliable than ink-jets, most of which are aimed at the amateur market.
Edit - Color lasers often are sold with "starter" cartridges that contain one third or one half the standard amount of toner. This can add as much as $100 or more to the true cost when comparing prices among different manufacturers. AFAIK, all HP lasers are supplied with full cartridges. Most (all?) other vendors short change you. Read the fine print. Somewhere they will admit their sin. ;)
Recently I looked at a less expensive Brother color laser for a couple of users @ our office. I discovered they were not made as well as I hoped (I returned them) and ended up going with a couple of energy star inkjets from HP. Page yield is supposed to be similar and the inkjet was a good deal cheaper to purchase.
That said, I can't argue with what the others have said. I do think there is a point of separation on when to consider lasers and when not to, based on a price/quality factor. IMO, you're going to have to spend at least $400 to $500 US to get a decent color laser. Anything less seems to be too much of a compromise...
I agree with that. If you are going to get a colour laser, spend a bit more for a decent one (generally the more you pay to buy the thing, the cheaper it is to run). Also, a decent colour laser will usually be built to withstand the rigours of office life, and should last for a good few years in the home, so a bit of extra initial outlay can pay off in the longer term.