I've lived with ink-jetprinters for years. Canon gave me the first bubble-jet and Epson have supplied the later models - various models of Stylus including C80, C84 and C86. They get heavy use for work and all have given some headaches with clogged heads. So a mixture of desperation and hope, together with keen pricing, has led me down the colour laser printer road. The Epson Aculaser may not be a cute laser, but it does work a treat.
Specification ++++++++++
I'll not go into all the technical stuff, it is readily available from Epson's site or any of the dealers. But what you need to know is that this printer uses a laser and is a 4 pass
machine, doing each colour separately. That makes it a tad slower than single pass machines... but much cheaper.
It uses four toner cartridges - black, magenta, cyan and yellow, and the colours come in standard or high capacity sizes - the black is only high capacity.
It prints colour at around 5 pages per minute and black at 25 pages per minute - and those times are real, not just the specs. However, I do qualify that later.!
It takes all sizes of paper and envelopes up to A4, and you can put 180 sheets in the tray. I usually use 100gm paper but it can handle 200 gm, and that is something inkjets do not do well.
Finally, it is about 4 times the size of the ink-jet printer! For many folk, that IS a real point to consider, especially as you need to be able to reach all round the printer for different reasons.
Set-up. +++++
I had read a few reviews which complained about the set-up procedure, and I anticipated a very slow, difficult process. It is not really that bad, but is more complicated than setting up an ink-jet. I had to switch on the machine, and follow some instructions in the little display window. Each toner cartridge had to be set into the machine, and after each colour, the machine did a little bit of self analysis, before telling me to insert the next cartridge. I found it was a bit difficult being sure that I had put the cartridge in properly, but I soon discovered, that if it is not in properly, the door does not shut.!
Once the machine was ready, paper is loaded into the tray which is on the front of the machine. The paper tray is hidden from view and keeps the paper dry and clean. The machine then explained how to get a sample sheet to print, and it worked first time.
Next, I had to load the software on to the PC, link the printer to the USB port on the PC, and once both parties recognized each other, drivers and software loaded right away.
The usual online registration took place, and then set-up was complete.
In Use +++++
I have done a mixture of long runs and single copies in the short while that I have owned the printer. The speeds quoted were accurate, except that during some long runs, the machine would go through a self-calibration process, which caused a noticeable delay.
Quality is fantastic. I don't pretend that I can spot differences in black text from 100yards.! But the difference in colour and blocks of solid black, is breathtaking. I produced the carol sheets for Christmas, and folk thought that they had been produced at a professional printer's.
Costs are a bit of an unknown still. I was a bit scared when the black toner light began to flash after 250 copies - it should last for around 1500.! However, I discovered that a reviewer for a well-known magazine had the same initial shock, but went on to find that the toner did last near to the quoted number of sheets. Buying Epson toner is not cheap - black toner can cost up to £60 and each colour, up to £90. But there are plenty of firms who do sell Epson originals cheaper than that - £42 for black and £72 for colour - I'll update my review as experience is gathered.
Quoted costs are about 1.8p per black copy and 5.7 p per colour copy, allowing for the other running costs over a period of time.
Other Comments. ++++++++++++++
It is a bit nosier than an ink-jet; the cartridge replacement a little bit more fiddly, and I have had one paper jam, which meant getting round to the back of the machine to free the offending paper. I have the printer positioned close to the desk, with enough room to spin it round - so that is not a great problem to me. The on-off switch is set on the left hand side, near the back ! It would have been so much easier to operate if it was at the front.
I am waiting for a duplex fitment which will allow two-sided printing to be done automatically - more comment on that will follow. You can purchase a bigger paper tray - 500 sheets at a time - but it is a costly item, and not one I really need. It basically sits under the printer and so adds to its overall height.
I bought this machine online, from Inmac and paid £138 inclusive of delivery, as a clearance item. This was a significant reduction for the box having been opened previously! - Everything else was still in original packing. I am delighted.
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Dec 29th, 2005
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