2. Which Colour Printer?? G.J.Fayers@ic.ac.uk

3. Key Factors l Capital outlay << Consumables cost l Choice of technology l Way services are delivered for transparencies, paper

4. Selection Criteria l 2 trays, 2 software queues l Speed l Memory size l Resolution l PS level 2 or better l Low cost ownership l Duplex operation l Non-proprietary transparencies

5. Other Selection Criteria l Simplicity of use l Reliability l Price l Duty cycle l Print cost per page l Network readiness l Protocols support and maximum control from maximum number of different types of host l PCL capability

6. Yet More Selection Criteria l Postscript emulation quality l Number of consumables l Support for AutoCAD14 and AutoCAD 2000 l Good reproduction of VGA camera output (discussed later) l Monochrome l A3 capability

7. Other Considerations l Adjustable toner coverage l Availability of supplies on campus l Maximum memory capacity (esp. for poor postscript) l Informal workgroup servicing l Warranty

8. Some Printer Truths l Underestimation of cost per page –5% = A4 x 12-point –240% = high quality transparency l Expert estimate typical HEP 25% l Costs start at 1.25p per % ==> 30p per transparency l Duty cycle is relative

9. Duty Cycles l No absolute indication of robustness –40 heating cycles worse than 1 x 40 pages l Duty cycle 5000/month ==> 40 pages/month

10. App. Classes vs. Costs

11. Inks, Colours, Toning & Resolution l If pixel size fixed, only 8 possible colours from CMY l (Usually diagonal) half-toning overlay l More pixels per half-tone cell, more colour tones displayed –But coarser apparent resolution –Trade-off here l Also Colour Management issue

12. Colour Printer Market l Margins low –Independent expert resellers hard to find l Brand leaders on low to mid-range include –Epson –HP –Lexmark –Tektronix (Xerox) l Small set of print engines (e.g. Hitachi, Canon, Matsushita, Minolta) –Why this does matter

13. Options and Recommendations l See spreadsheet l Get handout