Color Laser recommendation

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tim
  • Start date Start date
T

Tim

.. . .between HP, Minolta and Lexmark. Any color laser sub-$1,000 with
reasonable speed and good reliability? Any place you've seen such reviewed
side-by-side?

I definitely need to print drawings, but would like the option to do photos
too. Am I asking too much here? Should I keep an Ink Jet for photo needs?

Thanks for any feedback.

Tim
 
Hi Tim
I definitely need to print drawings, but would like the option to do photos
too. Am I asking too much here? Should I keep an Ink Jet for photo needs?
Click to expand...

Yep, and yep. Color lasers don't come near the best photo
ink jets for quality prints. Color laser photo quality is
akin to cheaply-printed magazines; the best photo ink
jets are as good/better than the best optical/chemical
prints.

stan
 
Stanley Krute said:
Color lasers don't come near the best photo
ink jets for quality prints.
Click to expand...

That's a pretty broad statement.

Don't you mean, "cheap consumer color lasers don't come near the best
photo ink jets for quality prints"?

I can show you color laser that does phenomenal things you can't imagine.
 
Elmo P. said:
That's a pretty broad statement.

Don't you mean, "cheap consumer color lasers don't come near the best
photo ink jets for quality prints"?

I can show you color laser that does phenomenal things you can't imagine.
Click to expand...
I would put it more, 'cheap' colour lasers produce better (and cheaper)
output on cheap paper and can produce very good output on good paper,
but generally not to the standard of inkjet premium glossy paper.
 
Hi Elmo
That's a pretty broad statement.
Click to expand...

Yep. And, sadly, true.
Don't you mean, "cheap consumer color lasers don't come near the best
photo ink jets for quality prints"?
Click to expand...

Nope. I mean "I have NEVER seen color laser output that comes
near the best (Epson, Canon) photo ink jets for quality prints".
I can show you color laser that does phenomenal things you can't imagine.
Click to expand...

I have quite an excellent imagination, but I also have a good
set of eyes.

If you send me a color laser print that looks as good or better
than my Epson 1270 photo prints, I'll send you a crisp $20.

Contact me via email if you'd like to take me up on that,
and I'll give you my mailing address.

Stan

[who owns a not-inexpensive QMS Magicolor 330
and sends for samples for each interesting new
color laser printer that hits the market]
 
Don't you mean, "cheap consumer color lasers don't come near the best
photo ink jets for quality prints"?
Click to expand...

Nope. I mean "I have NEVER seen color laser output that comes
near the best (Epson, Canon) photo ink jets for quality prints".[/QUOTE]

Well, that's better. Have you seen ALL color laser engines that are out
there?


I have quite an excellent imagination, but I also have a good
set of eyes.
Click to expand...

But no experience in anything beyond consumer machines.
 
Hi Elmo
Well, that's better. Have you seen ALL color laser engines that are out
there?
Click to expand...

Nope. Just ones in the < $10,000 arena.
But no experience in anything beyond consumer machines.
Click to expand...

Per my earlier email: make yourself an easy $20. Send me
an 8x10 from one of your non-consumer lasers that you think
prints as well or better than an Epson 1270. You can't lose,
it's a one-sided bet.

I gotta tell ya, I'm not holding my breath.

stan
 
Whelp, for anyone following this thread:

I've heard nothing from Prof. Shagnasty Re:
my offer to lay a lovely technicolor new
$20 bill on him if he can send me a fabulous
color laser 8x10 that's the equal of a photo
printed by my (three generations old) Epson
Stylus photo 1270.

Someday, the best color laser printers will
equal the printing of a well-done magazine
photo. For example, images in National
Geographic. But, even at that point, which
will be a lovely point, they will not be the
equal of the best photo inkjets printed on
glossy paper.

stan

ps -- We should be hitting that Nat. Geo.
quality point by about 2013, I'm predicting.
 
Stanley Krute said:
I've heard nothing from Prof. Shagnasty Re:
my offer to lay a lovely technicolor new
$20 bill on him if he can send me a fabulous
color laser 8x10 that's the equal of a photo
printed by my (three generations old) Epson
Stylus photo 1270.
Click to expand...

Quite frankly, I care not a whit for your $20.
 
Howdy Elmo
Quite frankly, I care not a whit for your $20.
Click to expand...

Care then to reveal the make and model
of the mystery/mythical color laser printer that
can produce 8x10's that beat out the
best (Epson, Canon) photo inkjet
glossy prints ? I'd love to send for
some sample prints for the manufacturer
so as to scan and compare with inkjet
prints.

Homage

Stan
 
Quite frankly, I care not a whit for your $20.
Click to expand...

Care then to reveal the make and model
of the mystery/mythical color laser printer that
can produce 8x10's that beat out the
best (Epson, Canon) photo inkjet
glossy prints ?[/QUOTE]

Xerox DocuColor 12 with Splash G640 RIP.

And when real prepress people get hold of something like the 6060/Creo
system, watch out.
 
Howdy

Elmo P. Shagnasty mentioned
the Xerox DocuColor 12 with Splash G640 RIP.

In case anyone's shopping, according to this
press release

http://www.efi.com/news/press_releases/pr_02.10.05splash_g640.fhtml

the combo lists at around $50,000.

I've sent for a sample print, and will post some scans,
along with scans of Epson 1270 ($500) and Epson 960 ($300)
output.

Anyone wanna predict which images will have the wider
color gamut and the least dottiness ?

Stan
 
Howdy

Elmo P. Shagnasty mentioned the
Xerox DocuColor 6060 combined
with a Creo CXP6000 front end.

In case anyone's shopping, according to
this press release

http://media.xerox.ca/news/default.asp?aID=356

.... the price on that combo was approximately
$385,500 Canadian. At current exchange rates,
that comes to approx. $296,000 American.

I've sent for a sample print, and will post some scans,
along with scans of Epson 1270 ($500) and Epson 960 ($300)
output.

Anyone wanna predict which images will have the wider
color gamut and the least dottiness ?

Stan
 
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