Please recommend a printer and printer type for everyday office use as well as heavy card

[ukmacposts]

Searching reveals this is talked about a lot here. So much discussion
is a little confusing so I'd be grateful for some up-to-the-minute
advice and recommendations from people who've tried a few printers and
are happy with what they now use. Also for a little laser vs inkjet vs
anything else instruction.

We need to be able to print everyday stuff as well as, frequently, onto
heavier card (usually recycled matt finish) at 300 g/sm or heavier. If
things go well we'll be printing medium to large quantiies onto card.
We use Macintosh computers.

My guess is that we should consider a laser (but it is a guess). We've
always had relatively inexpensive inkjets and I am not completely clear
about the advantages and disadvantages regarding our current
requirements of injet over laser or another technology. I am also
guessing that we need a printer that has the option of straight-through
feed to help it handle the card. We don't need to go bigger than A4.
Ideally I'd be looking to spend no more than £300 - £500 (US$550 -
900). But since many printers seem very inexpensive compared to what
the used to be, perhaps we will have to spend much less. (Consumables
especially ink/toner prices is where the money seems to be made - so
running cost is an issue, too.)

Advice and recommendations will be much appreciated.

D

 

[me]

Searching reveals this is talked about a lot here. So much discussion
is a little confusing so I'd be grateful for some up-to-the-minute
advice and recommendations from people who've tried a few printers and
are happy with what they now use. Also for a little laser vs inkjet vs
anything else instruction.

We need to be able to print everyday stuff as well as, frequently, onto
heavier card (usually recycled matt finish) at 300 g/sm or heavier. If
things go well we'll be printing medium to large quantiies onto card.
We use Macintosh computers.

What does 'medium to large' quantities mean?
10 a day? 100 a day? 1000 a day?

Is this going to be mono or colour?

I'm not sure there's too much in the laser category that can do this
thickness in the sub £500 range. Often they will go up to 105 gsm out
of a main input tray and might allow up to 165 (some seem to go to about
200/220 but I think thats about it) from a side tray that can only take
a few or maybe only one sheet manually fed at a time. Mine can go up to
256 gsm but it doesnt want more than 20 sheets at a time in the tray at
that thickness.

Somewhere or other on Xerox's UK site I found a thing for them to send
me some sample card and I have a pack of Colotech paper of varying
thicknesses 10 sheets of each, 90s, 160 gsm 220 and 300. I would have
thought the 220 would be thick enough for most things, about the only
thing I can think of that would need much more would probably be
business cards, but if you were getting into printing them properly I
would get a real printer that is up to that job.

 

[ukmacposts]

What does 'medium to large' quantities mean?
10 a day? 100 a day? 1000 a day?

100 ish

Is this going to be mono or colour?

Mostly mono but colour sometimes

I'm not sure there's too much in the laser category that can do this
thickness in the sub £500 range. Often they will go up to 105 gsm out
of a main input tray and might allow up to 165 (some seem to go to about
200/220 but I think thats about it) from a side tray that can only take
a few or maybe only one sheet manually fed at a time. Mine can go up to
256 gsm but it doesnt want more than 20 sheets at a time in the tray at
that thickness.

Somewhere or other on Xerox's UK site I found a thing for them to send
me some sample card and I have a pack of Colotech paper of varying
thicknesses 10 sheets of each, 90s, 160 gsm 220 and 300. I would have
thought the 220 would be thick enough for most things, about the only
thing I can think of that would need much more would probably be
business cards, but if you were getting into printing them properly I
would get a real printer that is up to that job.

We are making craft kits that have cut-out templates on card. We would
need to be able to load up to 50 at a time to make it sustainable ie
not have to stand over the printer.

Grateful for you input so far.

 

[me]

Mostly mono but colour sometimes
We are making craft kits that have cut-out templates on card. We would
need to be able to load up to 50 at a time to make it sustainable ie
not have to stand over the printer.

Unless I'm missing something I'm not sure anyone's got an A4 machine
that can manage this. About the only thing I can come up with is a
Xante Illumina but that weighs in at about £5,000. There is a printer
only version of my machine which you can get for under £3,000 Bizhub
C250P.

This may be a case for a business inkjet. Hp's Business Inkjet range
goes up to 286 gsm I think. Ameiva.co.uk has both the A4 version 2300
and the A3 version at the same price £299 + VAT. However I _think_ these
may be restricted to single sheet feeding at the max thickness.

Ameiva is part of Printware (they're in Portsmouth), from whom I've
bought a machine in the past, give them a call see if they come up with
anything cunning. I would like to think I'd get something from them for
the recommendation but I won't, if you want a Konica Bizhub machine on
the other hand, I believe the company that provided me with that will
give me a bribe for any recommendations!

 

[ukmacposts]

Unless I'm missing something I'm not sure anyone's got an A4 machine
that can manage this. About the only thing I can come up with is a
Xante Illumina but that weighs in at about £5,000. There is a printer
only version of my machine which you can get for under £3,000 Bizhub
C250P.

This may be a case for a business inkjet. Hp's Business Inkjet range
goes up to 286 gsm I think. Ameiva.co.uk has both the A4 version 2300
and the A3 version at the same price £299 + VAT. However I _think_ these
may be restricted to single sheet feeding at the max thickness.

Ameiva is part of Printware (they're in Portsmouth), from whom I've
bought a machine in the past, give them a call see if they come up with
anything cunning. I would like to think I'd get something from them for
the recommendation but I won't, if you want a Konica Bizhub machine on
the other hand, I believe the company that provided me with that will
give me a bribe for any recommendations!

Intersting. Can't stretch to the prices you mentioned in the thousands.
I'll look into the biz inkjet options. I'll be sure to mention you in
dispatches. Let me know how I should refer to you. send to
tempdotaddressatmacdotcomzzzzzzzyyyy removing the noise from the
address.

 

[me]

Intersting. Can't stretch to the prices you mentioned in the thousands.
I'll look into the biz inkjet options. I'll be sure to mention you in
dispatches. Let me know how I should refer to you. send to
tempdotaddressatmacdotcomzzzzzzzyyyy removing the noise from the
address.

Funnily enough they phoned me up yesterday with an offer on a Xerox
Phaser machine. (Town & Village on the Isle of Wight)

 

[Gary Tait]

(e-mail address removed) wrote in @h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:

We are making craft kits that have cut-out templates on card. We would
need to be able to load up to 50 at a time to make it sustainable ie
not have to stand over the printer.

Grateful for you input so far.

How varied do these get? How large a quantity of each are you thinking?
Would it not be better off to get them commercially printed?

 

[ukmacposts]

(e-mail address removed) wrote in @h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com:


How varied do these get?

Quite varied at the moment

How large a quantity of each are you thinking?

between 20 and 150 at a time. Maybe more maybe less.

Would it not be better off to get them commercially printed?

yes, I hope so, if the product takes off. Right now it's a
pilot/prototype.

Cheers

D