Choosing The Right Printer

Finding the high-speed/high-volume printer that provides the maximum productivity and cost savings for your in-plant is not easy. Here's some help.

By Michael Fego

There are many printer/copier manufacturers, but relatively few offer high-speed/high-volume models. Since "high-speed" and "high-volume" can be somewhat relative terms, let's first define what constitutes a high-speed printer.

Most experts consider devices with print/copy speeds of 70 pages per minute (ppm) or more to be high-speed devices. For the purpose of this article, we will use this definition.

Manufacturers offering products with speeds between 70 and 90 ppm include Konica Minolta, Kyocera Mita, Sharp, Xerox, Canon, Ricoh and Toshiba. For volumes more than 90 ppm, current options include Xerox, Canon, Ricoh, Heidelberg and Océ. Konica Minolta is also due to release a 105-ppm model in fall 2004. Some manufacturers, such as Konica Minolta, Kyocera Mita, Ricoh and Toshiba, allow two printer/copiers to be connected in a "tandem" configuration, sharing duties on a single job and virtually doubling the output speed.

Now let's look at some of the decision criteria that should be considered when evaluating high-speed printer/copiers.

Know Your Volume

First and foremost, you need to make sure the device you choose can handle your output volume. A good rule of thumb is to take the manufacturer's recommended monthly volume and cut it in half. This is because the manufacturers' volume ratings are formulated in controlled environments with optimal operating conditions that rarely mirror "corporate reality." For example, if you need a unit that can handle 250,000 impressions per month, look for a model that is rated for 500,000.

A far more difficult task is to assess whether or not a device will be able to run your volumes reliably. This is where you'll want to kick some tires during your evaluation.

You can learn a lot about whether or not a unit will stand up to the rigors of high-volume usage by attending a live demonstration and closely examining the unit's overall construction, especially the components that users interact with most frequently.

Are the components inside the paper drawers made primarily of metal or plastic? What about the document handler, does it seem sturdy or flimsy? Insist that the person doing the demonstration perform a print or copy job that takes at least five minutes. Did the machine run smoothly and quietly or did it shimmy and rattle? Also, keep in mind that even the most reliable machine will eventually need service. Insist on meeting the service manager and getting service references before you leave.

Is It Easy To Use?

Bring your own originals to the demonstration, both hard copy and digital files, and ask to run some copy and print jobs yourself. Press the buttons, click the mouse. Evaluate the control panel, graphical user interface and print drivers.

Ask yourself how intuitive the commands and options are. Do the buttons, tabs and icons make logical sense? Can an operator quickly and easily perform commonly requested copy/print jobs, without having to hunt through multiple menus?

Even though your assessment of ease of use will be subjective, it should not be ignored. If you find a unit's controls and print drivers complex and difficult to negotiate, chances are others will too.

Another relatively subjective point you'll want to evaluate is print quality. The industry standard for print resolution is 600x600 dots per inch (dpi), however some manufacturers tout enhanced print resolutions of up to 1,800x1,800 dpi. Sounds impressive, but the best advice is to trust your eyes.

Once again, use your own originals, both hard copy and digital files, during the product demonstration, not the prepared originals that the vendor uses. Typically, the vendor's prepared originals are specifically designed to highlight the strong points of the unit's image reproduction capabilities. These strong points, however, may not reproduce your originals in a manner that pleases your eye.

Be sure to take some print/copy samples with you when you leave the demonstration. Mark the manufacturer/model name on the samples and bring them with you when you go to the next vendor's demonstration. The best way to assess image quality is to do a side-by-side comparison.

Since the machine in question will be expected to run high volumes, you'll want to make sure that operators will be able to set up and run their jobs with as little manual intervention as possible. This ensures staff can be more productive by performing other tasks while the machine is operating. Be sure that the document feeder can accommodate enough originals so that the operator doesn't have to split jobs. The standard for a high-volume device is 100 sheets. Feeder speed should match rated output speed.

Available Memory

Another consideration is the amount of memory available for page storage. All units in this speed range offer some sort of program-ahead capability. Without ample storage space for the scanned originals, be it on memory chips or hard disk drive, such programming is virtually useless.

Be sure that the machine's page scanning capacity meets or exceeds your needs. Once the originals are scanned (or the print job is received by the device) most models in this class have job timers that let the operator know how long the job will take.

Another component on the input side of the equation is overall paper capacity. To maximize unattended operation during long-run print jobs, be sure the unit you choose has ample paper capacity. Most high-volume printer/copiers can be configured with up to five or six different paper supplies for a maximum capacity of at least 6,000 sheets. Be sure you also consider your common applications when evaluating paper capacity as it relates to different sizes, types and weights of paper. For instance, can the machine reliably handle a large job that requires copying or printing onto tabs or 110 lb. index?

Be sure the unit you select can output high volumes without needing frequent replacement of consumables, such as toner and developer. Check for high toner and developer yields, because higher yields mean the machine can run longer without operator intervention.

On the output side, you also want to minimize manual intervention by the operator. The higher the output capacity and the less off-line finishing required, the better. Most high-speed, high-volume printer/copiers have finishers that can output up to 3,000 collated sheets before the operator is forced to offload the output tray.

Finishing units on many high-volume printer/copiers can staple up to 100 sheets, and most offer optional in-line three-hole punch capability. Most high-volume models also offer optional booklet finishers, although the prices for such options can vary widely. Whatever finishing options you deem necessary, be sure they are all accessible from both the device's control panel and print drivers.

Post-process Sheet Inserter

A handy finishing option available on some units is a post-process sheet inserter that allows operators to combine preprinted covers and/or inserts with printed output. A common application for post-process inserter is adding preprinted color wrap-around covers to saddle-stitched booklets.

If you ever need to include 11x17˝ pages (spread sheets, schematic diagrams, etc.) within finished, letter-sized documents, then you'll want to consider adding a Z-folding unit to your printer/copier. The Z-folder does just what the name implies, it tri-folds the 11x17˝ pages in a "Z" shape so that they fit into a letter-sized report. This feature is not available from all vendors so shop carefully if this is a requirement.

Last, but certainly not least, are the topics of network connectivity and print management utilities. Assuming the device in question is to be used as a printer as well as a copier, you must be sure that the unit's print controller and associated drivers allows users adequate access to all machine functionality.

If many of the documents you print are large, graphics-intensive files and/or Adobe PDF files, you should probably look for a controller that offers genuine Adobe PostScript for faster, more accurate processing. If, on the other hand, most print files are smaller, MS Office-generated files, then PCL or a "cloned" PostScript driver should work just fine.

Many vendors offer software utilities than enable users and administrators to view and manage many aspects of their printer networks right from their desktops. There are utilities available that can manage everything from individual printers and job queues, to job logs and archives, to an entire network of connected printers at a glance.

The extent to which such tools can impact your efficiency and productivity depend largely upon your willingness to use them. Many individuals shy away from incorporating new software technology. Typically, however, those that actually use software utilities, such as EFI's Fiery WebTools or Command WorkStation for job and device management, or Minolta's PageScope Suite for document, device and network management, later wonder how they ever got along without them. Ask to see such tools during a live demonstration, then decide for yourself whether or not they might help make your job easier.

Michael Fego is the product marketing manager for production print at Konica Minolta Corp. He has more than 20 years of experience in the office products industry.