Canon Colour Laser Printer

Upgrade to a Colour Laser Printer

So your ready to purchase your first colour laser printer but don't know where to begin.

Colour Laser Printers have seen some of the biggest decreases in cost over the last couple of years of all printer types and the cheapest model from each manufacturer is now little more than you would previously have paid for an inkjet printer.

I have taken the cheapest current model from the following manufacturers for comparison, Canon, Epson, HP, Konica Minolta, Lexmark and Samsung.

Let's get the technical bit out of the way first; colour laser printers come in two distinct engine types. The carousel type printer uses for different colour toner cartridges that rotate over a central drum unit, laying down each colour of toner in turn and making a total of four passes over the drum or imaging unit. Epson, Konica Minolta, Lexmark and Samsung all use a variation of this technique. Canon and HP cartridges come in one complete unit per colour that contains both the toner and drum giving each colour its own drum as opposed to sharing a central unit.

So which system is best? There is no correct answer to this question although I personally favour the option used by the Canon, HP duo. With this system there is no uncertainty as to how long the drum will last, it is replaced with every new cartridge. With the carousel system the life of the drum can be dramatically reduced from quoted figures if the colour content of your output rises over the standard 5%. The more colour printing you do the more passes over the central drum unit, the greater the wear on the unit and the more often it will need to be replaced.

If you are replacing an ink printer it is worth bearing in mind that these colour laser printers are somewhat larger, heavier and noisier, so if desktop space is tight check out the dimensions before committing to a purchase.

The smallest, lightest and quietest colour laser printer is the Samsung CLP300, when it was originally introduced this was probably the cheapest colour laser printer on the market and thus an argument could be made for its purchase. Times change very quickly in this market and a sub £90 price is no longer bargain basement territory. If you only intend to print colour text and charts then it will perform well enough but the quality of any colour output beyond this will I fear disappoint.

Moving to the dearest will give us the Lexmark C500N. This printer is almost twice the price of the tiny Samsung and in true Lexmark style is also the most expensive to run, in its favour it is network ready and has the fastest mono speed but this does nothing to compensate for its high costs.

The Epson AcuLaser C1100 has been one of my favourite colour printers since its introduction, it is still one of the fastest printers of its type and print quality is still above average, I feel however that it is now getting a little long in the tooth and the new Konica Minolta Magicolor 2530DL now offers several advantages. With an ethernet 10/100 base TX interface for networking and Pictbridge via a special USB on the front for downloading direct from a digital camera this has moved the goalposts and it tries to replicate ink printer facilities closer than seen before on colour laser printers. The standard 64mb Ram is also twice that on offer from the Epson and should ensure capable handling of even the most complex colour work. Whilst print quality is above average, the printer speed, especially for colour disappoints and is this printer’s major flaw. Be aware also that both these printers are delivered with low capacity cartridges offering only 1,500 colour prints, these will require replacing all too soon. The upside is that high capacity cartridges are readily available and offer better value with a capacity at around 4,500pages.

That just leaves the HP Color Laserjet 1600 and the Canon i-Sensys LBP5000 to be considered. Both of these printers use the same Canon engine so it comes as no surprise that the specifications match with a print speed of 8ppm and a print quality of 600x600dpi. Neither of these printers has an abundance of memory with the HP the most generous at 16mb, the Canon's 8mb is particularly stingy and may struggle to cope with very complex colour work. The other main difference is in the price, the HP printer can easily be found online at a price under the magical £100 mark whereas the Canon at £50 more is competing with the HP's big brother, the Color LaserJet 2600. As is the norm the printers are shipped with starter cartridges which give a maximum yield of 1,000 pages and will need to be replaced fairly quickly, fortunately both HP original cartridges and compatible cartridges are readily available from around £120 for a full set of cartridges yielding 2,000 pages.

We have used HP laser printers in our own offices for many years and have always found them to be both reliable and economical, especially if compatible cartridges are used. We have noticed some criticism online of a problem with colour bleed with the HP Color LaserJet 1600, we have not been able to substantiate these claims and only a small number of users seem to experience it, I am beginning to wonder if the quality of the paper may be at fault and not the printer. We have tried using some fairly low quality paper in an attempt to replicate the fault but so far have not experienced any degree of colour bleed.

So, if you are looking for your first Colour Laser Printer, and do not want to spend a fortune, look no further than the HP Color LaserJet 1600 - a fine buy at less than £100.

About the Author

Alan Wilson has over 10 years experience in the imaging industry and is currently a director of Cartridge Concept, supplier of all cartridges required for the HP Color LaserJet 1600.

Canon / Laser Multifunction Printer / 3920B003AA $522.39 Canon - Laser Multifunction Printer - 3920B003AA

Canon / Laser Multifunction Printer / 4509B020AA $250.97 Canon - Laser Multifunction Printer - 4509B020AA

Canon / PRINTER, CANON iC MF5960dn, LASER, / 4838B010AA $499.32 Canon - PRINTER, CANON iC MF5960dn, LASER, - 4838B010AA

Canon / PRINTER, CANON iC MF4570dw, LASER, / 5259B007AA $312.46 Canon - PRINTER, CANON iC MF4570dw, LASER, - 5259B007AA

Canon / PRINTER, CANON iC MF3010, LASER, / 5252B001AA $160.04 Canon - PRINTER, CANON iC MF3010, LASER, - 5252B001AA

Samsung CLP-325W Wireless Colour Laser Printer $169.99 Samsung CLP-325W Wireless Colour Laser Printer

Canon / FAXPHONE L170 LASER FAX/PRINTER / 0815B002AB $280.74 Canon - FAXPHONE L170 LASER FAX/PRINTER - 0815B002AB

Canon / FAXPHONE L90 LASER FAX/PRINTER / 2234B007AA $210.74 Canon - FAXPHONE L90 LASER FAX/PRINTER - 2234B007AA

Canon Faxphone L90 Laser Fax and Printer 2234B007AA $206.19 Canon Faxphone L90 Laser Fax and Printer 2234B007AA

Canon Laser Printer Cutter Blade CT-05 1482B003 $54.33 Canon Laser Printer Cutter Blade CT-05 1482B003

Canon i-SENSYS LBP7200Cdn Compact Colour Laser Printer. $306.37 Network ready so small workgroups can easily share printing resources. The Remote User Interface lets users and administrators remotely monitor and manage printer status effortlessly, directly over the network.Printer:Print speed - black text: 20ppm (pages per minute).Print speed - colour text: 20ppm (pages per minute).Up to 9600 x 600dpi print resolution.Double sided (duplex) printing.Connectivity:USB.(Accessory required).General information:250 sheet paper capacity.Uses 4 ink cartridges.Compatible with Windows 2000 or later, Mac OS X v10.4 and higher.Size H49, W40.9, D33.1cm.Weight 24.8kg.EAN/MPN/UPC/ISBN: 8714574529998.

Canon / PRINTER, CANON IC D550 LASER, 26 PPM / 4509B061AA $312.46 Canon - PRINTER, CANON IC D550 LASER, 26 PPM - 4509B061AA

Brother Fusing Unit For HL-2700CN Colour Laser Printer $448.99 5% 60000 Page Brother HL-2700CN Colour Laser Printer Brother Brother Industries, Ltd FP4CL Fuser Fusing Unit For HL-2700CN Colour Laser Printer Laser www.brother-usa.com

Dell 1250c Colour Laser Printer. $89.99 Finally, everything you need in an office colour printer, but in a smaller package. Enjoy high-quality printouts and fast printing speeds with the Dell 1250c Colour Printer, the world's smallest A4 colour laser-class printer with amazing colour. Uses 4 seperate colour toner cartridges.Printer:Print speed - black text: 12ppm (pages per minute).Print speed - colour text: 10ppm (pages per minute).Up to 600 x 600dpi print resolution.USB port.Connectivity:USB (cable not included).General information:150 sheet paper capacity.Compatible with Windows XP or later, Mac OS X v10.3.9 and higher.Size H22.5, W39.4, D22.5cm.Weight 10.5kg.EAN/MPN/UPC/ISBN: 5391519474167.

Canon Printer Cabinet $133.99 3325B001 Canon imageCLASS Color Laser Multifunction Printer: MF9170c MF9150c MF8450 Canon Canon, Inc Printer Cabinet www.usa.canon.com

Brother HL-3040CN Colour Laser Printer $269.99 With printing speeds up to 17 ppm in both colour and monochrome, and up to 600 x 2400 dpi resolution, the Brother HL-3040CN Colour Laser printer is ideal for printing high-impact, colour brochures, presentations and other important business documents, quickly and affordably. Features Laser 17 Pages per minute Colour/monochrome Print resolution: 600 x 2400dpi Network compatible The HL-3040CN printer provides a built-in Ethernet interface, which makes it easy to share its brilliant colour printing capabilities on your network or at the office. The Brother HL-3040CN helps you to reduce print costs with toner save mode and helps extend the life of your toner cartridge. The HL-3040CN includes a 1 year limited exchange express warranty and machine lifetime toll-free technical support. UPC: 12502622338 Manufacturer's Part Number: HL3040CN

Canon Black Toner for Canon IR1023 Laser Printer. Each $45.44 Manufacturer: Canon. Each. 8.4K Yield Customers also search for: Discount Black Toner for Canon IR1023 Laser Printer, Buy Black Toner for Canon IR1023 Laser Printer, Wholesale Black Toner for Canon IR1023 Laser Printer, 0386B003AA , Laser Toner and Develo

Canon ImageCLASS D520 Black and White Laser Multifunction Printer $229.99 The Canon ImageCLASS D520 Black and White Laser Multifunction printer offers you speed, convenience, and reliability in virtually maintenance-free and compact design. The perfect printing solution for any home or small business, the Canon ImageCLASS D520 doubles as a copier, and provides auto duplex printing- you're able to print two-sided copies from one-sided originals without turning the page manually. Features Laser Printer 25 Pages per Minute Print/Copy/Scan 1200 x 600dpi Print resolution Duplex Copier and Printer all in one Though the Canon ImageCLASS D520 prints in black and white, it is equipped with colour scanning capability. CIS color scanning allows the printer to make highly accurate, 24-bit color scans of your documents and photos up to a resolution of 9600dpi (interpolated). Scan directly to your computer or to an email program, or create searchable, multi-page PDF files and use OCR software to extract text from a document after scanning.

Samsung CLP-325 Colour Laser Printer $159.99 A great choice if space is limited the Samsung CLP-325 is among the world's smallest colour laser printers. It's small and also nippy - printing four pages per minute in colour and 16 pages per minute in mono. Paper input capacity is 130 sheets.

Brother Waste Toner Pack For HL-2700CN Colour Laser Printer $11.99 12000 Page @ 5% Coverage Brother HL-2700CN Colour Laser Printer Brother Brother Industries, Ltd Laser WT4CL Waste Toner Pack For HL-2700CN Colour Laser Printer Waste Toner Unit www.brother-usa.com

Samsung CLP-320 Colour Laser Printer $199.99 Your printer just became the most productive worker in your office. The stylish and compact Samsung CLP-320 Colour Laser Printer does the job of several large printers. With fast network capabilities, your colleagues can easily connect to the CLP-320 and achieve high-quality colour printing performance, without having to rely on a fleet of printers to meet their needs. The incredible 2400 x 600 dpi effortlessly delivers maximum colour and detail while stylishly sporting a minimal design with a chic black and creme grey finish that fits and looks great virtually anywhere. Unlike most heavy duty printers, the CLP-320 has a convenient power switch located on the front panel for quick powering on or off. Plus, you easily switch to an energy-saving standby mode at the push of a button. How's that for an accommodating design? Features Colour Laser 16 ppm for mono and 4 ppm for colour In Ready Mode 2400 x 600 dpi resolution MobilePrint application 256 MB Memory Ultra-quiet output-45 dBA (Colour) and 47 dBA (Mono) The CLP-320's fast printing capabilities of 16 ppm for mono and 4 ppm for colour will keep you on the ball. In Ready Mode, the CLP-320 features a First Page Output Time (FPOT) of only 14 seconds for black and 26 seconds for colour, satisfying your need for speed. And, with a whispering output of just 45 dBA (Colour) and 47 dBA (Mono), you'll be able to work in complete peace and quiet. Designing a new project is made simple with the CLP-320 printer. Easily select, drag, and drop content from different web pages onto a printable scrap board in your browser window and you have the perfect tool to arrange and edit useful reference points and resources you can only find on the web. In addition, the CLP-320 features Samsung MobilePrint, a downloadable free application, which enables you to print photos, documents and web pages directly from your Android smartphone or tablet . The application also enables scanning documents to your mobile device directly. More than just a printer, the Samsung CLP-320 creates an entire networking environment that you can access in the office or on the go. Putting you on your way to becoming the most productive operative in your office-next to the CLP-320 of course. UPC: 29521843309 Manufacturer's Part Number: PPU5000

Canon Laser Printer Roll Holder Set RH3-32 1465B007 $162.77 Canon Laser Printer Roll Holder Set RH3-32 1465B007

Canon MF4450 imageCLASS Black & White Laser Multifunction Printer $199.99 Designed with the small or home office user in mind, the Canon imageCLASS MF4450 Printer delivers high-quality performance coupled with advanced features to satisfy your printing needs. Whether copying, faxing, or scanning, the MF4450 provides seamless output. Transmit documents quickly with Super G3 Fax, reaching speeds of approximately 33.6 Kbps. Plus, colour scan up to an enhanced resolution of 9600 dpi, with the flexibility to save in four different file formats-JPEG, TIFF, BMP and PDF. Features Monochrome Laser 24 pages per minute Print, copy, fax, and scan 600 x 600 dpi print resolution Single cartridge system The imageCLASS MF4450 keeps up with your increased project demands, boasting print and copy speeds of up to 24 pages per minute (ppm) for letter-sized output, and delivers Quick First Prints or copy pages in approximately 6 seconds. The printer also offers a large paper handling of up to 250 pages. Save energy and costs with the MF4450 printer. Energy saving mode dramatically cuts back on energy consumption using approximately only 3W of energy, and Canon's Single Cartridge System combines the toner and drum in one unit, helping you save money on supplies. UPC: 013803126808 Manufacturer's Part Number: 4509B024

Samsung CLP325 Colour Laser Printer. $119.99 The Samsung CLP325 Colour Laser Printer boasts a handy 'Print Screen' button that allows you to print out exactly what's on your screen with one touch. This stylish device also has a 'Toner Save' mode that extends the life of your toners by up to 30%. Please Note: A USB cable is not included as stated in the catalogue.Printer:Print speed - black text: 16ppm (pages per minute).Print speed - colour text: 4ppm (pages per minute).Up to 2400 x 600dpi print resolution.USB (cable not included).130 sheet paper capacity.LCD display.Uses 4 ink cartridges.Compatible with Windows 2000 or later, Mac OS X v10.4 and higher, Linux.Size H24.3, W38.8, D31.3cm.Weight 11kg.EAN/MPN/UPC/ISBN: 8808993628551.

CANON CNMLBP6000 Canon Lbp6000 Laser Printer $330.75 Canon ImageClass LBP6000 Laser Printer. Up to 19 ppm. Up to 2400 x 600 dpi. 150 sheet input tray. 8.5 x 14 max paper size. 5 000 page duty cycle. 2 Mb USB. Windows compatible. Uses: CRG125 black toner.

Samsung CLP325W Wireless Colour Laser Printer. $169.99 The Samsung CLP325W Wireless Colour Laser Printer boasts a handy 'Print Screen' button that allows you to print out instantly what's on your screen. This reliable device also has a 'Toner Save' mode that extends the life of your toners by up to 30%. This printer also includes a 'One Touch' Wi-Fi setup connecting your printer to a wireless network with one touch. Printer:Print speed - black text: 16ppm (pages per minute).Print speed - colour text: 4ppm (pages per minute).Up to 2400 x 600dpi print resolution.USB.Wireless/WiFi enabled.Ethernet.130 sheet paper capacity.LCD display.Uses 4 ink cartridges.Compatible with Windows 2000 or later, Mac OS X v10.4 and higher, Linux.Includes USB cable.Size H24.3, W38.8, D31.3cm.Weight 11kg.EAN/MPN/UPC/ISBN: 8808993628568.

Hewlett-Packard LaserJet CP1025nW Laser Colour Printer. $159.99 An incredbily small colour laser printer that is also amazingly energy efficient. Compact, it is ideal for home office who want high-quality colour, with wireless and Ethernet connectivity.Printer:Print speed - black text: 16ppm (pages per minute).Print speed - colour text: 4ppm (pages per minute).Up to 600 x 600dpi print resolution.Connectivity:USB.Wireless/WiFi enabled.Ethernet.General information:150 sheet paper capacity.LED display.Uses 4 ink cartridges.Compatible with Windows XP or later, Mac OS X v10.5 and higher, Linux.Includes USB cable.Size H22.28, W39.96, D28.6cm.Weight 12.1kg.Manufacturer's 1 year guarantee.EAN/MPN/UPC/ISBN: 885631350881.

Canon Laser Toner Cartridges. Each $229.04 Manufacturer: Canon. Each. Laser Toner Cartridges For Laser Printer Models For Canon ImageClass MF7280. Toner Cartridge Customers also search for: CANON;ImageClass MF7280;Laser Supplies;Laser Toner;Toner Cartridge

Canon ImageClass MF9220Cdn All-in-One Color Laser Printer Fax / Copier / Printer / Scanner 4495B001 4495B001AA $1076.37 Canon ImageClass MF9220Cdn All-in-One Color Laser Printer Fax / Copier / Printer / Scanner 4495B001 4495B001AA

Canon imageCLASS MF3010 Laser Multifunction Printer - Monochrome - Plain Paper Print - Desktop - Printer, Scanner, Copier - ... $174.31 Canon imageCLASS MF3010 Laser Multifunction Printer - Monochrome - Plain Paper Print - Desktop - Printer, Scanner, Copier - ...

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Canon imageCLASS D1370 Laser Multifunction Printer - Monochrome - Photo/Disc Print - Desktop - Printer, Scanner, Copier, Fax... $866.58 Canon imageCLASS D1370 Laser Multifunction Printer - Monochrome - Photo/Disc Print - Desktop - Printer, Scanner, Copier, Fax...

Canon imageCLASS D1320 Laser Multifunction Printer - Monochrome - Plain Paper Print - Desktop - Printer, Copier, Scanner - 3... $587.9 Canon imageCLASS D1320 Laser Multifunction Printer - Monochrome - Plain Paper Print - Desktop - Printer, Copier, Scanner - 3...

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