Laser Color Printers: Photo Quality?
(Pete Cresswell)
somewhere recently.
One of the topics was inkjet vs laser for color printing. The spiel was that
color laser printers have gotten a lot cheaper and the supplies last longer.
No mention of economy or quality.
Anybody?
--
PeteCresswell
Stanley Krute
> No mention of economy or quality.
Quality of the best color lasers approaches
a less-than-highest-quality magazine photograph --
say a Sunday supplement like Parade, vs. National Geographic.
Nowhere close to the best photo inkjets.
Costs for a full-page color image are in the 40 to 75
cents per page range.
Stan
Mark Herring
I've never seen a color laser print that is anywhere near the best
inkjet.
-Mark
Michael Quack
(Pete Cresswell) says...
> One of the topics was inkjet vs laser for color printing.
> The spiel was that color laser printers have gotten a
> lot cheaper and the supplies last longer.
Dang right, and they print much faster, are much more
rugged....
> No mention of economy or quality.
Around 35 to 50 cents per page including 90 grams/m² paper
for a full page color photo depending on brightness of the
picture. This is including machine write off, assuming
at least 1000 prints per year.
Quality is pretty good for the Minolta/QMS Magicolor 2350 N
with 16 bit color, Postscript level 3 and network interface.
Wouldn't buy any smaller printer than that for photos.
Still it looks a little like CLC copy on smooth pastel
color gradients. Bright full colors are very good, but
pastels still suffer somewhat. But it is a lot better
than many cheap inkjets, doesn't dry in, renders a beautiful
matte black. For most Joe Sixpack kind of people there
will be no apparent and striking difference visible.
Your local Minolta rep certainly will be happy to print
a sample from a file you supply on CD. Which is what I
needed to decide on buying.
--
Michael Quack <mic...@photoquack.de>
http://www.photoquack.de/glamour/1.htm
http://www.photoquack.de/fashion/1.htm
Fred McKenzie
that
color laser printers have gotten a lot cheaper and the supplies last longer. >>
Pete-
I have used a couple of recent Hewlett Packard color printers at work. They
look quite good to me, as far as color and contrast are concerned. One is even
capable of 11" X 17", double-sided prints.
On the negative side, these are NOT cheap printers. As far as I know, they
won't work with glossy paper, and the ink isn't glossy if it would. The most
serious problem is that the prints are like Xerox copies, in that they will
stick to some plastics like vinyl, and pulling them apart will remove the ink
from the paper!
The supplies may last longer, but you may find them expensive.
Has anyone heard of any tests to see how long the prints hold up to
ultra-violet light? Some of the inkjets are getting quite good.
Fred