Author: Dmitry Chekanov,

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printers, while the level of sales of black-and-white “lasers” will not increase.

What is happening in the color laser printer market today is similar to the history of inkjet printers, although not on the same scale. For a couple of years, manufacturers have been offering very inexpensive models, and HP has made a breakthrough with the release of the Color LaserJet 1600 color laser printer, which retails for under $300.

In addition to the traditional division into color and monochrome printers, there is another important criterion in the category of color models: one pass against several. For single-pass printers, the paper is fed once through all four toner cartridges corresponding to the four primary colors (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black), which speeds up printing. With multi-pass printers, the same piece of paper travels a longer path through four successive print phases (one for each color). This approach can theoretically reduce the cost of the printer, since it uses one drum for all toners, while single-pass printers use a drum for each color. But, of course, the print time of a multi-pass printer is no less than four times longer.

Our review tests single pass printers. Although they currently occupy only 46% of the market, the future, no doubt, belongs to them. In addition, HP, Oki and Canon have single-pass models in their entry-level lines. Other manufacturers will also have to follow a similar path if they want to remain competitive.

Inkjet vs. Laser: An End to Stereotypes

Comparing inkjet vs. laser technology inevitably mentions the speed and cost advantages of laser models, as well as the higher quality of inkjet models. But in reality the situation is somewhat different. Therefore, it is important to take a closer look at the characteristics of each technology and dispel common myths.

– Laser printers are always faster than inkjet printers: FALSE

When it comes to printing complex color documents like photos or graphics with high ink coverage, laser printers are significantly faster. The fact is that the complexity of the document has little effect on the printing time, since the laser beam inside the printer performs, in general, the same job. With inkjet printers, on the other hand, performance is highly dependent on page coverage. The speed can vary from 20 pages per minute in draft text quality (faster than many cheap and average “lasers”) to several minutes per page when printing a photo. Color laser printers have the advantage of more or less the same speed. The speed values ​​we measured turned out to be closer to those declared by the manufacturers than those of inkjet printers.

– Laser printers always cost less per page: FALSE

Another misconception that is hard to fight. Although this was the case a few years ago, the development of separate ink cartridges by Canon, Epson and HP (among other companies) has significantly reduced the cost of printing. A page of printed text on an inkjet printer will cost from one to five cents, depending on the model, which is equivalent to laser printers. The fact is that although the capacity of color laser cartridges is higher, the price for them is also much higher. The same is true for color printing. Of course, the difference in cost per page between the two technologies is small, although it varies significantly from one model to another.

– Inkjet printers always produce better print quality: FALSE

It’s true that inkjet printers are known for better photo quality, but that’s because they use photo ink and special photo paper. However, laser models have made significant progress in this direction. They can produce text and color graphics almost at the level of inkjet quality. At least on plain paper.

– Inkjet printers last longer: FALSE

Laser printers have more moving parts, so in theory they are more prone to breakage. But inkjet printers wear out faster, especially their printheads, and print quality can degrade over time. With laser printers, it is much easier (though more expensive) to replace certain parts such as the drum or fuser to restore the printer to its original state.

– Color printers are bulky: TRUE

In this regard, everything is clear. Despite the progress of some models that have actually shrunk, the lightest laser printer weighs over 18 kilograms. Compare that to the five kilos of some inkjet models.

Test Method

In our tests, we focused on speed and quality.

• To estimate the cost of printing a page, we used a test image with a 25% share for each of the four primary colors. We printed sheets until the cartridge ran out. When possible, we tried to take cartridges with a higher capacity.
• To test the printer’s detail, we printed an A4 Illustrator document at 300 dpi, several documents with text and graphics, and an Excel chart with a white background and neat colored lines. In addition, we simply printed arrays of different colors.
• To evaluate the speed, we measured the print time of a 20-page text document in black and white (1500 characters per page) and a fairly complex 13-page color document with text and graphics. We also measured critical metrics such as warm-up time and first page out time. There are interesting differences between the models here.
• Another criterion for the tested models, we considered additional features (for example, printing on two sides of the sheet and a set of interfaces), ergonomics in general, noise level and support for different page description languages.

HP Color LaserJet 2600n

The LaserJet 2600n designed by Canon for HP is without a doubt the most impressive single pass color laser printer. However, although its price is pleasantly low for a single-pass model, the cost per page is too high. This limits the use of the printer in a business environment, despite having a network port as standard.

HP LaserJet 2600n Ergonomics and Features

Many people will be attracted by the small size and weight of the LaserJet 2600n. Indeed, it weighs 18kg and feels very light compared to the competition. And the structure, when all the cartridges are placed at the top, simplifies the passage of paper during printing, reducing the risk of jamming.

HP LaserJet 2600n: print speed

With single-pass technology and Instant-On Fusing, the LaserJet 2600n easily handles small color documents. It will output three or four pages in about twenty seconds while other printers are still warming up. On the other hand, the print speed of 8 pages per minute is too low for black and white text documents. The printer took three times longer to print 20 pages of text than some other models.

HP LaserJet 2600n: print quality

Compared to the first version of the printer we tested last year , the driver has definitely improved. This time the colors were generally very accurate. We also noted very good contrast in documents with a lot of black.

HP LaserJet 2600n: Cost per page

Because HP does not offer high-yield cartridges for the LaserJet 2600n, and with over 20% recent price increases, this printer’s cost per page was the highest among all models tested: 5 cents for black and white and 22 cents for color. However, which is rather funny, this is not so important for the LaserJet 2600n. The total price of all four cartridges exceeds the price of the printer. So if you run out of cartridges, it’s easier to buy a new printer. Especially since you get a new warranty.

HP LaserJet 2600n: Conclusion

LaserJet 2600n will be of most interest to those users who need to print black and white documents in the same volume as color. However, for small print volumes, the high cost per page and the limited capacity of the cartridges make this printer an economical solution. The built-in network port and Instant-On Fusing technology will work well in small organizations and workgroups.

HP Color LaserJet 3600

The Color LaserJet 3600 contains just about everything you could want from a modern single pass laser printer. It’s fast (although 17 pages per minute isn’t a record), the cost per page is good, and the range of nice, innovative features is nice too.

HP Color LaserJet 3600 Ergonomics and Features

We tested the version without a network port, but for an extra $100 you can buy one with one. With the exception of this function, the printer has everything else. It is relatively small and, like the 2600n, supports Instant-On Fusing technology, which significantly reduces warm-up time. Cartridges combine toner and drum, so after changing the cartridge, the printer will work like new. Finally, the ergonomics are perfect, with a somewhat restrained but complete control panel.

HP Color LaserJet 3600: print speed

At least once our tests showed results close to those declared by the manufacturer. When printing a text document, we got a speed of 15 pages per minute, and the manufacturer claims 17. Instant-On Fusing technology significantly reduces the first page out time. It ranged from 13 to 19 seconds, depending on the complexity of the document.

HP Color LaserJet 3600: print quality

The Color LaserJet 3600 produced excellent quality for printing text, graphics and photos. Colors were accurate, and we didn’t notice any loss when printing high contrast documents. The results were identical to inkjet printers on plain paper, but with noticeably better speeds.

HP Color LaserJet 3600: cost per page

The cost to print a black and white document was the lowest of the single-pass laser printers tested – just one cent. Since HP recently increased the price of cartridges, the cost of printing a color document is no longer as pleasant: 9 cents per page at 20% coverage. Average value for a similar type of printer. However, it is still very attractive compared to office inkjet models.

HP Color LaserJet 3600 Conclusion

Although the base price of the printer is relatively high, the Color LaserJet 3600 is still the best choice for those who decide to switch to a color laser printer. Speed, perfect ergonomics and print quality are suitable for all situations.

Konica Minolta Magicolor 5430DL

Konica Minolta is one of the few manufacturers that build their own print engines. And the engine in Magicolor 5430DL turned out to be one of the fastest. At least according to the manufacturer’s specifications. But if the speed of the printer is really attractive, the print quality sometimes leaves much to be desired.

Konica Minolta Magicolor 5430DL: ergonomics and features

The printer weighs 42 kg. This is one of the heaviest and bulkiest models on the market. This is partly due to the very large cartridges, which led to an increase in the overall volume of the case. In terms of options, this is one of the most competitive printers in our testing. It offers, for example, an optional attachment kit to increase capacity up to 1,250 sheets, as well as the ability to print on two sides. At the same time, the noise level is above average, which can cause some problems in cramped offices.

Konica Minolta Magicolor 5430DL: print speeds

Although the printer did not reach the manufacturer’s claimed 20 pages per minute, our tests showed quite a decent speed: 14.2 pages per minute for office documents. Magicolor 5430DL prints the first page very quickly: 20 seconds. Although in some situations, the warm-up time after the standby mode seemed to us longer.

Konica Minolta Magicolor 5430DL: print quality

The printer engine struggles with highly detailed images. The flaws are clearly visible on the Excel chart: some lines of light colors were not printed. The same is true for photography, colors tend to lean toward reds and appear dull and dead overall.

Konica Minolta Magicolor 5430DL: cost per page

Due to the large capacity of the cartridges, the Magicolor 5430DL showed a very good cost per page: 2 cents for black and white and 9 cents for color. But to get these results, you have to buy high-capacity cartridges, which cost 15-20% more.

Konica Minolta Magicolor 5430DL: Conclusion

Magicolor 5430DL is well suited for those who need speed first and quality second. As well as an inexpensive model with a network port. A bulky and noisy printer is unlikely to appeal to home users, but for an office or workgroup, the solution is normal.

Lexmark C522n

The C522n is a success for looks and ergonomics, but it also has its drawbacks. In particular, the print speed does not match the manufacturer’s claims.

Lexmark C522n: ergonomics and features

Ergonomics is one of the printer’s strengths. The large LCD display makes menu navigation easy. It can graphically show the location where a paper jam has occurred. Or a “consumable” that should be replaced. The body is large, but it is oriented vertically, so the printer occupies a relatively small area. And the weight of 26 kg can be called small (relatively, of course).

Lexmark C522n: print speed

Lexmark claims 19 pages per minute for black and white pages, but our tests yielded substantially lower results. The engine itself is capable of such speeds, but the printer performs a color calibration procedure that sometimes takes up to a minute, significantly slowing down the overall print speed. At best, we got a speed of 6.4 pages per minute. Slightly faster than the multi-pass model. The driver’s computation time is also very long, as a result, the first page out time is longer than that of other models in the article. The Photoshop illustration took over a minute to print, three times as long as the Color LaserJet 3600.

Lexmark C522n: print quality

Like the Magicolor 5430DL, the Lexmark C522n couldn’t bring out all the image details with confidence. The small white dots on the red background simply disappeared, and some lines on the Excel chart were barely visible. On the other hand, on mixed documents with text and graphics, the printer performed admirably.

Lexmark C522n: Cost per page

Lexmark’s ink cartridge policy can result in significant cost per page fluctuations. The manufacturer offers two types of cartridges: standard and remanufactured through the Lexmark Return Program (LRP). The latter will cost 30-40% cheaper than standard ones. It was them that we used to calculate the cost of printing a page. We got 3 and 14 cents for a black and white and color page, respectively, which are relatively expensive. But with standard cartridges, the cost will be even higher: 5 and 20 cents. Please note that there are no high-capacity cartridges for this printer, although they are available for the older C524n model, and it is built on the same print engine.

Lexmark C522n: conclusion

Despite the stylish look and network port in the standard package, the C522n still has too many weak points. The manufacturer should improve the warm-up procedure as well as the printer driver. So that the C522n engine can show itself in all its glory.

Speed ​​and cost per page

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Speed ​​	HP Color LaserJet 2600n	HP Color LaserJet 3600	Konica Minolta Magicolor 5430DL	Lexmark C522n
Average office print speed	6.2 p pm	15 ppm	14. 2 ppm	6.4 ppm
Print an Excel chart, one page	00:21	00:13	00:17	00:17
Print an Illustrator document 300 dpi	00:16 9	00:24	00:19	00:2 1	01:04

In general, as usual, it is better not to trust the specifications declared by the manufacturer. And although for some models the results were close to them, they were always lower. Moreover, in a number of cases, for example, with the C522n, we got much lower results .

Cost per page

Cost per page	HP Color LaserJet 2600n	HP Color LaserJet 3600	Konica Minolta Magicolor 5430DL	Lexmark C522n
B&W cost pages, 5% coverage	$0.04	$0.01	$0.01	$0. 03
Color page cost, 20% coverage	$0.17	$0.08	$0.08	$0.13
Cost per print 10,000 pages (70% b/w, 30% color) 90 102	$755.79	$344.09	$354.60	$575.93

The price range clearly shows that if you print a few thousand pages, the base price of the printer means little. More expensive models are also more economical to operate. So choose a printer according to the expected volume of printing.

Conclusion

Retail prices for single-pass color laser printers can vary significantly, but other criteria should be considered when purchasing.