should i get a laser printer?

zodiaczodiac
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
I'm in the market for a laser printer and I just want to know how well a monochrome one will work. I dont really need color. The reason I want a laser printer is that a ink

refill costs more than an actual inkjet printer. Is this a good idea or should I just get an inkjet?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    dmband0026dmband0026 Posts: 2,345member
    What do you need to print. If there is ever a reason you can think of that you might need to print color, get an inkjet. Or get both, a cheap inkjet and a cheap laser. The only reason to invest in a good laser is if you print a lot of text and you need it really crisp and you need a good PPM rating. Tell us more precisely what you need and we'll be able to help more.



    Edit: I still have yet to figure out how to spell.
  • Reply 2 of 10
    zodiaczodiac Posts: 138member
    I just print mostly text.sometimes more than 20 pages at a time.I dont need color because i dont print photos or pictures. Just text.
  • Reply 3 of 10
    madmax559madmax559 Posts: 596member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by zodiac

    I just print mostly text.sometimes more than 20 pages at a time.I dont need color because i dont print photos or pictures. Just text.





    samsung ml series...

    cheap & excellent hardware



    mines attached to my linux server

    download gimp-print from www.linuxprinting.org & the powerbook

    was able to print to it with no issues



    if you direct connect then os x will see it

    samsung also has drivers on their website
  • Reply 4 of 10
    macaddict16macaddict16 Posts: 194member
    cheep or cheap printer?



    Macaddict16
  • Reply 5 of 10
    low-filow-fi Posts: 357member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by madmax559

    samsung ml series...

    cheap & excellent hardware



    mines attached to my linux server

    download gimp-print from www.linuxprinting.org & the powerbook

    was able to print to it with no issues



    if you direct connect then os x will see it

    samsung also has drivers on their website



    Yes, I concur with the Samsung ML series. I have an ML 1210, and 2500pages later, I am still very very impressed with it, a year down the line.
  • Reply 6 of 10
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    I picked up a pair of Apple Color LaserWriter 12/660's a few weeks back for $160. Then I sold one of them to someone for $200, and I kept the other. It's not as fast and I wouldn't use it for printing photographs, but I'm pretty happy with it for doing text and getting quick proofs of stuff I work on in Illustrator.
  • Reply 7 of 10
    ebbyebby Posts: 3,110member
    I have a HP LaeseJet 5MP. Bought in 1992. It has only begun acting up last month and seems to be fine now. I highly recommend HP LaserJets and will be my next laser printer. As for toner, a cartridge can be costly but there are cheap Laserjet refill kits out there (use a max of 2X per new toner cartrage) and I am having great results with that. The 5MP is one awesome and reliable printer.8)
  • Reply 8 of 10
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    As far as color is concerned, HP is abysmally bad. They suck. Seriously. Words cannot explain how bad they are at producing reliable, calibrated color. But Tektronix/Xerox printers are color-calibrated liquid mojo.



    If you're willing to spend 1000, get a Xerox Phaser 860. (I think that's it.) You will not regret it. It's a solid ink printer. These used to be made by Tektronix before Xerox bought off the printer division from them. Back in the day, they used to give you FREE BLACK INK FOR LIFE. Not sure if they do anymore. You should check up. Either way, ink is mad cheap for these guys.



    In short, I have wet dreams about Phaser printers. The 860 is the best deal in the printer world.
  • Reply 9 of 10
    eugeneeugene Posts: 8,254member
    The cheaper HPs are great for text, but if you're looking to print lots of grays or gradients, they tend to streak. I have a HP LaserJet 1200 attached to my Airport Extreme basestation.



    The toner lasts FOREVER.
  • Reply 10 of 10
    performa636cdperforma636cd Posts: 187member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Ebby

    I have a HP LaeseJet 5MP. Bought in 1992. It has only begun acting up last month and seems to be fine now. I highly recommend HP LaserJets and will be my next laser printer. As for toner, a cartridge can be costly but there are cheap Laserjet refill kits out there (use a max of 2X per new toner cartrage) and I am having great results with that. The 5MP is one awesome and reliable printer.8)



    I have the same printer and i've only changed the ink toner about twice. imagine changing an inkjet cartridge twice in 13 years
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