Quote:
Originally Posted by LFF
good post. Can anyone recommend a good color laser printer that prints good photo quality pictures?
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Depends what you mean by "good", as in "how good". And "how big". And "how much" ($$$)
I would easily recommend the Dell 3100cn. You'll find my review of it headlining the Epinions page for it. Far (far) better than the HP, the Oki and the Minolta/QMS I have had experiences with. It's 'ain't small', so you'd better get used to it and be prepared, but if you wait for a sale it's CHEAP! for the incredible capabilities of the machine. For $450 (I paid, it was even $60 LESS one time!) it came with 320MB RAM, PostScript Level3, 100BaseT, 650 page capacity on two separate trays and
full toners, not "starters". It does fantastic images considering it's laser, it's price and the fact that it's "Soho".
Buy the new Hammermill gloss laser paper,
http://www.officedepot.com/ddSKU.do?...ice%20Supplies
at a really nice 32lb weight with 90 brightness and the printer does really fantastic (for a laser) photos. Calibrate the color adjustments of the driver as you see fit to get best results.
If you don't like the Dell then the new Minoltas aren't too bad - I wasn't too keen on the built quality (and since I've own Minolta I wasn't keen on their running costs (ouch!)) but the new series does a pretty good job and they are incredibly small for a color laser (but don't get the very cheapest one, the 2400W).
I've been a laser guy for quite a while - jeez do I hate inkjets. I have them for a select purpose - those "photo"-style outputs - but avoid them like the plague for general purpose use. They clog up constantly and break you with ink costs - I just can't stand them. Give me a laser any day. I used to own, or used, up to 22 different printers - 2 tabloid Tektronixs, 5 HP's, 2 Oki's, 2 Lexmarks, 3 Epsons, 3 Canons, 1 Seiko, 1 Citizen, 2 Dells and a Minolta .