Inkjet -v- Laser for Photos ...and the winner is....

I'm thinking for a laser to make a good photo, the drum and toner
rollers need to be in absolutely perfect condition to get good shaded
images.

This simply isn't possible.

The inkjet, especially with heavy overlapping, has the ability to hide
printing problems if they exist. You can actually hid a clogged jet
with heavy overlapping.

No such luck with a laser.

So, the inkjet is simply superior to the laser.

Comments?

Thanks
Tom

"tomhoo" <tomhoo@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1134678776.127508.45900@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> I'm thinking for a laser to make a good photo, the drum and toner
> rollers need to be in absolutely perfect condition to get good shaded
> images.
>
> This simply isn't possible.
>
> The inkjet, especially with heavy overlapping, has the ability to hide
> printing problems if they exist. You can actually hid a clogged jet
> with heavy overlapping.
>
> No such luck with a laser.
>
> So, the inkjet is simply superior to the laser.

It is true that print modes can hide nozzle defects, where a few nozzles could
be completely plugged without any noticable degradation. On the other hand,
Laser's do not have nozzles to clog....

Laser prints have made great progress in the last few years in photo image
quality, but Inkjet's still have a clear edge today. The main advantages for
Inkjet are in the areas of glossy prints and color gamut.

Regards,
Bob Headrick

Yea, But. If you want to print durable color brochures or business cards,
especially on waterproof paper.

You best go with the laser.

MN



"tomhoo" <tomhoo@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1134678776.127508.45900@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> I'm thinking for a laser to make a good photo, the drum and toner
> rollers need to be in absolutely perfect condition to get good shaded
> images.
>
> This simply isn't possible.
>
> The inkjet, especially with heavy overlapping, has the ability to hide
> printing problems if they exist. You can actually hid a clogged jet
> with heavy overlapping.
>
> No such luck with a laser.
>
> So, the inkjet is simply superior to the laser.
>
> Comments?
>
> Thanks
> Tom
>

Or ever better with solid ink (xerox phaser printers)

Panos! Funny you should bring up Phaser.

I just found a local Phaser 540 for $25. I couldn't resist so I bot
it. I has extra toners and is at 38k on the Imaging Unit.

I know the 8xx series uses solid color sticks, however, even the 540
"toner" is unusual. It is nothing like the toner used by say, a HP
Laserjet. The 540 toner, under the microscope, looks like melted
plastic flakes - the result of which is a nice, glossy presentation.
Even a simple black text printed on the 540 shames a typical HP
Laserjet due to this glossy print. You can actually feel it on the
paper if you try hard.

But it totally sucks for photos - longitudinal streaking.

....forgot to mention, the 540 produces this glossy print on the
cheapest papers.

In message <1134810347.889923.5900@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, tomhoo
<tomhoo@gmail.com> writes
>Panos! Funny you should bring up Phaser.
>
>I just found a local Phaser 540 for $25. I couldn't resist so I bot
>it. I has extra toners and is at 38k on the Imaging Unit.
>
>I know the 8xx series uses solid color sticks, however, even the 540
>"toner" is unusual. It is nothing like the toner used by say, a HP
>Laserjet. The 540 toner, under the microscope, looks like melted
>plastic flakes - the result of which is a nice, glossy presentation.
>Even a simple black text printed on the 540 shames a typical HP
>Laserjet due to this glossy print. You can actually feel it on the
>paper if you try hard.
>
>But it totally sucks for photos - longitudinal streaking.

I think thats a side effect of a printer thats been out of production
for 7/8 (?) years.

--
Timothy

~~NoMad~~ wrote:
> Yea, But. If you want to print durable color brochures or business cards,
> especially on waterproof paper.
>
> You best go with the laser.

With my old mostly plugged inkjet (Epson 780) there were settings in
all of the print dialogs to select paper type. With my shiny new laser,
I see no such dialogs. I also don't see any recommendations in the
manual for paper other than a very concise description of the
requirements for plain paper.

Do lasers print on different paper types with no changes in settings?
Or does my color laser (HP 2550N) not print on other than plain stock.

And to let this thread drift... A friend told me last night that
Canon makes all HP printers. He insists that they have an agreement to
use a different control panel and forward housing so they don't look
alike, but that the print engine is the same. I find this hard to
believe, particularly WRT the laser printers, but I thought I'd ask
anyway. (Maybe I chould check snopes.com)

thanks,
hank

Well, I think my HP 4P is just as old, maybe even older. They use 2
completely different kinds of toner.

I know there are different types of toner, but I always thought you had
to have the specific one for the particular printer.

I know at work, out HP 5510 does not produce glossy print.

"HankB" <hbarta@gmail.com> wrote:
>~~NoMad~~ wrote:
>> Yea, But. If you want to print durable color brochures or business cards,
>> especially on waterproof paper.
>>
>> You best go with the laser.
>
>With my old mostly plugged inkjet (Epson 780) there were settings in
>all of the print dialogs to select paper type. With my shiny new laser,
>I see no such dialogs. I also don't see any recommendations in the
>manual for paper other than a very concise description of the
>requirements for plain paper.
>
>Do lasers print on different paper types with no changes in settings?
>Or does my color laser (HP 2550N) not print on other than plain stock.
>
>And to let this thread drift... A friend told me last night that
>Canon makes all HP printers. He insists that they have an agreement to
>use a different control panel and forward housing so they don't look
>alike, but that the print engine is the same. I find this hard to
>believe, particularly WRT the laser printers, but I thought I'd ask
>anyway. (Maybe I chould check snopes.com)
>
>thanks,
>hank

Hank
Most laserjets do have different paper settings, I don't specifically know
about the 2550 but I am surprised that the driver does not allow you to set up
paper types. Someone with one of these may be able to provide better
information.

On your other comment, you friend is mostly correct. In the early days HP used
Canon engines for all (or at least nearly all) of its lasers. So far as I know
this is still true. I don't even know whether HP assemble the printers or
whether Canon do it for them with the appropriate badges and different bits and
pieces. Certainly the formatter and case is HP specific but the engine is
nearly always Canon. Historically I believe that when HP wanted to build the
first Laserjets they approached Xerox to build the engines but this didn't
work out so HP went to Canon, what a difference a day can make, many millions
of printers later! So far as I know HP make their own inkjet engines but Bob
Headrick may be able to advise you on that question better than I can.
Tony