Laser Printer which can print without a computer?

[PGPS]

Hi,
I am looking for a color laser printer, which can print without a
computer. ie, through a USB input. Say if I have a USB flash drive, I
should be able to see filenames in an LCD screen and be able to print
files (documents mostly).

I know that there are some photo printers with pictbridge (?) etc. But
I am looking for a small office where the above can be achieved.

Thanks.

 

[Cliff Hartle]

What you are asking for would be either impossible or very expensive.

The printer would have to have programming built into it to be able to
interpret numerous file types and convert them into printer code. Basically
what a computer does.

When you say documents do you mean Word 97, 2000 or 2003 or maybe
WordPerfect 7 thru 12 or even Word Star. And then you could have Excel or
Adobe Illustrator files. Each has a separate and distinct file layout.

The only way it would work is if you saved the files into something the
printer already knows like PCL 5.0 for HP laser printers.

The only documents that I know would work right out the flash drive are
plain text ASCII files.

 

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

(top posting fixed)

What you are asking for would be either impossible or very expensive.

The printer would have to have programming built into it to be able to
interpret numerous file types and convert them into printer code. Basically
what a computer does.

When you say documents do you mean Word 97, 2000 or 2003 or maybe
WordPerfect 7 thru 12 or even Word Star. And then you could have Excel or
Adobe Illustrator files. Each has a separate and distinct file layout.

The only way it would work is if you saved the files into something the
printer already knows like PCL 5.0 for HP laser printers.

The only documents that I know would work right out the flash drive are
plain text ASCII files.

He said print-ready files, like Postscript.

Also, PDF is a print-ready format for just about any printer out there.

Plug in a thumb drive, list the .ps, .prn., and .pdf file and let the
user choose which ones to print? Incredibly simple and straightforward.

 

[Cliff Hartle]

He said print-ready files, like Postscript.

He just said documents, not pdf or ps. 99% of people when they refer to
documents they mean Microsoft Word 2000 - 2003 files. Not pre-rendered
files like Postscript and PDF's. I know of no word processing program that
uses postscript as its native file format.

Also, PDF is a print-ready format for just about any printer out there.

Only select laser printers handle Postscript which is basically what a PDF
is. If I sent a PDF file to my little Minolta Laser Printer through DOS prn
command I would have a couple of hundred pages of garbage.

What I think the OP wanted was to take his saved MS Word files on a memory
stick to a printer and have them print so he didn't need to connect to the
printer.

 

[Ed Ruf]

(top posting fixed)

He said print-ready files, like Postscript.

No he said document. Who knows what that means.

Also, PDF is a print-ready format for just about any printer out there.

Plug in a thumb drive, list the .ps, .prn., and .pdf file and let the
user choose which ones to print? Incredibly simple and straightforward.

Really and just exactly which stand alone printer can you plug a
thunmbdrive into and do just this? That's is what the OP asks in a
subsequent post.

Maybe you should be more concerned with the questions and answers than
someone else's posting style.

 

[Ed Ruf (REPLY to E-MAIL IN SIG!)]

Hi,
I am looking for a color laser printer, which can print without a
computer. ie, through a USB input. Say if I have a USB flash drive, I
should be able to see filenames in an LCD screen and be able to print
files (documents mostly).

I know that there are some photo printers with pictbridge (?) etc. But
I am looking for a small office where the above can be achieved.

The answer is why? Is it cost? There may be some high document management
solutions, but I know of know standard office printer to which you can
simply plug in a usb drive or cd or camera storage media and print from it
other than photo printers which accept CF/SD/etc.

 

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

Hi,
I am looking for a color laser printer, which can print without a
computer. ie, through a USB input. Say if I have a USB flash drive, I
should be able to see filenames in an LCD screen and be able to print
files (documents mostly).

I know that there are some photo printers with pictbridge (?) etc. But
I am looking for a small office where the above can be achieved.

The answer is why? Is it cost? There may be some high document management
solutions, but I know of know standard office printer to which you can
simply plug in a usb drive or cd or camera storage media and print from it[/QUOTE]

Xerox PE120 and WorkCentre 73xx models.

Samsung also makes at least one that does this.

That you don't know of any that do, simply means you're ignorant. It
doesn't mean it's a bad idea.

 

[Ed Ruf (REPLY to E-MAIL IN SIG!)]

Xerox PE120

ok.
http://www.office.xerox.com/multifu...under-30ppm/workcentre-pe120-pe120i/enus.html
Where above does it say you need no computer and can simply plug in a usb
drive and print off of it? If it is there it sure is not obvious?

 

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

ok.
http://www.office.xerox.com/multifunction-printer/multifunction-under-30ppm/wo
rkcentre-pe120-pe120i/enus.html
Where above does it say you need no computer and can simply plug in a usb
drive and print off of it? If it is there it sure is not obvious?

http://tinyurl.com/2nxjcq

 

[Cliff Hartle]

Xerox PE120 and WorkCentre 73xx models.

Page 10.10 of this document

http://www.office.xerox.com/userdoc/PE120_PE120I/PE120_PE120I_Web/pdfs/pe120UG_en.pdf

states:

You can directly print files stored on the USB flash drive. You can
print TIFF, BMP, TXT, and PRN files.

Direct Print option supports:

.. PRN : PCL6(Version 2.1) Compatible

.. TXT : PCL5e Compatible

.. TIFF : MFP generated TIF files are supported with Direct

Print.

.. BMP : B/W, 72 ~ 300DPI, NO COMPRESSION

PRN files can be created by selecting Print when your file is

open, selecting your machine in the Name section of the Print

window, and then selecting the Print to File check box. Save

the newly made PRN file to the USB flash drive. Only PRN files

created in this fashion can be printed directly from the USB flash

drive to the machine.

Samsung also makes at least one that does this.

According to this pic

http://www.bonafidereviews.com/articles/56/images/USBpanelx.jpg

Again, it can print PRN, TXT, BMP and TIFF.

So if you are talking documents (that's what the OP wants) you are OK as
long as you redirect your print job to a PRN file or use notepad as your
word processor.

 

[Ed Ruf (REPLY to E-MAIL IN SIG!)]

http://tinyurl.com/2nxjcq

Sad the manufacture's don't care to point this out in a printers overview
or specs page. I actually check Xerox's site before my OP. Guess I was
uninformed.

From pe120UG_en.pdf:

You can directly print files stored on the USB flash drive. You can
print TIFF, BMP, TXT, and PRN files.
Direct Print option supports:
• PRN : PCL6(Version 2.1) Compatible
• TXT : PCL5e Compatible
• TIFF : MFP generated TIF files are supported with Direct
Print.
• BMP : B/W, 72 ~ 300DPI, NO COMPRESSION

Now the i has PS level 3 support which one might expect direct pdf
printing, but this isn't explicitly spelled out from what I could see. One
heck of a job marketing a capability if it in fact does exist.