printer recommendations for my needs ?

[dr4296]

Greetings All !

I have an old workhorse in my basement: An HP color laserjet
4500n.

She suddenly stopped feeding paper the other day. Even using the
single-sheet feeder, I get a jam each time. Tried wiping the rollers
with a damp cloth, which has fixed paper jamming issues before, but no
good this time.

I use this printer primarily for publishing newsletters. I've got a
monthly one, which is usually about 60 issues, each being 3-4 pages,
both sides. Then there's a quarterly one, which is about the same in
terms of page length, but I produce about 250 copies of that issue.
Page size is always 8 1/2 x 11.

OK, so I found the repair manual for this thing online and I will put
in a few hours trying to figure this out on my own. But I would think
that calling somebody out to service a 15 year old printer would cost
just about as much as it would be to buy some new printer that might
fit my needs.

But, I have a second need... a future need. I would like to be able
to print wide-format items as well. Mostly, this would consist of
sheets necessary to create copies of a board game. I'm recycling old
Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit boards (19-20" square that fold in either
halves or quarters). For my prototype, I went to a local printer and
had three 20" x 20" copies printed up for me. That came to $14 per
sheet! So, I was thinking maybe instead, I should buy my own large
format printer and print up HALVES... each board consisting of two
sheets. As long as I take the printing up to one edge of the paper, I
figure I should be fine.

Anyways, I guess I'm wondering:

1) Should I be looking for one printer or two (one for newsletters
and one for the large-format printing)? I'm thinking if I convert to
using tabloid-sized paper for my newsletters, I might be able to "get
away with" using just one printer. However, I DO still occasionally
need to print plain-old 8 1/2" x 11" sheets.

2) Can anybody recommend to me any color laser (or, I suppose,
inkjet) printers that cost a maximum of maybe $400 (new or used) that
might fit my needs?


I guess the more time goes on, the more I find myself becoming like a
small-time publisher. And I just don't know enough about printers and
printing anything other than 8 1/2" x 11" sheets.


Thanks!


-= Dave =-

 

[Elmo P. Shagnasty]

I guess the more time goes on, the more I find myself becoming like a
small-time publisher. And I just don't know enough about printers and
printing anything other than 8 1/2" x 11" sheets.

why aren't you farming out your newsletter? It's ridiculous to pay what
you pay per sheet on that printer; if you're going to pay anywhere near
that, have it manufactured professionally. It'll look a lot better.

 

[Arthur Entlich]

Most tabloid printers (in color laser models) will print up to 17 or 18"
long only. A few may print longer, but they aren't that common.

I do not believe you can find a new tabloid color laser printer for
under $400, however, the used market is very location specific so that's
hard to answer. Required cost of any repairs may be an unknown as well.
Also, used probably mean buying color cartridges and maybe drums, and
with today's business model for color laser printers, it may be cheaper
to buy new with toner cartridges installed than to buy a used machine
and have to buy cartridges soon after.

Tabloid color laser printers are also quite heavy, so shipping could get
costly if shipping fees must be paid.

In terms of color inkjet, initial cost of acquisition is lower, but that
soon is eaten up in loss of speed, lower quality results with plain
paper, more fragile results (vulnerable to water damage, etc) and
possible seep-through of the inks on duplex printing. However, you can
print over 20" long easily. Cost of the printers can be slightly below
$400 if you shop carefully, but your ink costs will kill you, unless you
install a constant inking system and us bulk inks.

Depending upon the design on the laser printer, using one for both
tabloid and letter size may prove more costly, since the letter size
will wear the drums out equally to the tabloid prints, while you won't
get full service from the wider drums.

The price you were charged for the prototype prints was a bit high,
depending upon the method of printing used. Locally (in Canadian
prices) I can get a tabloid size color laser print (11" x 17" or so) for
about 60-80 cents each.

You will need to sit down and do so calculations to figure out what you
need and can afford.

Art

If you are interested in issues surrounding e-waste,
I invite you to enter the discussion at my blog:

http://e-trashtalk.spaces.live.com/

 

[B]

Before you plunk down a lot of money for a large format printer you may
want to reflect on the copyrights on the materials you're reproducing,
depending on what you're doing with those prints.

You haven't mentioned the challenge of scanning those large formats, so
you must have that part working satisfactorily for your purpose.

 

[Arthur Entlich]

I get the impression this poster was suggesting he is making his own
prototype gameboards up old using the Monopoly and Trivial Pursuits
boards for the backing, so I don't think that violates any copyrights.

Art

If you are interested in issues surrounding e-waste,
I invite you to enter the discussion at my blog:

http://e-trashtalk.spaces.live.com/