SECTION 2
Evaluating Color Laser Printers
Tabloid-size (11 x 17 in.) color printers open up a wide range of creative possibilities for color
professionals to create dynamic, attention-grabbing documents. Small and medium-sized print
runs that once had to be outsourced can now be produced inexpensively and conveniently at the
click of a mouse. With many models from many vendors offering a wide variety of features and
capabilities, evaluating and selecting the right tabloid color printer for your business can be a
difficult task.
Based on years of research and experience with the real-world needs of color printer users, Xerox
has identified some key areas and issues for you to consider as you begin your own process of
evaluating tabloid color printers. They include:
• Print Quality (color accuracy and flexibility)
• Productivity (print speed and performance)
• Network/IT-Centric Features (ease of use/management, cost of ownership)
This section of the Evaluator Guide will look at each of these areas, suggest ways you can
evaluate a printer's performance and capabilities in these areas, and explain how the
Phaser
®
7760 printer exceeds the expectations of tabloid color printer users on all counts.
EVALUATE PRINT QUALITY
Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, but there are specific attributes you can look for
to determine the quality of the print output delivered by a color printer. Color consis-
tency, color calibration capabilities, and advanced color matching are all key compo-
nents to the ability of the printer to deliver the consistent, reliable print quality your
company demands.
Look for color consistency
In sample print runs, watch for uniformity and consistency in large areas of solid fill.
Check for smooth transitions where edges meet. Also, monitor image quality and color
consistency from page to page during longer print jobs, particularly after 100 or 200
prints of the same image. Does the printer perform periodic automatic calibration to
maintain print-to-print consistency?
Include a variety of elements in your test pages
Try color graphics, photo images, adjacent primary colors, large areas of solid color,
color blends and gradients and text in various fonts, sizes and colors.
Check source file and platform compatibility
Can the printer handle the versions of PCL or Adobe PostScript that your software
might produce? Some popular graphic applications, such as Adobe Photoshop
InDesign
color quality and most accurate proofing capability.
Consider the range of color management capabilities
Look at the depth and breadth of color management capabilities – is the printer com-
patible with the most common industry standards (assuring you of image fidelity from
screen to print)? Look at the ability to match color from different devices, i.e. copier,
digital press, printing press or web pages.
4
PHASER 7760 EVALUATOR GUIDE
®
, or Adobe Illustrator
®
, depend on true PostScript compatibility for the best
, Adobe
®
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