IC Printers iBuyer's Guide - May 2012 by Hypertext Media

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HP OfficeJet 4500 Wireless e-All-in-One

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HP Laserjet Pro P1102W

Buyer’s

Guide

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May 2012

elcome to Incredible Connection’s 2nd Printer Buyer’s Guide! We’ve put together a fantastic guide for you that showcases home and office printers, and by the time you’re done reading you should have a pretty good idea of which ones will serve your needs best. Our 2 features offer up some handy buying advice for when you’re out shopping. We try to answer a good selection of the most pressing questions printer shoppers should be asking themselves before they set off on their quest to find the printer that’s right for them. We cover a wide range of printing concerns, like the eternal questions “Inkjet or laser?” and “multi- or single function?” We also shine a light on some of the features you’ll see mentioned in the reviews so that you can better-appreciate what they do and what sort of benefit they might bring your home or business in the long term. Printer technology has come so far that there is no better time to be buying printers than now, and we hope this guide will prove useful as you shop.

Features:

Office Printer Reviews:

02 08

12 13

Home Printer Buying Advice

Office Printer Buying Advice

04 05

HP DeskJet 1000 Epson Stylus S22 Kodak C110/C310

Canon PIXMA MG2140 HP DeskJet 3070A eAIO Epson Stylus SX130 Epson Stylus Photo TX800FW

Samsung ML-1670 HP LaserJet Pro P1102W

Samsung CLP-325/CLP-325W HP LaserJet Pro CP-1025 HP LaserJet Pro CP1525nw

HP LaserJet Pro M1132 Kodak Hero 5.1 Samsung SCX-3405/3405F

Kodak ESP Office 2170 Canon PIXMA MX374 Epson Stylus Office BX305F Epson Stylus Office BX635FWD

Samsung SCX-4623F/FW Canon i-Sensys MF4550D HP LaserJet Pro M1217nfw HP LaserJet Pro M1536dnf

HP OfficeJet 4500/4500 Wireless Epson Workforce Pro WP4535dwf HP OfficeJet 6500/6500 Plus e-AIO

HP OfficeJet Pro 8600/8600 Plus Wireless eAIO HP OfficeJet 100 Mobile HP OfficeJet 7500A Wide A3 HP TopShot LaserJet Pro M275

Home Printer Reviews:

HP Photosmart 5510 HP Photosmart 6510 HP Photosmart 7510 Canon PIXMA MG5340

Canon Selphy CP800 Canon PIXMA iP4940 Canon PIXMA iX6540 A3 HP Envy

The Incredible Connection Team.

Publisher Editor Technology Editor Contributing Editor Art Director Junior Designer

Brett Haggard - brett@hypertext.co.za Tiana Cline - tiana@hypertext.co.za Deon du Plessis - deon@hypertext.co.za Christo van Gemert - christo@hypertext.co.za Jason Palmer - jason@hypertext.co.za Jessica Hurwitz - jess@hypertext.co.za

Samsung CLX-3185/3185FW Canon i-Sensys MF8080cw / MF8080cnw HP LaserJet Pro CM1415FN/FNW

www.incredible.co.za | 1

Home Printer Buying Advice

Buying a

Home Printer By Deon du Plessis

Whether you need an affordable printer for everyday printing or something a little more robust for school projects and photographs, this guide will help you decide which home printer is right for you.

hatever your home printing needs, there is a printer that can do it. The question is, do you need one that can do a bit of everything, or one that specialises in one area at the expense of others?

Inkjet or Laser?

Photo Printers

The first question is what kind of projects will you be tackling with your printer? Inkjets make fantastic all-round printers, able to print anything reasonably well, but they are generally quite slow and their results aren’t quite as sharp as that of lasers, especially when printing text. They are cheap to buy initially, but they can cost a lot over time as their ink cartridges can be pricey. Laser printers might not print amazing photographs, but they’re faster than inkjets, are designed to print a lot and the text they produce is almost always sharper than anything an inkjet can print.

If you like filling photo albums with actual pictures (as opposed to populating Facebook with your digital snaps), a dedicated photo printer is the way to go. They’re even good for general document printing. So they can’t scan or copy – the trade-off is amazing physical photo prints. Just be aware that the costs of inkjet cartridges and the specialised paper needed for proper photo printing can add up over time.

We say Inkjets are more flexible than lasers for home use, but of course if all you’re printing is text-heavy documents at home, a laser will do just fine.

Multifunctions Printers with built-in scanners and fax machines qualify as “allin-ones”, and can scan, copy and fax documents as well. By incorporating these extra functions, multi-function printers cut down on the amount of space needed to get a lot of different jobs done, and work out cheaper than buying individual products for each function. Not every home needs one, but it pays to be prepared as printing needs can change over time. We say As all-in-ones aren’t very expensive and very flexible, they are a smart purchase and thus highly recommended for home users.

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We say You need to decide whether the convenience of printing photos at home is worth the price premium you’ll pay for it over getting your prints done at a print shop.

Cartridge costs Before buying any printer, be sure to ask about the replacement cost of its cartridges as well as how many pages you can reasonably expect to get from each (the “yield”). You may find that a more expensive printer has cartridges that give you more pages than a printer that’s slightly cheaper, which will save you money over time. We say Laser toner is more expensive than ink, but prints more pages. If you plan on printing a lot every month, a laser printer makes more sense.

The little extras Some non-standard features can make your life a lot easier. PictBridge is a technology lets you print photographs directly to your printer from PictBridgecapable cameras. A card reader lets you print photos off any compatible memory card, and Bluetooth connects devices like phones and tablets to the printer for easy, convenient printing without requiring cables or an intervening PC. Not many printers support all 3, however. We say While these present easy ways to print quickly, it’s often better to look at your pictures on a PC and do some light editing before printing.

Speed When it comes to a printer’s published speed, measured in pages per minute by some manufacturers and images per minute by others, it pays to be a little sceptical. Those figures are for a specific workload, for documents with a specific makeup. Ask for an in-store demo and judge for yourself if possible, or check out online review videos for a more realistic idea on how fast a printer is. We say Laser printers are generally much faster than inkjets when it comes to general document printing.

Paper Handling Some printers have specialised feed trays that let you print on envelopes, photo paper and business cards, which you may want to confirm before buying if your printing needs include such things. When it comes to tray capacity, just remember that a printer with a paper tray that holds less than 100 sheets will have you adding paper a lot more often than those that can take hundreds at a time. We say If you don’t plan on printing a lot, a smaller paper tray is not a problem.

Networking Duty Cycle A printer’s duty cycle is expressed as the number of pages it should be able to produce over the course of a single month without causing damage to the printer’s internal workings. Home printers are not designed for serious print volumes, so this number is usually in the hundreds. Office printers need to produce thousands of documents a month, especially in a busy office environment, which is one of the reasons their duty cycles are much higher, and they cost more. We say Consider a printer’s rated Duty Cycle only if your printing needs might potentially reach hundreds of pages each month. If your needs are less intense, ignore it.

Sharing a printer between several computers is made a lot easier if the printer has built-in networking capabilities. The 2 choices are wired, or wireless. A wired connection forces you to place the printer close to your network router, but wireless frees you to place the printer in a more convenient location. An N-class wireless connection is best, as this offers the longest range and thus greatest placement flexibility. We say Wireless connectivity is best, but if you are on a budget, wired will work almost as well.

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HOME Printers

HP Deskjet 1000 10000 Pages

16ppm

The Desktjet 1000 is an honest-to-goodness colour desktop printer. Whether it’s spreadsheets and documents you have to print out, or some colour photos for a school project, it’ll cope well. It’s affordable, and even the cartridges – a single black and a single tri-colour – are relatively inexpensive. The Deskjet 1000 is great for those who need the occasional printer, but don’t rely on it for everyday work.

12ppm

KEY FEATURES Direct USB connection to a single computer Prints at up to 16ppm Fast setup process 4800 x 1200 DPI colour prints Two ink cartridges

Cartridges HP 122 XL Tri-Colour HP 122 XL Black

28ppm

Epson Stylus S22 Affordable printing can be smart, too, as the Epson Stylus S22 shows. This entry-level colour printer uses separate ink cartridges – black, cyan, magenta, yellow – making it easy to replace only the colour that’s depleted. This is a great way to achieve economy in running costs, and a single ink cartridge only costs around R90. It’s no slouch, either. Draft pages in black and white will pile up at a rate of 28 per minute, while draft colour prints are rated at 15 pages per minute. KEY FEATURES Direct USB connection to a single computer Fast setup process Supports photo printing Individual cartridges 5760 x 1440 DPI colour prints

15ppm

Cartridges Epson T1281 black Epson T1282 cyan Epson T1283 magenta Epson T1284 yellow

Kodak C110/C310 10000 Pages

6ppm

4ppm

Wi-Fi

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Kodak’s C110 and C310 models are virtually identical, save for the inclusion of wireless neworking in the C310 – convenient if you have multiple computers on your home network. Both are capable of delivering high-quality photo prints, with a maximum resolution of 9600DPI, and high-quality prints clock in at up to 6 pages per minute in black and white – draft-quality prints are delivered much faster, though. The scanner also works well, and there’s a built-in memory card reader. KEY FEATURES 802.11b/g/n Wireless Networking Direct USB connection to a single computer 5-in-1 memory card reader 9600DPI photo print

Cartridges Kodak colour ink cartridge 30 Kodak black ink cartridge 30

HP Deskjet 3070A e-All-inOne

8.4ppm

4.8ppm

Canon PIXMA MG2140 Canon, being a company that’s all about photos and imaging, has some great tech in its printers. The PIXMA range uses special print heads that allow for extra-fine photo prints. At full tilt this will spit out 4.8 pages per minute at high quality (not the low-quality draft mode), and photos arrive in 44 seconds or so, per print. And those photos will look good for up to 100 years, thanks to Canon’s ChromaLife100 technology. What more could you want?

For a bit more money than a baseline Deskjet 1000 you can get a multifunction unit like the Deskjet 3070A. This has a built-in scanner, also endowing it with photocopier functionality, and an LCD screen to control output. It’ll do photo prints, or push out draft-quality black and colour prints at up to 23 pages per minute. This can all be done wirelessly, too, thanks to the integrated Wi-Fi unit. Separate ink cartridges also keep running costs low, and make print quality that much better. 28ppm

KEY FEATURES 802.11b/g/n Wireless Networking Direct USB connection to a single computer Prints at up to 23ppm ePrint-enabled Fast setup process

Cartridges HP 178 Black/Cyan/Magenta/Yellow

15ppm

Epson Stylus SX130 Epson’s line-up of excellent printers includes the Stylus SX130, a super compact all-in-one aimed at home users and students. Using the same fourcolour ink system as the Stylus S22, this can push out pages at a rate of 28ppm in black and 15ppm in colour, at draft quality – and it’ll also do photo prints. The flatbed scanner has a resolution of 1200x600 DPI, and can take pages up to A4 in size.

KEY FEATURES Direct USB connection to a single computer Prints at up to 8.4ppm (high quality) Photo printing Canon ChromaLife100 technology

5000 Pages

23ppm

Wi-Fi

KEY FEATURES Prints, copies, scans Direct USB connection to a single computer Fast setup process Separate ink system

Cartridges Cartridges

Canon PG-440 black Canon CL-441 colour

Epson T1281 black cartridge Epson T1282 cyan cartridge Epson T1283 magenta cartridge Epson T1284 yellow cartridge

Epson Stylus Photo TX800FW Epson’s Stylus Photo TX800FW is a multi-function home printer capable of handling printed documents with ease, but it also prints exceptionally high-quality photos as well as on CDs and DVDs. It’s fast, too, able to print both black and coloured text documents at a very impressive 40 pages per minute. Epson’s unique 6-ink system produces vivid, gorgeous photos that don’t fade for 200 years, and beautiful, high-quality generalpurpose documents. KEY FEATURES

40ppm

Wi-Fi

Prints, copies, scans, faxes 7.8” touch panel with embedded 3.5” LCD screen Wired, wireless and USB connectivity Prints on CDs and DVDs Unique 6-ink system

Cartridges Epson 82N Black/Cyan/Magenta/Yellow/Light Cyan/Light YellowMagenta/Yellow

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HOME Printers

HP Photosmart 5510 HP’s middle-of-the-range Photosmart is perfectly capable of doing everything, for everybody. It’ll print presentations and high-quality photos as and when needed, and then settle back into the daily grind of pumping out draft pages, too. It’ll scan and copy with the best of them, too. The wireless functions are also exciting: using AirPrint tech, you can easily send the Photosmart 5510 photos from your iPad or iPhone. Together with ePrint technology that makes this a formiddable all-rounder. KEY FEATURES

1000 Pages

11ppm

7.5ppm

Wi-Fi

Cartridges:

802.11b/g/n Wireless Networking Direct USB connection to a single computer Prints at up to 11ppm black/ 7.5ppm colour ePrint-enabled Fast setup process

HP 178 Cyan/Cyan XL HP 178 Magenta/ Magenta XL HP 178 Yellow/Yellow XL HP 178 Black HP 178 Black Photosmart XL

HP Photosmart 6510

Canon PIXMA MG5340

Boasting the same print engine as the Photosmart 5510, the 6510 brings a few extra features to the table. It’ll still scan, copy and print professionalquality photos, and includes a duplexing unit for printing two-sided pages. It’ll also give you all the convenience of ePrint functionality, with the added benefit of web connectivity. This means you can link it to Facebook and print your photos directly from there, or use a number of other web-based services to enhance your printer.

Canon’s mid-range PIXMA is anything but middle of the road. It has a photo-optimised 5-ink system capable of delivering simply stunning photo prints that nicely complement your camera and photography skills. Regular text pages will be printed at a rate of 12.5ppm in black and 9.3ppm in colour – all at high quality, instead of draft.

KEY FEATURES 802.11b/g/n Wireless Networking Direct USB connection to a single computer Prints at up to 11ppm (high quality) ePrint-enabled Fast setup process

Cartridges: HP 178 (Cyan / Magenta / Yellow / Black) and HP 178 XL (Cyan / Magenta / Yellow / Black)

1000 Pages

34ppm

33ppm

Wi-Fi

HP Photosmart 7510 This bad boy is a high-end multifunction unit aimed at demanding home users or business pros who want the best results, every time. It’s got a dual-mode scanner with both a flatbed and document feeder. Print quality is simply fantastic, with A4 photos looking just as good as those from a lab. On the other end of the scale, black and white draft pages arrive at a rate of 34 per minute. It’s got wireless, web services, ePrint, AirPrint and everything else you’ll need, too. This is the ultimae all-in-one.

KEY FEATURES 802.11b/g Wireless Networking Direct USB connection to a single computer Prints at up to 12.5ppm (high quality) Fast setup process

Cartridges: Canon PGI-425PGBK black Canon CLI-426BK photo black Canon CLI-426C cyan Canon CLI-426M magenta Canon CLI-426Y yellow

KEY FEATURES 802.11b/g/n Wireless Networking Direct USB connection to a single computer Prints at up to 34ppm ePrint-enabled Fast setup process Dual-mode scanner

Cartridges: 5000 Pages

11ppm

7.5ppm

Wi-Fi

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HP 178 (Cyan / Magenta / Yellow / Black) and HP 178 XL (Cyan / Magenta / Yellow / Black)

12.5ppm

9.3ppm

Wi-Fi

Canon PIXMA iP4940 The PIXMA iP4940 gains some of Canon’s more premium technologies. It still has the superb PIXMA print engine, capable of printing photos at 9600 DPI – which makes for incredibly detailed snaps – but also gains some web and video technologies. It’ll print single frames from HD videos, or even let you merge multiple frames, and it can snap and print out websites as you view them – handy for maps and directions. 1.28ppm

Canon Selphy CP800 If you want a small, compact printer specifically for printing photos, the Selphy CP800 fits the bill exactly. This compact photo printer is great for 10x15cm photo prints, and uses a dye sublimation printing process (rather than the thermal inkjets in desktop printers). Photos that are printed using this technology will last for up to 100 years before fading. A PC isn’t even needed – the CP800 prints directly from memory cards fed into its built-in card reader, as well as from USB memory sticks.

KEY FEATURES Direct USB connection to a single computer Prints at up to 12.5ppm black (high quality) Five ink system Auto Duplex

Cartridges: Canon PGI-425PGBK black Canon CLI-426BK photo black Canon CLI-426C cyan Canon CLI-426M magenta Canon CLI-426Y yellow

11.3ppm

8.8ppm

Canon PIXMA A3 iX6540 If a regular photo printer, like the PIXMA 4940, isn’t just big enough for you, then the iX6540 will definitely be the one. This will print in wideformat, meaning A3-sized photo prints, for your extra highquality large format photos. High-quality black and white prints arrive at a rate of 11.3 per minute, while colour prints are slightly slower at 8.8 pages per minute. The quality is well worth the slightly slower print speed, though – and the wide format prints are worth the longer wait time. This is a pure photo printer, so no multifunction stuff here. KEY FEATURES Wide format A3 photo printer Direct USB connection to a single computer Prints at up to 11.3ppm black (high quality) / 8.8ppm colour (high quality) Fast setup process

KEY FEATURES Direct USB connection to a single computer USB and memory card slots Postcard photos in 47 seconds Dedicated photo printer Inks that last for 100 years

Cartridges:

Cartridges 12.5ppm

Canon KP-36IP Cartridge and paper set

9.3ppm

Canon PGI-425PGBK black Canon CLI-426BK photo black Canon CLI-426C cyan Canon CLI-426M magenta Canon CLI-426Y yellow

HP Envy (Megastores Only) The Envy proves that printers don’t have to be boring. Hewn from metal and glass, it not only feels as heavy as a high-quality product, it also looks the part. Everything is automated and motorised, making the Envy look like it belongs in any modern home. Amazingly, it’s also a multifunction device. A flatbed scanner is housed in that sleek body, as well as a high-quality print engine and wireless connectivity. It’ll even take photos from your iPhone, or e-mailed photos via ePrint. KEY FEATURES 802.11b/g/n Wireless Networking Direct USB connection to a single computer Prints at up to 7ppm black (HQ) / 4ppm colour (HQ) ePrint-enabled Memory card reader

5000 Pages

7ppm

4ppm

Wi-Fi

Cartridges HP No. 60 black HP No. 60 tri-colour

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Office Printer Buying Advice

Buying an

Office Printer

By Deon du Plessis

Here are a few questions to ask that should help you choose the printer that’s right for your work environment.

services, they can be shared among several users and can save the business money over time. But, individual devices have their own set of benefits that may offer you more value for your money in the long term, especially in larger offices with more employees and higher workloads.

Benefits of an Multifunction:

• Takes up very little space compared to multiple individual devices • Low initial cost plus economical running costs • Can perform the duties of multiple machines

Drawbacks of an Multifunction: • Their ability to perform more than one task at a time is limited • If there is a technical problem, all functions are unavailable

Single-function or Multifunction?

Benefits of running separate machines

The most important question to ask is whether you need a multifunction device that prints, scans, copies and faxes, or if you’d be better off with several devices dedicated to a single function each. The best way to do this is to know what your business requirements are up front, like how many users the device will be supporting and how much – and what – you will be printing every month. Do your employees regularly require different functions, or do they mostly print and only occasionally need to scan and copy? Will a single device cause a queue at the busiest part of the day? Do you need the speed and quality of a laser printer or the versatility of an inkjet? For most small offices, a multi-function device with basic networking capabilities should be a good choice. These devices take up a small amount of office space while providing multiple

• Speed – dedicated devices often print/scan/copy faster than MFPs • Less likely to cause a productivity bottleneck • A breakdown won’t prevent access to other functions

8 | Printer Buyer’s guide | May 2012

Drawbacks of running separate machines: • Initial costs and running costs are higher • More complex than running a single device We say Look at what your business needs are and decide accordingly. If you are certain that a Multifunction is what you need, we highly recommend getting one with an automatic document feeder as these greatly improve the efficiency of scanning and copying multi-page documents.

How will you connect?

How much do you print?

In small offices with few employees, a printer with built-in networking capabilities isn’t needed – USB connectivity is all that’s necessary. As long as there is a network in place connecting all employees together, anyone can print to a printer attached by USB cable to one of the PCs on the network. The problem is, the PC it’s connected to must always be on, and it’s difficult to position the printer so everyone can easily reach it. A wired network port (also called an Ethernet port) can help, as this allows the printer to be connected directly to the office’s router. It no longer needs to be attached to a PC, but its placement in the office is still limited by the need for a network cable connection. Built-in wireless networking capabilities solves both of these problems. It allows the printer to be placed anywhere in the office where wireless coverage exists, and needs no PCs to be present.

Working out which printer might be right for you has a lot to do with how much you print in a given month. The printing industry, as a whole, advises people to buy printers with a “duty cycle” of at least 3 times their monthly print volume. This is because that duty cycle figure isn’t the maximum number of pages the printer can handle; it’s the number of pages that can be safely printed without damaging the printer’s internal workings. Another good tip is to choose a printer that won’t have you filling it with paper every 5 minutes – avoid this by getting a printer that has an input tray of at least 150 pages. Lastly, printers that automatically print on both sides of the paper (duplexing) can really help make the most of your paper while also reducing waste.

We say If you want to get a printer with the bestpossible network connectivity, choose one that has an Ethernet port and supports the IEEE802.11/b/g/n wireless standard.

We say Paying close attention to a printer’s extras is a great way to ensure you get the most bang for your buck.

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Office Printer Buying Advice

Is faster better? This is perhaps the trickiest question to answer. When you see a “pages per minute” (ppm) figure quoted in a printer’s specifications, it is often only achievable under specific conditions. For example, a printer might actually produce 32 pages per minute, but it’s only possible with uncomplicated text documents printed in draft quality and doesn’t take into account the time the first page takes to emerge. If you want to produce a high-quality document that uses text and images, don’t expect it to print at the same speed. We say Higher pages per minute figures do result in faster print speeds. Office productivity will benefit from any printer rated at 15ppm and above.

How much does it cost?

Conclusion

Working out how much a printer is going to cost you in the long term involves establishing what its “total cost of ownership” (TCO) is. First, you need to work out how much each printed page is going to cost you, i.e. the “cost per page”. To find this, look at the cost of a set of cartridges and divide that by the number of pages you’ll get out of them (called their “yield”). Yield information is available from all printer manufacturers, if not on the cartridges themselves, then online. Next, you need to multiply that cost per page by the number of pages you expect to print per year, and then multiply that number by the number of years you expect to own the printer. Finally, add the initial cost of the printer, and voilà, you have its TCO.

By taking a more measured, thoughtful approach to your office printer purchase using these points as a guide, it’s possible to find one that suits your pocket, your printing requirements and performance needs.

Cost Per Page x Projected Annual Print Volume x Number of Years of Use + Initial Cost = TCO This helps establish whether that cheap printer you’re eyeing is actually a good investment, or whether it might be smarter – and cheaper - to buy something more expensive. We say Cheaper printers might ultimately work out to be more expensive. Take some extra time to do a bit of homework before buying – it may pay off in the long run.

10 | Printer Buyer’s guide | May 2012

HP OFFICEJET PRO

KICK START YOUR SMALL BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL COLOUR FOR UP TO

LESS COST THAN LASER.* Work even faster Enjoy superfast colour printing, with up to 16 colour pages per minute. Stay productive on the go Discover the power to print to the office from virtually anywhere with HP ePrint.** Boost your bottom line Experience professional quality colour printing for up to 50% less cost per page than laser.* Learn more at www.hp.co.za/lowcostprinting. * 50% less cost per page. Majority of colour laser AiOs <â&#x201A;Ź400 excluding VAT, March 2011; for details, http://www.hp.com/eur/ojfacts. OJ Pro ISO yield with highest-capacity cartridges based on continuous printing; see www.hp.com/go/learnaboutsupplies. **Requires an Internet connection to the printer. Feature works with any connected Internet -and email- capable device. Requires HP Web Services Account Registration. Print times may vary. For a list of supported documents, and image types, see www.hp.com/go/eprintcenter. And for additional solutions, see www.hp.com/go/mobile-printing-solutions. 4AA3-9359EEE

Office Printers

Samsung ML-1670 The ML-1670 is a tiny mono laser printer designed for a small office, and its compact footprint and high-quality prints mean easy, convenient printing, right on your desk. It has a “print screen” feature that automatically captures whatever is on your computer’s screen and prints it out directly; all you have to do is press a single button. The ML-1670 is pretty quiet, too, as it operates at the level of a humming refrigerator, leaving you to concentrate on your work. Key Features Mono laser printer One touch screen printing, AnyWeb Prints at up to 16ppm Whisper-quiet operation (sub-49dBA) One-button switch to energy-saving standby mode

Supplies Samsung MLT-D104S

16ppm

5000 Pages

HP Laserjet Pro P1102W HP’s Laserjet Pro P1102W comes standard with b/g wireless networking capabilities that allow it to be placed anywhere there is wireless network signal. It sets up fast, too, using HP’s Smart Install feature and a USB cable that requires no installation CD. ePrinting, energyefficient design and a handy front-mounted LCD panel for easy access to status information round out the P1102W’s features to make it an affordable, compact and impressive monochrome office laser printer. Key Features

Wi-Fi

12 | Printer Buyer’s guide | May 2012

18ppm

5000 Pages

802.11b/g Wireless Networking USB port for direct connection to a single computer Prints at up to 18ppm ePrint-enabled Fast setup process

Supplies HP 85A Toner

Samsung CLP-325 / CLP-325W Good looks and a compact build set the CLP-325 apart from other colour laser printers, making it an ideal addition to any style-conscious office and a fantastic space-saver on busy desks. Other standout features include fast print speeds, USB connectivity and the AnyWeb application that lets you capture content from the Internet into a single, easy-toprint location. This robust colour laser printer produces excellent results thanks to tiny toner particles and a world-class print engine that will do any busy office proud. For all this and Wi-Fi, look to the CLP-325W. Key Features Colour and mono laser printer USB connectivity Quiet operation – 45dBA (colour) and 47dBA (mono) One-touch screen printing, AnyWeb Energy-efficient design

16ppm

4ppm

20000 Pages

Supplies

Wi-Fi

Samsung 407S Black / Cyan / Magenta / Yellow

HP LaserJet Pro CP-1025 Saving time, space and money is what HP’s CP-1025 colour laser printer is all about, as it’s an affordable and compact machine well-suited to placement on a desk. Ethernet and USB connectivity are standard, so it can work as a dedicated printer attached to a single computer or as an office workhorse, attached to the local network by cable. In addition to great-quality colour prints, the CP-1025 supports printing from smartphones and tablets using HP’s pioneering ePrint service. Key Features

Supplies

Colour and mono laser printer USB and Ethernet connectivity Ultra-compact footprint Instant-on and Auto-off technology Accepts prints over e-mail (ePrinting)

12ppm

8ppm

30000 Pages

16ppm

HP 126A Black / Cyan / Magenta / Yellow 4ppm

15000 Pages

HP Laserjet Pro CP1525nw (Selected Stores Only) Wi-Fi

For offices with more demanding needs, HP’s CP1525nw fits the bill. It’s not only faster than many other entry-level colour laser printers when it comes to colour prints, it’s also wireless so you can place it anywhere in the office that has wireless network coverage. Installation and setup are simple, and ePrinting lets you and your staff send jobs to the printer using any e-mail capable device. Instant-on and Instant-off technology keeps power consumption at a minimum. Key Features Colour and mono laser printer 802.11b/g/n Wireless Networking, Ethernet, USB Fast colour prints Instant-on and Instant-off tech saves power 150-sheet input tray, 125-sheet output tray

Supplies HP 128A Black / Cyan / Magenta / Yellow

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Office Printers

HP Laserjet Pro M1132

18ppm

15000 Pages

Everyday office tasks are so easy to do with HP’s easy-to-use M1132 multi-function monochrome printer. Scanning, copying and printing are possible with a minimum of fuss. Even installing the printer is easy, thanks to HP’s “Smart Install” technology that doesn’t require an installation CD to get the printer set up. Print as many as 18 pages per minute and enjoy bold text and sharp images on each page, all while consuming less energy than ever thanks to an Energy Star qualification.

Key Features Monochrome copying, printing, colour scanning CD-free setup with HP Smart Install HP Auto-On and Auto-Off technology saves power Pre-installed cartridges reduce packaging complexity USB connectivity

Supplies HP 85A Toner Cartridge

Kodak Hero 5.1 The Hero 5.1 prints both photos and documents quite ably, and can therefore double as both an office and a home printer. It has Wi-Fi and USB connectivity and can print over the Web using Google Cloud Print enabled apps, but its most impressive trick is its ability to print 3D photos that jump out at you when viewed with 3D glasses. Combine this with affordable, high-yield ink cartridges and you have a printer that will please both the bean-counters and those who use it every day. Key Features

20ppm

15000 Pages

Supplies

Colour inkjet printer, scanner, copier Prints 3D anaglyph photos Wi-Fi and USB connectivity Automatic 2-sided printing Prints from smartphones and tablets

Kodak Colour Ink Cartridge 30 and 30XL, Black Ink Cartridge 30 and 30XL

Samsung SCX-3405 / 3405F Print, scan and copy with this compact and affordable monochrome laser printer that’s perfect for small offices. It only takes 8.5 seconds from Ready Mode for your first page to emerge, and with a sustained speed of 20 pages per minute, even big documents print quickly. The SCX-3405’s manual duplex feature saves on paper by printing on both sides, and a cost-saving mode can be selected with the press of the “Eco” button mounted on the front panel that saves you even more money by conserving toner. If fax capabilities are also needed, check out the SCX3405F. Key Features

8ppm

Monochrome laser printer, copier, colour scanner USB interface only

6ppm

Economical printing mode saves on resources Optical scan resolution of 600 x 600 150-sheet Input Tray

Supplies Wi-Fi

14 | Printer Buyer’s guide | May 2012

Samsung MLT-D101S

Subscribe to We all know how frustrating it is waiting for a print job, even more so when it’s only a few pages. That’s why Epson created the WorkForce Pro WP-4545 DTWF network-ready 4-in-1 with Wi-Fi and double-sided printing, dual paper trays and a large touch panel. Designed to suit the modern office or digital home, both inside and out, this is the ultimate professional tool. If you’re looking for a high-performance business 4-in-1 with Wi-Fi, plus dual trays and touch panel, Epson’s WorkForce Pro WP-4545 saves time and money, especially when compared to laser printing.

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Economical and Ecological: It offers a massive 80% reduction on energy consumption compared to competitive lasers – providing significant cost and environmental savings. Ink cartridges are clean and easy to change and the cartridge is the only part that needs replacing, so the process is hassle-free.

EnginEErEd for BusinEss: A high print resolution of up to 4800x1200dpi – it high-yield, superior quality DURABrite Ultra ink cartridges are low maintenance and offer low-cost printing, producing 2,400 pages or higher, if needed.

EnhancEd fEaturEs: A large standard paper capacity of up to 580 sheets is ideal for high-volume jobs, while a large touch panel provides easy operation.

Easy to intEgratE: Comes network-ready for sharing across workgroups, with USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Print on thE movE: It comes with Epson Connect to meet all mobile printing needs, enabling users to print from smartphones and tablet PCs.

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Office Printers

Canon PIXMA MX374 Inkjet Office All-in-One

6ppm

4ppm

Printers for small offices and homes need to do a bit of everything, and that’s what Canon’s PIXMA MX374 does. It’s a very capable document printer, able to produce lovelylooking documents and marketing materials good enough to pass muster in the working world. Faxing capabilities are present, and it can scan and copy batches of documents thanks to a 30-page automatic document feeder. Its bigger brother, the MX434, features the same great print quality plus Wi-Fi, faster print speeds as well as the option to scan directly to USB storage devices.

Wi-Fi

Kodak ESP Office 2170 Office-friendly features include a 25-page automatic document feeder that make copying and scanning just that much more convenient, a very simple interface and alerts that tell you when the ink is running low. Kodak cartridges are also easy to replace, they don’t cost the earth and also give you plenty of pages per cartridge. Wi-Fi connectivity comes standard and is easy to set up, plus Google Cloud Print and Kodak Email Print give you “printing from the cloud” options as well.

Key Features Entry-level inkjet printer/scanner/copier/ fax for the office USB connectivity Supports PictBridge for direct-fromcamera printing Wi-Fi connectivity available in the MX434 Print customised Web content using EasyWebPrint

34ppm

15ppm

Epson Stylus Office BX-305F Professional-looking prints are the BX-305F’s bread and butter as it produces documents that offer comparable sharpness to that of laser printers, with the added benefit of full-colour, borderless prints and photos. Its individual inks mean you only need to replace the colours that run out, and Epson’s excellent Durabrite Ultra Ink resists water, smudging, fading and even highlighter pens. A multi-page automatic document feeder lets you scan and copy documents quickly and easily. Key Features

Key Features

Supplies

Colour scanning, printing, copying, faxing Wi-Fi and USB connectivity Affordable ink cartridges 25-page automatic document feeder Google Cloud Print and Kodak Email Print ready

Inkjet printer, scanner, copier, fax Individual ink cartridges USB and Wi-Fi connectivity Manage and edit scans with Presto! PageManager 9 software Automatic document feeder

PG-440 Black and Black XL, CL-411 Colour and Colour XL

8.7ppm

Supplies Kodak Colour Ink Cartridge 30 and 30XL, Black Ink Cartridge 30 and 30XL

5ppm

Supplies T1291 (Black), T1292 (Cyan), T1293 (Magenta), T1294 (Yellow)

Epson Stylus Office BX635FWD Small to medium-sized offices will like the fact that Epson’s Stylus Office BX635FWD prints really fast in draft mode – up to 38 pages a minute in both black and colour. For more professional-looking documents that speed drops to 15ppm (black and 7.1ppm (colour), but even this is more than fast enough for a speedy printing experience. A 250-page paper tray ensures plenty of time between paper refills, and an automatic duplexer gives you prints, copies and scans on both sides of the page at the sacrifice of speed. Key Features

38ppm

Wi-Fi

Prints, copies, scans, faxes 250-sheet front-loading paper tray USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity

16 | Printer Buyer’s guide | May 2012

Automatic duplexing unit Supports USB flash, memory card and PictBridge printing Epson iPrint enables printing from smartphones and tablets

Supplies Epson T1301 (black), T1302 (cyan), T1303 (magenta), T1304 (yellow)

Samsung SCX-4623F/FW Mono Multifunction Laser Printer Samsung’s USB-only SCX-4623F uses a new “Blue Compass Navigation” array that makes it easier than ever to control the printer’s functions and view toner and paper status. The print engine is quick too, capable of printing and copying documents at speeds of up to 23 pages a minute, it does duplex printing and comes with an automatic document feeder for scanning multi-page documents. A USB cable connects it to a single PC, and all faxes can be managed electronically once all the software is installed. If you need Wi-Fi as well, get the SCX-4623FW. Key Features

Wi-Fi

22ppm

Supplies

Monochrome laser printer, scanner, copier, fax Send and receive faxes electronically Capture and print whatever is on your screen with EasyPrint 250-sheet cassette tray

12000 Pages

Samsung MLT-D105L

Canon i-Sensys MF4550D Mono Multifunction Laser Printer

HP Laserjet Pro M1536dnf Mono Multifunction Laser Printer (Selected Stores Only)

The MF4550D is ideal as an office and a home printer, with its compact, space-saving design and user-friendly features. Its enhanced print resolution delivers professional laser-quality prints, copies and faxes that show off very clear text and fine graphics, and copying, faxing and scanning large documents is easy thanks to a 35-page ADF. Save paper by printing on both sides thanks to an automatic duplexer unit, and get your documents fast – the MF4550D prints at up to 25ppm, with the first page emerging in only 9 seconds.

With a time to first print emerging of only 8.5 seconds and the ability to print at up to 26 pages a minute, HP’s M1536dnf is a fast printer indeed. Offices that print a lot would do well to consider this one, as it combines speed, professional-quality mono prints, networkability and user-friendly easeof-use for a very smooth end-user experience. Its 250-sheet paper tray means you won’t be refilling it as often, and duplex printing helps reduce paper wastage while lowering costs.

Key Features Monochrome laser printer, scanner, copier, fax Intuitive LCD display 35-sheet automatic document feeder Automatic duplexing Easy scan function

Supplies

18ppm

2000 Pages

Wi-Fi

HP LaserJet Pro M1217fnw Mono Multifunction Laser The M1217nfw is perfect for a small office with no need for colour prints. It’s stacked with all the most useful features printing has to offer: it scans, copies, faxes and prints, connects to the network with either Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable, and there’s an automatic document feeder that takes the pain out of copying and scanning multi-page documents. It even prints on both sides of a page. Prints are sharp and professional-looking, and its dr iverless setup procedure is icing on the cake.

Key Features Monochrome laser printer, scanner, copier, fax USB and Ethernet connectivity 250-sheet input tray Duplex printing HP Smart Install sets printer up without a CD Energy-conserving Auto-On and Auto-Off technology

Supplies

Canon Cartridge 728

Key Features

25ppm

10000 Pages

Monochrome laser printer, scanner, copier, fax Wi-Fi, USB and Ethernet connectivity 2-line LCD

HP Laserjet Print Cartridge 78A

150-sheet input tray Manual duplexing

Supplies HP Laserjet Black Print Cartridge 85A

25ppm

8000 Pages

www.incredible.co.za | 17

Office Printers

HP OfficeJet 4500/4500 Wireless HP’s OfficeJet 4500 has been designed for light printing duties, and works really well as a printer, copier, scanner and fax machine for a single user or a minimally-staffed office environment. Office-centric features include the automatic document feeder and wired network connectivity. Photo printing is also possible, and photos come out looking great on high quality settings. This is a good printer for undemanding users looking for a multi-function office machine. The 4500 Wireless adds Wi-Fi to the 4500’s list of features.

Key Features Colour inkjet printer, scanner, copier, fax 20-page automatic document feeder Wireless network and USB connectivity 100-page paper input tray 2-line LCD screen

28ppm

22ppm

Supplies HP 901 Black and Black XL, HP 901 Tri-colour

Wi-Fi

3000 Pages

HP OfficeJet 6500 Plus e-All-in-One

16ppm

The OfficeJet 6500 Plus produces professional-quality documents and is fast and flexible enough for use in a small business with more than just a few employees. It adds the convenience and flexibility of wireless networking, and HP has included its ePrinting technology in the 6500 Plus as well, so you can send it jobs from any device capable of sending an e-mail. It is somewhat quicker than the entry-level 4500, and uses individual ink cartridges that help to keep running costs really low. Key Features

11ppm

Wi-Fi

Epson Workforce Pro WP4535dwf This printer isn’t called a “Workforce” for no reason – it is a very competent office printer that not only produces high-quality documents, but it’s fast as well. The quoted speeds might not look very quick, but it can produce goodquality text documents at or close to its stated 16ppm mono speed. Quality is likewise very good, comparing favourably to the sharpness of laser prints. Busy offices will like that automatic duplexing comes standard, as does an automatic document feeder. Key Features

Colour inkjet printer, copier, scanner and fax 35-sheet automatic document feeder, duplex printing Wireless, wired and USB connectivity Individual ink cartridges 2.3” Colour LCD Touchscreen

Supplies HP 920XL Black / Cyan / Magenta / Yellow

32ppm

31ppm

Individual Ink Cartridges Automatic Duplex Printing USB, Ethernet and Wireless connectivity PC-less and PictBridge printing

Wi-Fi

Supplies: Epson T703 Big Ben-series Black / Cyan / Magenta / Yellow

18 | Printer Buyer’s guide | May 2012

7000 Pages

HP OfficeJet Pro 8600/8600 Plus e-All-in-One The 8600’s LCD touchscreen grants users access to HP’s vast library of “Web Apps” that enhance its overall functionality. Excellent print quality and good laser-comparable print speeds combined with wireless printing, duplex support and a large 50page ADF make this suitable for most home, micro and small office needs. The 8600 Plus has a bigger 4.3” LCD screen, a slightly faster print engine (20ppm black/16ppm colour) and PictBridge support. KEY FEATURES Colour inkjet printer, scanner, copier, fax Individual Ink Cartridges Useful and interesting Web Apps 2.65” Touchscreen LCD 250-sheet input tray

Supplies HP 950 Black / Black XL, HP 951 Cyan / Magenta / Yellow

16ppm

11ppm

500 Pages

HP Officejet 100 Mobile Some printers accept jobs over e-mail, but there are times when having a printer with you, wherever you are, is more important. HP’s OfficeJet 100 Mobile is one such device – it’s battery powered and works wirelessly over Bluetooth, and can print from many Bluetoothenabled mobile devices. A 50-page input tray means you can print big documents when you’re out and about, and an indicator light tells you when the printer is running low on power. Plus, it’s lightweight and highly portable – double win!

HP Officejet 7500A Wide A3 Wireless Multifunction Printer This wide-format printer can handle jobs on media as large as A3, making it ideal for printing high-quality marketing materials on pages bigger than just A4. It’s surprisingly versatile, too, able to fax, accept print jobs over e-mail (thanks to HP ePrint) and access all manner of interesting Web-based applications in addition to its other responsibilities. Any office that occasionally – or regularly –prints A3-sized documents will benefit greatly from this printer. Key Features Prints, scans, copies, faxes and Web Can print documents as small as postcards & as large as A3 Individual Ink Cartridges USB 2.0 & b/g Wi-Fi connectivity 35 sheet automatic document feeder 150 sheet input tray

Supplies Key Features 18ppm

13ppm

Wi-Fi

25000 Pages

HP TopShot Laserjet Pro M275 The TopShot’s unique selling point is its ability to scan any compatibly-sized realworld object, and turning them into hi-res background-free images. This makes it really easy to create high-quality 2D images of 3D objects for easy uploading to auction sites and social networking services. This is in addition to Wi-Fi, an LCD touchscreen, access to Web Apps and other productivityenhancing features. It’s not the world’s fastest printer, but it’s certainly quick enough for use in a small or home office, or even as a dedicated printer for a standalone PC.

HP 920XL Black / Cyan / Magenta / Yellow

Mobile inkjet printer Works wirelessly over Bluetooth Battery-powered Power indicator 50-page paper input tray

Supplies HP 131 Black, HP 135 Tri-colour

33ppm

32ppm

7500 Pages

Wi-Fi

Key Features The ability to scan 3D objects and turn them into hi-res images LCD touch panel with access to Web Apps Scan business cards and add them to your contacts automatically USB, Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity Print with any e-mail-capable device HP Smart Install means no install CD is needed

15ppm

4ppm

Wi-Fi

Supplies HP 126A Black / Cyan / Magenta / Yellow

20000 Pages

www.incredible.co.za | 19

Office Printers

Canon i-SENSYS MF8080cw / MF8080cnw Colour Laser 16ppm

8ppm

20000 Pages

Busy offices interested in a robust, easy-to-use printer will enjoy the MF8080cw’s 150-page paper capacity, its user-friendly menu interface and the high-quality colour laser prints it produces. Its ability to print monochrome text documents at a rate of 12ppm is fast enough for frustration-free office printing, and it’s fully networkable for easy sharing. It has the ability to scan documents and images directly to a USB drive, or across the network to a user’s hard drive, and Wi-Fi connectivity frees it from all cables but power. Key Features

Samsung CLX-3185FW Colour Laser If all you need is a small, compact and eco-friendly colour laser printer for a small home office, look no further than Samsung’s CLX-3185. It’s not the world’s most amazing device, but it’s just right for anyone interested in a colour laser printer for home or small office use. It connects via USB 2.0 (for network connectivity look to the CLX-3185FW) and has an Eco-copy mode that lets you combine multiple pages into a single printout, which saves on time, toner, paper and ultimately, money.

Supplies

Colour laser printer Prints, scans, faxes, copies Scans to the network and USB drives 50-sheet Automatic Document Feeder One-touch solution keys Intuitive, user-friendly menu interface

Canon Cartridge 716 Black / Cyan / Magenta / Yellow

Key Features Prints, copies and scans Eco-copy option combines pages Print Screen Button prints the contents of your screen Works best in a very small office or as a personal printer USB 2.0 connectivity only

12ppm

8ppm

Supplies Samsung K407S Black / Cyan / Magenta / Yellow

Wi-Fi

HP Laserjet Pro CM1415FN/ FNW Colour

12ppm

8ppm

30000 Pages

20 | Printer Buyer’s guide | May 2012

This is the first-ever colour Laserjet from HP that allows you to print using the company’s innovative ePrint technology. The 3.5” LCD touchscreen also grants users access to HP’s extensive array of Webbased printing applications which includes a host of business-specific apps. Wired network printing, professional-quality prints and a low environmental impact are all part of the package. It’s most useful in a small office as this printer’s speed is bestsuited to a low-volume environment, but should that volume increase, it’s nice to know the CM1415FN can handle up to 30 000 prints a month. If you need wireless connectivity, the CM1415FNW is also available.

Key Features Colour laser printer Prints, scans, copies and faxes Individual ink cartridges 150 sheet input tray, 125 sheet output bin 35 sheet automatic document feeder USB 2.0 and Ethernet connectivity

Supplies HP 128 Laserjet Printing Supplies

1THREAD_3555_BUY

The Canon PIXMA iX6540 is an exceptionally compact A3+ printer - but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be fooled by its size. This stylish business printer delivers outstanding quality photos and documents at up to A3+. The Canon PIXMA iX6540 offers quality and speed with a print resolution of up to 9600dpi and a 10x15cm photolab-quality print in as little as 36 seconds. Individual ink tanks help increase efďŹ ciency whilst also reducing costs and with the online Solution Template service you can download business templates directly into Word to easily create professional documents. This powerful printer proves that really good things do come in small packages. For more information go to www.canon.co.za

Much More For a lot less

epson WorkForce Pro series Why settle for a laser when you can have a lot more for a lot less! enjoy speed, flexibility and ease of use with a very low cost per page and high energy efficiency when you copy, print, scan and fax with the epson Workforce Pro series. this versatile sleek sturdy all-in-one series fits easily into any modern office, offering complete networked solutions for your business, and home needs. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t delay, visit an Incredible connection store near you before the 31st of July, purchase any Epson product and sMs your invoice number to 37766 or go to www.epson.co.za/incredibleconnection You will then be entered into a lucky draw to win an all expenses paid trip to see Manchester United play at old Trafford. terms and conditions apply.

4800 1200 dpi

580

Resolution

ppm

ISO Black

Canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find your ink? Contact us at ink@epson.co.za

ppm

ISO colour