what color printer?

[Stuart Bradshaw]

We just looked at a CJ10 last week. But we are looking at this
mostly for the reasons of its color scanner and color copying
capabilities. As a color postscript PRINTER I don't recommend this
device.  The color scanning ability on the CJ10 is quite good and
the quality of color copies is very good also.  It is limited to 
8x11 size and reproduces about one page/83 seconds. Approx. cost
for each copy works out to about 65 cents I believe.

For just general color postscript printing though the CJ10 would be
extremely slow for a network environment and really is designed for
the PC environment so far.  In fact, it doesn't do postscript yet.
Supposedly, there is some special postscript processing box to be
released in December that will allow the CJ10 to print postscript though.

Anywho, we are currently using a Spectrastar color postscript printer (
never heard of it, right ?). Which actually works pretty good and is
connected on our network using a Milan Fastport network printer server.
However, In buying another color printer I would recommend a Tektronix
Phaser III PXi. This seems like a printer that would really meet all of
ones needs, some good points are:

- it's a Tektronix, which is generally very reliable equipment
- it's connectable to TCP/IP network with the purchase of the
   network adapter
- it allows paper up to 12x18 size and will use plain paper (maybe 
even recycled) instead of the thermal type papers
- SUN screen copy printing software is also available which may help
in getting the colors you see on the screen to be the same when they
are printed.  This has been a major problem for us, both from the PC's
and SUN's - never getting a real close color match from the screen to
the printer.

we haven't actually seen the printer so I'm not sure of its speed and
quality. But I`ve seen prints from earlier Tektronix color postscript
printers and it was usually very good and better than other printers
we looked at.

There is a Tektronix Phaser II PXi available also, this printer is actually
less expensive, faster, uses thermal paper, but is more to operate on a 
per page basis.


I think the general things to consider can be:

- initial costs and then maintenance/actual use costs (color printers are
   expensive!)
- quality and consistency are very important, be sure to look at samples or
  have some of your own printed
- support for the printer by your software
- ability to network the printer
- reliability of the printe

Stuart Bradshaw, lewis!bradshaw at cerl.cecer.army.mil