Color laser printers are targeted toward business workgroups that require fast, professional output that contains some spot color for logos, charts, and business graphics. Photo-realistic dye-sublimation printers and thermal-wax-transfer devices are still more appropriate for advertising, sales, and marketing departments; artists; and professional photographers. A color laser printer can easily set you back five figures, but recent introductions of some lower-cost models aimed at the general-business market are increasing the volume for manufacturers and broadening their appeal.
We tested four color lasers: the HP Color LaserJet, the QMS magicolor Laser Printer, the Tektronix Phaser 540, and the
Xerox 4900 Color Laser Printer
. All are capable of monochrome and four-color output; support both PCL5 and PostScript; offer LocalTalk
, Ethernet, and Token Ring interfaces; and support auto-switching between inputs and auto-sensing between emulations. All four printers can produce high-quality color documents on regular copier-type paper.
The Xerox 4900 produced the highest-quality output of the four. This 1200- by 300-dpi printer was able to produce saturated colors and fine dithering patterns with no bleeding in our color-quality tests. Our Colortron colorimeter-based test results indicate that the Xerox 4900 produces the most consistent colors.
Priced at $9444, the 4900 has a speed rating of 12 ppm for monochrome output and 3 ppm for full color. The unit also offers an optional "media server," a 31/2-inch floppy drive that allows users who are not on a network to print PostScript, PCL, or EPS (Encapsulated PostScript) files directly from a floppy disk.
Our first runner-up in this group was the QMS magicolor Laser Printer. The model that we tested came with 28 MB of RAM to support its print resolution of 600 by 600 dp
i; the same model configured with 12 MB of RAM can supply a print resolution of only 600 by 300 dpi. The $8999 QMS magicolor has a monochrome rating of 8 ppm and a color rating of 2 ppm. Parallel, serial, SCSI, and LocalTalk inputs are standard; Ethernet and Token Ring inputs, plus PostScript and PCL5, are optional.
HP's Color LaserJet was the fastest performer of the group. Rated at 10 ppm for monochrome output and 2 ppm for color, the $7604 Color LaserJet was also the least expensive color laser printer. Its monochrome-output quality was basically equivalent to that of a monochrome laser, except for its not-too-impressive gray-scale images. Its color-test pages showed rough dithering patterns. The Color LaserJet comes with a bidirectional parallel port and an MIO (modular I/O) slot. Optional inputs include serial, LocalTalk, Ethernet, and Token Ring. HP's Enhanced PCL5 with color is standard, and PostScript Level 2 is a $799 option.
Tektronix's Phaser 540 produced color quality that was second
only to that of the Xerox 4900. The Phaser 540 produced brilliant colors and fine dithering patterns on all our color-test pages. It also produced the widest range of colors. At $10,785, the Phaser 540 is the most expensive color laser printer we tested. The Phaser 540 has a maximum print resolution of 600 by 600 dpi and is rated at 14 ppm for monochrome output and 31/2 ppm for color. It also offers an optional flatbed color photocopier.
These color laser printers are large: All fall into the 85- to 100-pound range. Expect to take a couple of hours for setup time, and be sure to follow the directions carefully. Pay special attention to the toner installation to avoid spills and future print-quality problems. A service technician set up the QMS magicolor for us, in compliance with the manufacturer's standard recommendations.
There's always one in every crowd: QMS's magicolor Plus Laser Printer missed our deadline for testing for inclusion in this report. Announced in January, this 600- by 600-dp
i color laser printer has an entirely different printer engine than the QMS magicolor unit that we tested for this review, and it has a 3-ppm color-output rating and a 12-ppm rating for monochrome output. If you're really curious about this particular model, we suggest that you contact a dealer for performance specifications and check out its features yourself.
The Xerox 4900 provides four-color printing at speeds of up to 3 ppm
and monochrome output at rates up to 12 ppm. It ships standard with
Adobe PostScript Level 1 and 2 and PCL5 support; it has a maximum
resolution of 1200 by 300 dpi. Serial, parallel, and LocalTalk
interfaces can all be simultaneously active, with auto-sensing and
auto-switching both standard. Ethernet and Token Ring interfaces are
options.
OVERALL PPM MFR.'S PPM
SCORE PCL POSTSCRIPT
MAC RATING
Xerox 4900 Color Laser Printer 5.73 4.34 5.02 3.47 12
QMS magicolor Laser Printer 5.23 N/A 3.93 3.68 8
HP Color LaserJet 5.12 5.69 5.31 5.07 10
Tektronix Phaser 540 4.58 N/A 2.53 N/A 14
SCORES PRICE
QUALITY FEATURES USABILITY AS TESTED
Xerox 4900 Color Laser Printer **** *** *** $9444
QMS magicolor Laser Printer *** *** *** $8999
HP Color LaserJet *** ** *** $7604
Tektronix Phaser 540 *** *** *** $10,785
KEY:
Ratings from 1 to 4: * is the lowest; **** is the highest.
N/A = not applicable.
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The Xerox 4900, showing its color toner cartridges and internal floppy drive.
Color Lasers
