Solid Ink Printer

by Ghinda - allprinterreviews.com writer

Small scale businesses can benefit from the advantages brought about by a solid ink printer. This type of printer may be, relatively, new to most people since they are more familiar with inkjet and laserjet printers which have been in the market for quite some time.

Though inkjet printers are, initially, low on cost, they make use of ink cartridges that are expensive to replace every time they run out of ink. This makes them pricier in the long run. They print slowly; however, there is no waiting time on warming up. They produce good quality text and images on special types of paper.

Laserjet printers have a higher price tag as compared to inkjet printers. Even if their toner cartridges are costly, they last for a longer period of time, making you save a lot, in the long run. They print fast but need a longer warm up time. They are known to produce high quality text but only the pricier models are capable of generating great images.

Instead of a cartridge, a solid ink printer makes use of an ink stick that is loaded into the printer, the same way a cartridge is placed. When it is heated at a certain temperature, it melts and is applied or transferred to the paper through the print head. Subsequently, it returns to its solid form.

A solid ink printer has the advantage over an inkjet and laserjet printer in many ways. First, it is more affordable than a laserjet printer since it does not make use of a toner cartridge. Besides, there is no wastage since the solid stick is used up in its entirety. Replacing it is less costly since ink sticks are far cheaper than ink or toner cartridges. They are wax based, making them environment friendly, at the same time.

This kind of printer is light and compact because of its simple design. As compared to an inkjet printer, it prints at a higher speed which makes it capable of volume printing. In addition to this, it is not messy to use since it does not spill or leak in any way. It, also, does not leave any deposits in the printer nozzle that may cause blockage.

It only takes 3 simple steps to set-up a solid ink printer such as connecting the cables, turning it on and installing its driver software. This printer does not have a lot of consumables so it is not costly to maintain.

It can go through a maximum of 40,000 print jobs before replacing its maintenance roller. Paper jam is unlikely to be an issue since this printer is not sensitive to thickness and texture of paper being used. It has a 16 page per minute print speed, making it print more rapidly than 90% of office printers being used, at present. With a technology based on the principles of offset printing, it is capable of producing text and images of high quality.

Like other types of printers, a solid ink printer has its flaws. It takes time to warm up, about 15 minutes, making it a disadvantage to those in a hurry to print. It is, also, sensitive to movement so a slight touch on the printer can affect its print job. Another thing is the certain odor it emits due to the vegetable oil that the solid ink stick is made of.

Regardless of its faults, this printer is beneficial to small businesses, as a whole. Its cost effectiveness, high quality printout, compact size and earth friendly features, enables productivity in the workplace.

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