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Bar Code Printers, Mobile Printers, Laser Printers and Inkjet Printers

Bar Code Printers, Mobile Printers, Laser Printers and Inkjet Printers

Top Five Bar Code Printers

Understanding your customer and getting the product to its destination on time has never been more important. Those odd bars on package labels called, strangely enough, bar codes are increasingly the answer to information and shipping needs. Deciding on which barcode printers to use in generating those barcodes is not quite as easy an answer. Depending upon what you are trying to accomplish, with your barcode labels, there are different types of barcode printers that may be used.

What is the need?

There are so many different ways to use barcode printers today. Depending upon your need different printers will be the best barcode printer for you. If a temporary label is needed it can be generated more quickly and with a bit less clarity. Zebra barcode printers like the Z4M Plus serve this application well. Speeds with this unit can reach 10" per second. Repetitive label making needs to be quick and this unit can meet the task.

Lasts longer

If the barcode needs to be a bit more resistant to weather, or just last a bit longer without degrading the print job, it will likely cost a bit more for the right thermal barcode printer. Producing a wax or resin coating by applying heat, the Primera LX 810 does a spectacular job and produces labels with 480dpi. As with any printer you need to think about the environment that the printer will be working in. Wear will be a factor so keeping this in mind when using thermal coated labels.

On the shop floor

Top Mobile Printers

Everything in the technology world has gone mobile. If it is technology related it needs to be able to travel with you at a moments notice. Although engineers are still working on the creature comforts, mobile printers are beginning to be the new tech item to carry with you on the road. But, don't fool yourself. Printing on the go is far off if you are thinking about whipping out a cheap quality printer and printing out high quality text or images. There is still a long way to go before that happens.

Relatively soon

At the moment mobile printers are still in the crawling stage. They are available but they are not cheap, fast or light. Looking at the HP Deskjet mobile printer line the lowest current price available is around $225.00 with the majority in the hp line being in the $300.00 range. Most mobile printers are not all that light either. Sure some are comparatively light but most are in the four pound range not including batteries, cords and accessories like paper. Also, forget about speed for these on-the-road units. You had better have your invoices printed before hand unless you want to look like an idiot.

Define mobile

Most people have gotten a bit complacent when they start to define what mobile actually means. Today, people expect mobile to mean taking technology for a five mile run without noticing it being there. When it comes to mobile printers perhaps stepping back a few years may be in order. Bluetooth mobile printer technology has come a long way in recent years but it still keeps us within range of the base. So, mobile in this instance means being able to print downstairs when the base is upstairs.

This wireless mobile printer technology is fine with a base nearby but it still doesn't do anything about weight. So, the question rises; what is mobile when it comes to mobile printers and which criteria can you live with and do without.

Which mobile printers to think about

What are the Differences between Laser Printer and Inkjet Printer?

The differences between a laser printer and an inkjet printer are really based upon how you plan on using the printer. Unless you are planning to do quite a bit of quality color photo printing both the inkjet printer and the laser printer will work fine. There are, however, a few thoughts to consider as you go about making your decision on what your printing needs really are.

How quickly do you need it?

Pages per minute are one of the leading sales tools of the printer manufacturers. If you need a large print job now a laser printer is likely the printer for you. The laser printer needs a minute to warm up for the first page but once it does get warmed up it can crank out the pages quickly. Then again, think about how quickly you need the print job in a smaller document setting, say several times in a half hour. Do you want to wait that minute three times a half hour, with a client standing at the reception desk? Perhaps the quality can take half a step down in favor of moving that person along.

Spend now or later

Whether it is HP, Cannon, Epson or Samsung printers you can often get an inkjet printer for a song up front. You will, of course, pay as you go in ink costs. If you don't print that much who cares, an inkjet will do. If you print a bunch then possibly a laser is a better long term buy. The benefit here is that you also get better monochrome printing capabilities. Generally, if you're talking monochrome printing you'll find a $0.02 cost per page for a laser printer and $0.15 for an inkjet printer. The difference is that you pay the cost differential upfront with the laser and as you go with the inkjet.

Color

The discussion above was primarily directed at monochrome printing decisions. What if color comes into the equation? Lasers will give nice crisp images but what about their color truthfulness. When it comes to printing pictures inkjets are really the way to go. Laser devotees can chime in all they want but inkjet printers just get the job done better with their individual mixing tanks.

How do Laser Printers Work?

It is one of those things that most of us really don't think about. How does a laser printer work? Well, you click "print" and it works, right? For most of us that is all we need to know or would care to know. But, in reality, it is something you should an understanding of if you are going to be buying a laser printer for the office network or shelling out a decent amount of cash.

Chemistry isn't that bad

Most people have horror stories about chemistry class, me included. But when it comes to figuring out how a laser printer and chemistry work together it is not all that bad. Whether it is a HP, Epson, Cannon or Dell laser printer it works the same way, positive charges and negative charges. The old saying actually applies, opposites attract.

Getting charged

Within the laser printer there is a drum that slowly turns. As it turns it is given a charge by a wire (charge corona wire) or, in some cases, another roller. After the drum is charged the printer shoots a laser at the surface of the drum discharging the drum in certain places. These places end up looking like letters and numbers on the drum.

To get these discharged letters and number shapes off the drum and onto a piece of paper the laser printer covers the discharged shapes with charged toner. It then hooks them up with an oppositely charged piece of paper. As makes sense the toner is attracted to the paper and there it is, toner on paper. If you have ever changed a toner cartridge you can attest that the stuff loves to attach itself to just about anything. The process so far just makes the toner attach itself in an ordered fashion or letter and numbers.

Getting toned

The process is just about complete at the most basic level. What needs to happen to finish off the process is for the toner to be fused into the paper permanently. To accomplish this the laser printer rolls the paper by a heat roller to melt the toner into the fibers of the paper. As the laser printer does this it real eases the charge with yet another roller.

Ultimately, when the process is in synch there is no muss and no mess. But everything needs to be timed just right. In the end, there is a warm static free piece of paper with all the words fit and unfit to print.

Canon Pixma iP4200 Printer Review & Canon Pixma iP4200 Ink Cartridges

Everybody has an opinion, which is for sure. The one consensus opinion about this Canon printer is that it gives good final print with great color images. Generally, there are a few issues that you might find with just about any printer today but the lower price, under $70.00, makes for allot of forgiveness when the issues do pop up.

Slow off the line

Canon printers are usually fairly quick when it comes to page per minute counts. The Canon Pixma printers, however, takes a few seconds to get it moving. Once it is all warmed up it can meet its 56 second 4x6 claim but it has to work to get there.

Talk to me

First, remember that there is no computer cable included in the price of the unit so be forewarned and buy one before the unit gets through your front door. Anyway, there does appear to be an issue with the unit talking to PC printer drivers. Many have complained that they did not have the compatible drivers for the unit. The problem is easily solved by visiting the Canon printers' website but it is just another little thing, in what seems to be a long line of "little things" that keep you from hooking the unit up and printing in five minutes. If your original intent was to use the unit for digital camera snaps you might be advised to just forget about the PC and keep the unit separate. Don't get me wrong the Canon Pixma iP4200 printer works great once you get it set and stretched out but you just have to get it there.

The age-old ink issue and smart chips

This would not be a printer review if the cost of ink and printer manufacturers gouging with high refill ink prices was not mentioned.

This issue is just the same here as it is with any other inkjet printer. Low up-front printer cost, high back-end ink cost. There is very little new about this issue other than the Canon ink cartridge in this instance burns through quite a bit of ink to arrive at its great color images. It is really a case of; you want solid quality deal with the price. The smart chip issue appears to be a real pain with the Canon Pixma printer. If you try to substitute a refill cartridge for a Cannon ink cartridge be prepared to reset a bunch of stuff. This particular smart chip likes to teach lessons to those that try to use refilled non-Canon cartridges. There is an Epson chip resetter available maybe one for Canon will appear soon.