Need 11" x 17" laser copy machine.
August 29, 2011 5:41 AM   Subscribe

I'm looking for a 11x17 laser copy machine to replace our old Canon PC850, but the task is proving more difficult than it should be. I'm not interested in the many multi-function ink printers that are on the market. This has to be a regular laser copy machine. The machine needs to be able to scan and print (copy) up to 11" x 17". It doesn't need to hold the 11x17 inch paper in a dedicated paper tray, but rather just be able to use the manual feed tray that is typically located on the side of the machine. Thanks so much.
posted by Jackie_Treehorn to Technology (4 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
You did not mention your budget range or what kind of volume this machine will handle. I do not believe there is any such thing as a ledger-capable print device that does not have an internal tray to hold ledger size (11x17") paper.

The HP M5035mfp printer is one that my company has leased by the score and we find it a good and reliable basic copy machine - features duplex printing, stapling, the usual range of copy features such as zoom and image adjustment. Naturally one can also connect it to your office network and print directly from a PC workstation, or take advantage of the Scan-to-email or scan-to-network folder features.

It prints 35 pages per minute. If you need faster print speeds, the M9050mfp is a faster, more robust, and more expensive alternative.
posted by BigLankyBastard at 6:59 AM on August 29, 2011


Response by poster: Budget range and volume is quite small. It's a 6 person office. We are trying to modernize our old Canon PC850 that is really not worth fixing any longer.
posted by Jackie_Treehorn at 9:52 AM on August 29, 2011


Yeah, your two criteria "low budget/low volume" and "ledger-capable laserjet copier" are not generally compatible. There are inexpensive ledger-capable inkjet printer/copiers on the market but you will find a very small selection of ledger-capable laserjet copier devices at the pricepoint you likely seek.

My advice is to browse the websites of HP, Lexmark, and Brother and contact an office copier reseller/agent of Canon or Xerox in your area who can help you work through your options and find the model and service package that is right for your office.
posted by BigLankyBastard at 10:43 AM on August 29, 2011


The ability or inability to handle 11x17/A3 paper is pretty much the dividing line in laser copiers & printers. In order to handle the larger paper, everything in a 11x17/A3 device is, out of necessity, scaled up in size. As others have said, "inexpensive" and 11x17/A3 are two terms that rarely go together.

The PC850 is no speed demon, so probably any entry-level A3 machine would suit your needs well. I would suggest the Kyocera TASKalfa 255, 25-ppm b&w machine. Great base price, and with copy & print in b&W; scan in color as standard features.

The basic approach to building a digital copier is to have a laser print engine, with a scanner slapped on top. Some brands accomplish this marriage elegantly (Kyocera, Sharp, Ricoh, Canon, and just about all your traditional "copier" manufacturers.) Other brands (OKI, Lexmark, HP, Samsung) deliver a pretty clunky and counter-intuitive user experience. These brands tend to be printer manufacturers that discovered, oh, we can make a copier by slapping a scanner on top. The control panel and user experience is something of an after-thought, not an integral part of the machine's design.

Do make sure to evaluate your needs before buying. While the Kyocera comes with PCL and PostScript support standard, a lot of copiers don't come with PS (it's an option) and some don't even have PCL standard, just GDI-based printing. So if you're using Macs or some other non-Windows platform, you may have to purchase costly options to get the printing support that really ought to be there in the first place.
posted by xedrik at 9:27 PM on August 30, 2011


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