In our last issue, we reported on the cost-effectiveness of today’s ink jet printer technology — which produces beautiful images if you are willing to sacrifice speed. But if the demands of your business do not permit the luxury of time, when you need a new printer, consider the benefits of a laser printer: exceptionally clear and bright imaging, lightning speed, and a lower cost-per-use than you might expect.

Laser printers use laser beams to create an image on a rotating drum, which is then transferred to paper using a combination of heat and pressure. This process is much faster than the traditional ink jet printing process and offers results that are often superior. Whereas ink jet printers have a lower price point, replacement ink cartridges can be expensive, and ink jet printers have a shorter lifespan than lasers do. All told, laser printing can save you both money and time. This edition of PJ is going to share with you three of the most exciting laser printers on the market today — whether you need spectral color, high-end monochromatic, or printing on a budget.

All the best,

Jeff Moore
Senior Editor — ProductivityJournal.com

Need a New Printer?

Brother HL-2040 Monochromatic Laser Printer ($119.99)

Small on size and big on power, the Brother HL-2040 monochromatic laser printer is a perfect addition to any office. A manual feeder slot lets you print on several different paper options — from letterhead or legal-size paper, to thicker stock like envelopes — at a very respectable rate of 20 pages per minute. Or, you can use the 250 sheet capacity tray to print out larger jobs in one chunk. The Brother HL-2040's control panel has a ready light, three warning LEDs, and a single “Go” button that covers functions like waking up the printer from sleep mode, clearing an error in the printing queue, or canceling the current print job. Simplicity and value is the name of the game here. With Brother’s full User's Guide included in PDF format, or on the software CD-ROM, there’s nothing stopping your office from getting to work right away. Oh Brother, what a deal!

Dell 5100cn Color Laser Printer ($1,178)

The powerhouse Dell 5100cn delivers speed and quality with the greatest of ease on the most challenging high-resolution graphic or double-sided color printing jobs. The 5100cn has a default paper drawer that holds up to 500 sheets — including legal paper size — while the fold-down multipurpose tray, specifically designed for specialized media like labels and card stock, feeds up to 150 sheets at a time. For those offices that require large amounts of output in a short amount of time, Dell lets you stack an optional 500-sheet paper drawer ($279.99), or an extra 1000-sheet drawer ($499.99) under the printer so that you can combine with the default trays to get a massive total paper capacity of 2,150 sheets. All this at blazing speed as well — for monochrome output, you can expect 35 pages per minute, and 25 pages per minute for full color. If your office is serious about printing, the Dell 5100cn is the answer to your printing prayers!

Samsung ML-2250 Monochromatic Laser Printer ($170)

With its intelligent design, small footprint, and attractive price tag, the Samsung ML-2250 is poised to change the way small offices look at laser printers. The ML-2250 delivers high-resolution professional-quality text and graphics at a remarkable 22 pages per minute. The printer also comes with a 250-sheet drawer, a 50-sheet multipurpose tray, an easy-to-read LCD, and a one-step paper jam recovery system, which saves precious time on troubleshooting so the entire office can stay productive. High-quality output and a nearly unbeatable price make the Samsung ML-2250 one of the brightest deals on the market today.