🚀 go-pugleaf

[Disclaimer: As an Adobe employee, I obviously have a financial interest in your use of devices with Adobe PostScript, not emulations thereof]

There are several issues here. One is related to how �good� or �bad� various emulations of PostScript are compared to Adobe PostScript. Another is whether you can get away with a very inexpensive color laser printer for the purposes you describe. And finally, you do need to concern yourself with cost of supplies.

In terms of the �emulations� of PostScript, some are more credible than others. The actual end-user cost of a printer generally does not reflect the cost of Adobe PostScript to the manufacturer in any significant manner � that is urban legend. However, you should be aware that we have received many, many reports of problems printing from Acrobat, InDesign, and Illustrator when printers with such �emulations� are used. Sometimes, the manufacturer of such printers provide free firmware updates to fix the problems, sometimes they charge for such fixes, and sometimes they have no fixes at all. The problems stem from the failure to fully and properly test such emulations against the publicly available (and free) PostScript language specification.

The second issue is more problematic. Until you get to the �higher end� color laser printers, you do not have a device which can really be used for �proofing� in terms of consistent / reliable color output. You also need to concern yourself with paper handling. The ability to properly and consistently feed and print on anything other than 20 or 24 lb. regular smooth, white paper may be less than stellar on the el'cheapo models. For slightly under $2000 (specifically $1799), you can get a Xerox Phaser 6250/N color xerographic printer (actually doesn't use lasers, but uses LEDs) with network option and 256MB of memory. In my experience, this would probably be the �least� you can get away with in terms of the needs you specified in your posting. (This particular printer also works exceptionally well with both Windows and Macintosh using TCP/IP - both MacOS 9 and MacOS X flavour - systems, unlike some of the less expensive alternatives you may be considering!)

Color printing is not inexpensive! Color toner is much more expensive than black toner. Toner usage varies depending upon the printer and the characteristics of what you are printing. However, contrary to a previous response you received, I know of no printer that automatically requires you to replace a toner cartridge based solely on the number of pages printed, regardless of the amount of toner remaining in the cartridge. Thus, in a four-toner color printer, if you only print monochrome output and you physically exhaust the black toner, you will not need to replace the color toners at the same time. What is true about color xerographic printers, though, is that unlike monochrome printers with only one replaceable part, the color printers have parts beyond just the toner. These parts may include fusers, drums, imagers, tranfer rollers, etc. � and these parts are not cheap. On many printers, the lifetime of these parts are �metered� by copy count, not actual wear-and-tear and physical needs of the device.

Good luck and let us know what you decide as well as how your decision actually works out!

- Dov