| Busineses missing out on the power of colour |
| Lexmark dispels the myths of business colour printing |
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Marlow, UK -
17/10/2002
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British businesses are falling behind in their use of colour in the office, according to Lexmark International, the printer manufacturer. Despite the considerable market penetration of consumer colour printers, the UK business world is still predominantly monochrome. Lexmark has identified the key reasons for the slow uptake of colour printing as being due to misconceptions about colour printers being costly. However the reality is that cost of ownership for colour printers has come down dramatically in recent years (or even months), and it is now possible to control who uses them, at what time and for what purpose. Dispelling the myths: Colour printers are expensive Until recently, the cost of colour in an office has been prohibitive but colour laser printers can now be bought at much the same price as monochrome. For a minimal extra cost, documents can become brighter, clearer and more eye-catching. Once colour printing is available, everything will be printed in colour and costs will soar.
It is possible now to set up printer drivers so that, for example, only departmental managers have the option of printing in colour, while other users only have access to monochrome printing on the colour laser. Also, using intelligent printer management software, print drivers can be configured on a timed basis, so that shared networked colour laser printers default to mono-only mode after say 6pm. Colour printers are not built for heavy duty printing Inkjet colour printers are primarily designed for low volume use and are not designed for the high volume demands of a busy workgroup environment. Colour laser printers however, are designed to cope with the same demand as a mono laser printer, having high print speeds and much higher monthly duty cycle than inkjet printers (maximum number of pages printed). Colour printers are not customisable Colour printers can include features such as Confidential Print, that are common on monochrome printers for enabling secure printing of say Personnel documents. They can also be upgraded in the same way as monochrome printers with additional paper trays, duplex (double-sided printing), and electronic forms upgrades to replace all pre-printed stationery such as letterheads. When it comes to working out how much it will cost to print a colour document in this way, it is possible to break a page (such as a letterhead) down into constituent toner components using a colour analyser. The analyser can then be used to identify the cost of printing that page and what colour solution is appropriate for that company or department. It is cheaper to outsource colour copying and colour print jobs Businesses have the low-cost option of connecting a monochrome multi-function printer or MFP (with scanning, faxing and emailing abilities) to the network then adding a colour laser printer. Using simple workflow management software that comes with the MFP, this can be set up to provide colour copies for a fraction of the cost of using an external bureau or a colour photocopier. In addition, most colour printing requirements, including colour photographs used for identity cards and staff organisation charts for example, can now be handled digitally. Almost all colour printing can be brought in-house and only printed on demand. Colour printers are difficult to use The latest machines operate in the same way as conventional monochrome laser printers, with none of the messy oil feeds and drip trays that were common in the past, so there is no user re-education needed. Jane Cronin, Marketing & Channels Director of Lexmark UK said: “The UK is largely alone in this perseverance with mono printing in the business office environment. Other countries make far more use of business colour than we do. Perhaps it's a little too stereotypical to put this difference down to British reserve versus French or Italian flamboyance, but the difference is definitely there. The problem lies with the perceived cost of ownership of colour printers. With today’s management software and lower cost, flexible colour laser printers, that is no longer the issue it was. With the explosion in information we all have to process, the practical solution for a busy office is a general purpose laser printer, that happens to be able to print in colour and that can also be upgraded to a copier, scanner and faxing device”
Lexmark International, Inc. is a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of printing solutions -- including laser and inkjet printers, associated supplies and services -- for offices and homes in more than 150 countries. Founded in 1991, Lexmark reported more than $4.1 billion of revenue in 2001, and can be found on the Internet at www.lexmark.com
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