Hewlett Packard Color laser printers for the most part offer very good value for the money when you review the mid-range models and higher. However, as in most brands of color printers the sub $700 color laser printers are not designed for business usage.

Case in point:  The Hewlett Packard 2600/2605 series color laser printers.  There are several know problems and the major one is the replacement of the the transfer belt.  Usually this is a simple end user installable supply item. But not with the 260o.  Also, the toner carriage tends to have contact problems so you will need to clean the contracts frequently. Then add the high cost per page for the supplies and you begin to realize that it truly color laser designed for low volume home usage (less than 1,00 per month).

The HP color printer 1600, 2500 and the 2600 color lasers also has problems with the front door breaking.  Everything is plastic and not thick durable plastic either. Open the door to the toner area and you will know what I mean.  Again another indication that this is a HOME color laser printer for light usage.

If you need a color laser printer then always check the manufacturers usage recommendation.  Ask an authorized laser printer or color copier printer dealer for advice.  See if they ask the right questions first before you make the selection of your preferred color printer or color copier dealer.

Does  the color copier dealer or printer center  they only offer one brand or seem more interested in getting you into a 5 year lease than solving your problem?  Do they ask you your monthly volume and determine your true cost per page? Do they offer exact per page agreements to save you money big time or do they load he agreement with pages you will never use?

If you need help or have questions on which model is best for your business then contact Advanced Business Computers Inc now via the web, this blog or by mail.  Remember equipment failure and expensive copier printer lease can be prevented with the right information.

HP Designjet plotter and other large format printers are designed for specific applications. The actual HP Designjet printers start around $1200 for the low end small ones to several thousand dollars.  These printers are prong to problems if not maintained. You can ignore HP laser jet printers maintenance and most problems will result in printer repairs replacing the maintenance kit.  However, the HP Designjet printers are a different story.

The two most critical maintenance parts of the HP plotters wide format printers are the carriage belt assembly and the print head.  If your print head fails you just need to replace it. However, when companies overlook worn HP Designjet plotter belts that are near the end of their life major problem can occur.

Replacing the belt alone cost with labor $250 to $350 depending upon the model. When the Designjet belt breaks it can cause damage to the carriage assembly, print head and even short out the power module.  It’s important to check the belt even quarter to check for frays and wear. Do not wait until it snaps or causes Designjet print head to get stuck and causes major damage.

HP plotter Designjet trailing carriage assemble costs $157 to $267 depending upon the model. Power modules cost $800 to $2000 or more.  Labor rates are $125 to $150 per hour with most repairs taking 2…4 hours plus parts. So you can see monitoring your HP belt is important.

What causes the carriage belt to break or wear? Normal usage, age and over condition of the HP Designjet printer plotter.  The HP printer needs lubrication of the machine to keep the carriage running smoothly.  If it’s not cleaned and lubricated on a regular basis expect you belt to jam and break causing hundreds of dollars in repair bills.

If you are in South East Florida and need HP Designjet printer help contact us for help and fast over the phone estimates.  Or request help through our website Advanced Business Computers Inc.

Remember, your HP Designjet printer plotter is just like a car, with regular maintenance and HP printer belt replacement it will provide years of great service

Do you own a full size digital copier printer by Ricoh, Kyocera, Canon, Sharp or other brand? Just like you car,  laser printers and copiers printers require periodic maintenance  kits, adjustments and lubrication.

If   you have an HP laser printer than most parts of the  HP maintenance kit is user installable. The laserjet maintenance kit does not show you how to lubricate, adjust or clean the device but it will provide the information need to replace the hp feed rollers, fuser assembly and transfer corona roller.

It’s highly recommended that when the hp printer maintenance kit is replace that you clean the machine, lubricate the main gears and check other components. Use a certified hp repair technician is needed because you will need a toner vacuum that traps particles down to 2 microns, Teflon non conductive lubricant and various tools to perform a proper hp laserjet repair maintenance.

If  you are a 100% do it yourself type of person, then get the recommended vacuum is the 3m toner vac (approx $197) with a 2 micron filter. Obtain non-conductive Teflon grease from Superlube and Phillips screw drive.

In order to  properly lubricate your HP printer you will need to remove the covers to access the main drives gears. of you laser printer. Make sure you disconnect the power before you do anything on your printer or all in one device.

In addition to the main drive gear lubrication  some color laser printer models require lubrication of the toner cartridge carousel and transport gears.  It’s best to use a certified  HP repair technician or a authorized Lexmark repair person if you are dealing  with a hp color printer or Lexmark color laser.

If you have any questions concerning the maintenance kit please contact Advanced Business Computers Inc or add an comment to this blog to get help right away!

Yesterday a client called to repair and HP 3800 printer. It needed a fuser assembly which is a wear and tear part (a part that is used up a bit every time you print a page).  Between labor and the part it cost them $483 to repair the color printer with a value of less than $500 on the used market.

The HP factory certified technician recommended the replacement of the printer instead of repair due to the age and the high operating costs.  They were offered several models of HP, Lexmark and others which would increase productivity plus save them $2,573 per year in direct business costs.

In addition, they would not have to spend a dollar of working capital. what did they do?  They decided to repair.

Why?  Because of “Status Quo”.  The printer has worked well so why change? In some cases this works. But not in this case.

Why save money, increase productivity and enhance their corporate image when they could just stay the same?

Many people and companies fall into the trap of keeping “status Quo”.

People tend to get comfortable and overlook the fact that business practices change. Printer, Copier and fax Technology advances. New ideas can reduce their overhead. Instead many managers would rather keep the “Status Quo” than think beyond what they are doing now.

The a previous article discussed new models of printers and the associated costs.  Many companies would say “well if it’s not HP or Dell then I do not want to know about it”.

This is the same type of thinking that turned IBM into a household name because of the personal computers in the early 80’s.  However, how many people now own a true IBM machine. Why the change?

Why is Dell now the PC leader when just a few years ago it was Gateway?  And before that Hewlett Packard who is number two now?  Simple – people started to realize that they need change due to benefits and costs – they broke out of “status quo”.

Have you broken out of “status quo” lately? When was the last time you took a hard look at other brands and ideas which are outside of your comfort zone?  Progressive and growing companies stay ahead of their competitors. They look at new technology advantages which is an important factor in every business.

Change will happen. The difference is whether you will be part of change and reap the benefits. Look at new ideas and brands.  Review costs and increased benefits of new technology.

Call us now for more ideas and programs that would greatly benefit your company.  Yes, it may take a little bit of your time. However, if you don’t do it your competitors will!  Get new ideas, benefits and business edge.  Challenge “status quo”.  Advanced yourself and your business.

If you have may questions please feel free to contact us.  See our website for additional information. Feel free to call us or request help through our website or post a response here.

There is a confusion concerning the quality of color prints a copier  or printer produces.Do you own a color copier, laser printer or all in one printer copier scanner?  Do you expect the same quality of prints whether you scan, email or print an image from your computer?

Clients call all the time concerning the quality of color prints produced on their all in one color copier or laser printer all in one. The conversation usually involves around poor quality copied images when compared to one printed from the computer to the color digital copier or printer all in one color. Some of them believe they should get the same quality of print from the SCANNED images as the one printed directly from their digital camera connected printed directly from their computer.

Why is the quality greater from the computer than from the scanned image?  Simple – resolution. When you transfer an image directly from your digital camera to your computer the resolution of the actual image is much greater than the one scanned from your color copier or color printer scanner.

The scanner will always produce images with less quality due to the limitations of the device. Most scanners have a scan resolution of 1200 dpi digital enhanced 2400 dpi which equates to 1.5 to 2.8MP.  Even the low end digital camera produce 6mp images with many of them over 10mp.  This alone show you the scanned image is much lower resolution on your color copier scanner or printer scanner.

Plus, the scanner uses light to take a picture of the image.  The light actually distorts the colors on the color copier scanner or color printer all in one. this further reduces the quality of the image copied. So what should you do?

Whenever possible use the digital format of the image from the camera connected to your computer to produce your color print.  If you have to use the copier then try copying at different darkness using the settings on your color copier scanner or color printer all in one device.

Next before your select your color printer or colour copier printer make sure you tell the dealer your various needs.  Get help from an independent color copier or color laser printer dealer that is not locked into a particular brand.  What’s more important: getting the right equipment at a far price or the name on the color copier scanner?

Sincerely,

Advanced Business Computers Inc.

P.S.  Request a free evaluation of your needs.  Please post your questions about color all in one printer scanners copiers here to get a prompt answer.  Even get high quality Dealer Select units at up to 70% off  now.

According the GSA, company’s printers, fax machines and copiers cost  “on the average $1000 per employee per year or more.”   According to Xerox, company’s copier printer environment costs an average of 3% of a company’s TOTAL GROSS revenue.

Every dollar you save in your copier printer scanner increases your company’s profit.  Budgets for toner cartridge  supplies are growing by 20-40% per year;  Dataquest, IDC and CAP Ventures have all concluded that copier printer scanner page volumes are growing at a compound annual growth rate of roughly 8%. Printer cost is increasing not decreasing and the majority of the company’s do not have controls in place. PrintSolv print management solves this problem

Wait, it’s important to know the facts about print management before you tackle your print related costs.

True Print Management is the way your companies copier printer scanner equipment are acquired, maintained, supplied and distributed. It is not an equipment lease program. The problem is that many copier printer leasing and service companies are yelling Print Management when they are actually in the business of pushing (selling you) equipment. To them copier printer scanner print management is just another “catch word” just like the word “Digital” was a few years ago.

And here is the most important factor. . . .

“True Print Management is cost avoidance, cost reduction,  copier printer equipment management and scanner maintenance. It is not buying, leasing or equipment centralizing program.”  It’s a Pro-active not Re-active program.

Buying vs. PrintSolv Copier Printer Scanner Management Solution

Here are 7 reasons to consider PrintSolv verse purchasing equipment:

(1) It keeps your cash free to help your business grow instead of tying it up in expensive printers copiers and scanner equipment. Your business needs cash to survive.  Every time you tie it up in capital equipment, you limit your cash available for marketing, inventory and other useful purposes. Why constrain your company’s growth?

(2) Your company gets to write off the complete program amount fast instead of slowly depreciating the copier, printer or fax equipment over a bunch of years. The US government classifies most office equipment as five year or longer equipment.  This means you have to depreciate over a long period if you own the equipment.  The Advanced Business Computers Inc. programs give you the ability to write it 100% at the time of the expense.  This lowers the taxes and simplifies your accounting!

(3) Concerns of printer, copier and scanner obsolescence is no longer a factor.  Technology moves so fast that computer, copier, printer and fax machine companies are introducing new equipment and discontinuing others daily.

Hewlett Packard stated that they will introduce new printers at least once every 6 months.  You no longer have the luxury to think that the equipment you buy today will do the things you want it to do 3 years from now.

(4) The PrintSolv Solution has been designed to address the four cornerstones of business copier printer management in today’s cost conscience environment: process and performance improvements, cost containment, cost avoidance, and cost savings. The program is the most strategic approach to print management available in the marketplace today.

(5) This gives you the a method to manage your copier printers scanners equipment and obtain equipment you NEED (if any) instead of just equipment you can afford due to cash on hand and budget concerns.

How many times have you a printer or copier just based on price instead of what you need to grow your business?  Does cash on hand limit your purchasing abilities?  Would a faster printer or more efficient copier scanner get you more business or reduce your direct overhead costs (labor, outside printing, etc.)?

(6) If you need new equipment then you have a choice. The PrintSolv solution is very much independent of any particular brand and represents an independent solution to controlling costs and managing print environments

(7) The solutions will cost you no more than any other service provider in the market, but we provide you with more than our competitors can ever provide, including the kind of meaningful data on your company’s print environment that enable very real return-on-investment decisions. And yes, it is highly likely that we will be able to save you money as well, both short-term and long-term savings.

Plus, the programs provide a hedge against inflation.  Instead of using today’s dollars, spread the cost out with tomorrow’s cheaper dollars.

Call and ask for. . .

“What Tricks Copier printer Leasing Companies Play and Do Not Want YOU To Know”

(the DIRTY little secrets that makes them rich and legally steal money from You!)

How do you think Xerox, Canon,. Sharp, Ricoh and Minolta became so big? That’s right get the 100% Free report! Request it through our website or ask for it in the comment area!

If you have may questions please feel free to contact us.  See our website for additional information. Feel free to call us or request help through our blog or go ahead to our website or call us for a quick response.

(Are You Getting the Color Laser Printer Copier Raw Deal?)

by Michael Klein Advanced Business Computers, Inc.

Color printers are getting less and less expensive. However, the actual cost of using them is very high.  Hewlett Packard, Lexmark, Minolta and Dell are practically giving away color printers with some models as low as $300.  However, there is a catch and many companies, government agencies and schools are getting a raw deal.

What Raw deal?

It’s simple. HP, Dell, and other color laser manufactures just about give away their machines and stick it to you with the cost of supplies. You get hit with ultra high operating costs and the manufacturers makes a bundle off you.

Did you know the actual cost of a color page printed on a low cost printer copier (cost of supplies, maintenance, repairs, etc.) is on the average over $0.16 per page and in some cases much higher depending upon the amount of text or toner used on the page?

“How To Select the Right color printer, Copier or MFD”

First, remember the cost of the actual color printer copier scanner has a DIRECT relation to the cost of operating it.  Hewlett Packard, Dell, Sharp, Xerox, and other equipment manufacturers have a scheme.

Color Laser printer copier companies hook you with a inexpensive printer and pound you with high supply costs

Simply put the low end printers cost the most to operate. If you purchase equipment by price you will lose you shirt in the long run!  before you buy determine the actual cost per page.

Calculate per page cost supply cost:

Black/White pages  = (Cost of black toner divided by number of estimate pages at 5%) + (cost imaging unit divided by  number of estimate pages at 5%) + (Cost of fuser unit divide by number of estimate pages at 5%)

Color Pages = (Cost of black pages) + ((cost of yellow + cyan + magenta pages)  divided by number of estimated pages at 5%)

Most color printer copier fax manufacturer all provide the estimate number of pages a toner cartridge, drum unit, imaging unit and fuser assembly last. Just plug in the number and get your actual supply costs.

Now are you printing at 5%?  One page double spaced is 5% coverage. One standard page single space is 10% coverage. So your actual cost may be higher due to average your usage of your laser printer color.  Use this number to determine your monthly estimated supply costs on different machines. Times that number by 36 months (3 years) and see which model really saves you the most money.

Ask questions. Consider a lease instead of a purchase which may lower your costs even more. Ask about the PrintSolv program too to eliminate all your equipment hassles.

If you have may questions please feel free to contact us. Feel free to request help through our blog or go ahead to our website .

I hope this article was helpful. If you have questions please feel free to call us at (305) 477-2320 or visit us on the web.

Sincerely,

You’re Friends

Advanced Business Computers, Inc.

sales@acbtechsolutions.com

All rights reserved Copyright Advanced Business Computers, Inc. 2008