A3 laser printers can be expensive, but they don’t have to be. In most cases, you’re going to get what you pay for, and this often relates to quality. But when it comes to high quality a3 laser printers, this doesn’t necessarily have to be true. While there are some a3 printers that don’t compare to others quality-wise, many of the cheaper machines are only cheaper because they don’t offer as many features.
So, to put it simply, if you need an a3 laser printer, but don’t have a need for a lot of convenience features, you can save a lot of money. For instance, there are a few top-of-the-line machines that offer a plethora of features, the capability to print a3, and great quality.
The Xerox Black And White 5550B Phaser costs $2299. The Xerox Black And White 5550DT Phaser costs around $3340. And the HP Black And White LaserJet 9050dn Laser Printer costs around $4600.
Ricoh Aficio SP 6330N Black And White Laser Printer
Will you get more with these amazing a3 laser printers than the one I’m about to mention? Of course. But if you want simplicity and a3 capability while also having an opportunity to save a ton of money, then the Ricoh Aficio SP 6330N Black And White Laser Printer is the way to go. New units are currently selling for under $940 on Amazon.
The Aficio SP 6330N can print up to 35 pages per minute, which is fast, especially for an a3 printer. Resolution of prints can reach as high as 1200 x 1200 dots per inch. The SP 6330N has several interface options, including USB 2.0, USB Host, Ethernet 10/100Base-TX.
While there are still more features to cover, the most important thing to know about this machine is that it’s built like a truck. It’s only relatively large for an a3 machine at 18.82″ x 17.2″ x 15.9″ (478 x 437 x 404 mm) and weighs 49.6 lb. (22.5 kg) that includes standard paper tray and AIO, and power cable. It is tough as nails and can handle a lot of volume for its size. Maximum media capacity is 1600 sheets.
Getting back to features. The SP 6330N has optional duplexing, up to 11″ x 17″/A3 17 – 28 lb. Bond (64 – 105 g/m2) as well as a 1x 500-sheet output capacity tray. It can handle several paper types, including:
- Standard Tray: 16 – 57 lb. Bond/ 120 lb. Index (60 – 216 g/m²)
- Bypass Tray: 14 – 57 lb. Bond/ 120 lb. Index (52 – 216 g/m@sup2;)
- Opt. Paper Feed Unit: 16 – 57 lb. Bond/120 lb. Index (60 – 216 g/m²)
It can also handle several paper sizes, which include:
- Standard Tray: 11″ x 17″, A3, B4, A4, B5 (JIS), A5, A6, Legal, Letter, HLT, Executive, Foolscap, Folio, 8K, 16K; Custom Size: Minimum: 3.54″ x 5.83″; Maximum: 11.70″ x 17.01″
- Bypass Tray: 11″ x 17″, A3, B4, A4, B5 (JIS), A5, A6, Legal, Letter, HLT, Executive, Foolscap, Folio, 8K, 16K Custom Size: Minimum: 2.52″ x 5.83″; Maximum: 12.01″x 17.01″
- Opt. Paper Feed Unit:: 11″ x 17″, A3, B4, A4, B5 (JIS), A5, Legal, Letter, Executive, Foolscap, Folio, 8K, 16K
Needless to say, you will be able to print just about anything with the SP 6330N.
This machine is also easy to set-up and easy to use, which is actually the case for most a3 printers. Printer companies have designed these models with simplicity in mind as a way to get more of them rolling off the shelves. That said, it’s only a matter of time before they begin getting more creative. If you appreciate simplicity, it would be wise to act now.
The Ricoh Aficio SP 6330N Black And White Laser Printer qualifies for Energy Star status. If you care about the environment, this is an extra bonus, as not all printers qualify for this status, especially a3 machines.
There is one negative for the SP 6330N, as there is for any printer. In this case, it’s that if you use heavy weighted paper, you might experience some paper jams. This isn’t an ordinary paper jam, though. You will not need to start from scratch. If you’re patient and wiggle the paper just right, the paper will cease to jam. This takes a little getting used to, but once you have it figured out, it should be less of a problem. This can be a bit of a nuisance, but manageable and still well worth saving $1300 if a quality a3 laser printer is what you need.
HP LaserJet 5100TN Printer
Although HP has discontinued this product, you may still avail of the HP LaserJet 5100TN on Amazon, used or refurbished from $390. This a3 laser printer has a print speed of up to 21 ppm, with the first page out in 13 seconds. Its monthly volume is up to 65,000 pages. Print resolution is up to 1200 x 1200 dpi.
The HP 5100TN has two paper trays standard, but can accommodate up to four trays maximum. Input tray can hold up to 350 sheets up to a maximum of 1100 sheets. It has an option for automatic duplex printing with the purchase of a duplex accessory.
It can handle various media sizes:
- Standard. Letter, executive, legal, tabloid, no. 10 envelopes
- Custom. Tray 1: 3 x 5 in to 12.28 x 18.5 in; Tray 2: 5.8 x 8.3 in to 11 x 17 in
- and media types:
Paper (plain, letterhead, prepunched, bond, color, rough, vellum, preprinted, recycled), transparencies, labels, envelopes, cardstock
It is a heavyweight at 48.7 lbs, with dimensions of 18.7 x 25 x 18.6 in. It is not compatible with a Mac. Only Windows-based PCs are supported.
In a Nutshell
Acquiring an a3 laser printer can be very affordable as long as you know what you need or where to look. These two examples are not so bad, they deliver as far as a3 printing is concerned at very decent print speeds. You won’t regret any of these choices.
Watch this post in video format
loading...
About James Wikkee