Searching For the Right a3 Printer Scanner
It’s obviously important to own a printer in today’s business environment. Without one, you would be well behind the competition. Owning or having access to an all-in-one printer is especially beneficial, as it allows you to accomplish many things at once. These machines have been improved again and again, now reaching points of incredible speeds and quality. Every model offers strengths in different areas, which is why it’s so important to do your homework prior to purchasing. There is one feature that is still expensive, and that is the ability to print and scan a3-size documents. In this article, we’ll briefly review two options.
The best a3 printer scanner on the market is the Lexmark X854e. It’s a multifunction machine, meaning it can print, scan, copy and fax. It’s capable of black and white prints, laser copying, a3 printing and scanning, and much more. The number one thing that stands out about this model is its speed. It can produce up to 55 pages per minute, which is extraordinarily fast. Considering the ‘top range’ is about 33 pages per minute, this number blows other printers out of the water. The input tray can also handle 5100 sheets. To put that into perspective, top-of-the-line models can handle 200 sheets. There is a 33.6Kbps fax machine, which is standard. The Lexmark X854e has parallel, USB, and 10/100 Base-TX connectivity capabilities. There is a touch-screen at its front for easy functioning. This machine is also capable of stapling, stacking, and hole punching. There is very little it can’t do. Of course, all of this comes at a price, but for large businesses that require high volume and large prints, the price won’t seem steep at all. The list price for the Lexmark X854e is just under $15,000. If interested, you can save over $2000 by using Amazon. Their current price is only $12,704.
If you want to take it down a big notch and buy a cheap a3 printer scanner, you should look into the Brother MFC-5890CN. This is a color ink-jet machine that has a lot of features; however, there is a catch. Though it’s listed as a printer scanner, it’s only capable of printing a3. It’s not capable of scanning a3. The good news is that I wouldn’t list the product in this article if it weren’t worthwhile. Plus, most people who are looking for an a3 printer scanner are more concerned with the printing than the scanning. I’ll list a few of this machine’s features here and you can decide if it’s a fit. The best part about this model is that it only costs $120 new. That’s saving an enormous amount of money compared to other a3-capable machines.
The Brother MFC-5890CN can print, copy, scan and fax. It supports USB and Ethernet connectivity. The paper tray can handle up to 150 sheets and can be extended when you’re using a3 paper. The speed is also pretty good, coming in at 35 pages per minute black and 28 pages per minute color. The fax machine is 33.6 Kbps. There is a 50-page ADF, which is well above average. A 3.3-inch color LCD display will allow you to preview, enhance and edit photos prior to printing. Resolution of prints will reach as high as 6000 x 1200 dpi. The 5890CN is a perfect machine for presentations, reports, graphs, business cards, and/or photos. It comes with a 2-year warranty and has been well received by customers.
While the 5890CN falls short in the scanner category, it’s still a great value. On the other end of the spectrum, the Lexmark X854e is the highest quality a3 printer scanner on the market. It’s an excellent purchase if you can afford it.
