THE NEWS IN PRINT

Vicki Butler Henderson, the host of Fifth Gear, took on a new role as a printer girl after she was hired by HP printers for a day to review and compare HP printers along with a selection of other printers. She was given boxed packages of HP, Lexmark and Canon to test in the comfort of her London apartment. An assistant helped her remove the packages and connect the printer with a PC.

The Lexmark test printer failed to print and it had to be replaced at a local PC world; VBH now terms Lexmark as "shoddy"�. The Canon printers were impressive but not as good as HP according to VBH who has rated HP as the best of the three printers; we are yet to find out if the tests were carried out fairly or was there any £££ influence.

The 'Big Printer Road Test' video is available on the HP website.

via Tech World

Lexmark has launched an education station which aims to reduce teacher's paper work and allow them to spend more time with students. The station is basically a laser printing solution that lets teachers and educators scan, copy and print and help them manage their own paperwork easily.

From the Lexmark website: Educators can: 1) Print bubble sheets for tests, scan grade exams and analyze results. 2) Send documents directly to a teacher or a pre-installed destination on the network. 3) Access and print forms stored on the network. 4) Upgrade the Lexmark Education Station to integrate directly with many Student Information Systems.

This station could be used by school personnel to print different forms needed by school authority. This will enable schools to be self sufficient for their printing needs. Lexmark's education station has a price tag of £1850 and is available now.

via Forbes

It looks as though Lexmark is renewing its printer wardrobe on a weekly basis. Last week I wrote about two all-in-one deskjet printers and I have news about two more multi function colour laser printers aimed at businesses and workgroups.

The new Lexmark 500N is a multi function printer (MFP) which can produce high quality prints, scan and copy almost anything. It can print up to 31ppm in black and 8ppm in colour with a printing and scanning quality of 1200 X 600 dpi. This printer works both on Windows and Mac and has an automatic document feed of 35 pages for unattended copy jobs. This printer is network ready along with a USB 2.0 port.

The Lexmark 502N has all the features of the 500N along with built-in faxing capability. It also features 70 speed dial connections and email shortcuts.

Hewlett Packard has introduced low cost cartridges that produce inferior results compared the usual cartridges. These new cartridges will contain limited amount of ink and will be 50% cheaper. This move could be due to the pressure exerted by third party companies selling similar cartridges at a cheaper rate. In essence, HP will be producing cartridges that hold less ink similar to the introductory cartridge that comes along with the printer.

HP hopes to simplify the process of buying cartridges for customers by using colour coding similar to a resistor. Along with the colour code, cartridges will contain a unique identification number which should help customers pair the printers with the cartridge.

via Techworld

Leading online retailer Cartridge SAVE, in partnership with ink cartridge manufacturer Jet Tec, today announced their support for the 'More Ink, Less Waste' initiative. This exciting campaign is the latest in a series of advances that enable greater environmental responsibility within the compatible ink cartridge industry, by reducing the generation of unnecessary waste. Cartridge SAVE will be one of the first to offer these innovative Jet Tec products, meaning that their consumers can make a big difference without sacrificing the low prices and excellent service they have come to expect.

Jet Tec cartridges are filled to capacity, and independent laboratory testing has confirmed that they will print up to twice as many pages compared to manufacturer's original cartridges. Not only does this present a significant saving for the customer, but it also ensures that the amount of discarded waste is minimised. In addition, new designs require 30% less packaging, and only recyclable materials are used. By the end of 2007, all Jet Tec products sold by Cartridge SAVE will be biodegradable, further reducing their impact on the environment.

For Cartridge SAVE, this is the latest in a long series of environmentally-conscious measures - they are a Carbon Neutral company and operate an extensive Recycling Initiative where used printer consumables are returned for remanufacture, with profits going to environmental charity. Jonathan Clark, Managing Director of Cartridge SAVE, said, "Jet Tec's innovative product line and attitude to corporate social responsibility makes them a perfect fit with our commitment to environmentally-responsible business"�.

About Cartridge SAVE

Cartridge SAVE is a leading online supplier of ink cartridges, toner cartridges and other printing accessories. Based in Cheshire, they offer free next day delivery to the UK, as well as exceptional customer service.

About Jet Tec

Jet Tec are one of the world's leading manufacturers of alternative inkjet supplies. Established in 1989, they have an extensive in-house R&D department, and have won the Queen's Award for Export and the Queen's Award for Enterprise:Innovation.

Independent Laboratory Testing

Jet Tec's extra life cartridges have been independently tested by LGA Germany. The QualiTest GmbH, performed 01/08/2005, confirmed that the cartridges were of DIN 33871 status.