Hits The (Lex) Mark (Lexmark Z52)

Member Name: jason_webb

Product:	Lexmark Z52
Date:	14/09/00 (124 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fast, clear printing at an amazing price

Disadvantages: Ink is expensive ( but good quality )

I originally bought this as a compromise with my bosses, who refused to pay any more than £125.00 for a printer. I was looking for a printer that could turn out very fast draft print for documentation proofing, which would normally point at a laser, but i also needed some limited colour graphics capability for reports.

I had seen the Lexmark Z51 and had decided that this would be the best compromise, but was told by my supplier that it had been replaced by the Z52. I had not seen any reviews, but i took the printer on blind faith and i am so pleased i did. I got the printer direct from a third party supplier for £118, which is £17 under RRP, so it is worth scouting around.

The first thing that you will notice about this printer is that it is larger than most other printers in it's range, so if you are limited for space on you desk, consider a seperate stand. The printer comes with both Parallel (Included) and USB ports (USB cable not included) and also with it's own propriatory power supply, with all cables protected nicely inside a flap on the back of the printer. Installation was a breeze, with full step by step instructions given on a large illustrated sheet, so i had the printer unpacked and installed in less than 15 mins.

The printer has a draft mode print speed of up to 15 pages per minute at 300 x 300 DPI, which is actually faster than several laser printers i had looked at, which were over £300 each. The maximum resolution is a whopping 2400 x 2400 DPI for photo printing, which again is better than some dedicated photo printers at twice the price.

It also has some very novel features like Business print finishing, banner printing and the best is web smoothing, which makes those blocky web pages look much better on paper. The configuration utility provided, lets you control every aspect of the printing, from basic resolution and paper options through to audible ( yes, it actually talks ) start / stop printing pr
ompts. The printer also comes with some software to create cards and calenders and really shows off it's capabilities.

Paper handling is smooth using the rear sheet feeder, running through the print mechanism without any catches or smudging. The paper controller can also be set to hold the paper for a few seconds at the end of printing, to allow the ink to dry before the next sheet is fed through. Noise is also minimal, although it is a little noisier than other printers, purely due to its larger design which allows a little echo.

As to be expected from Lexmark, the print quality is crisp and clear, with the colour being very vibrant even with the standard cartridge. You can buy a dedicated photo cartridge if you need to do more of that type of printing. After 5 weeks use, i still have my original cartridges fitted, but i expect my black to run out in the next week or so. The only downfall of these printers is the replacement costs, as Lexmark cartridges are on average £8 - £12 more expensive than their counterparts, but the quality is good.

I would recommend this printer for either SOHO ( small office / home office, i wondered what that meant for ages ) or family use, as the options available will cater for both new and advanced users. There are three other printers in this range as well, which are the z12, z32 & z42 (I can see a pattern forming here) and all have photo capability starting from as little as £59 .

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