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March 2001 Page 3
Color Business Report
Performance
The J110 can print up to 10 ppm in color and 16
ppm in monochrome at 600 dpi resolution, exceeding
the HP Color LaserJet 4550s color print speed of 4 ppm,
and matching its monochrome performance. In Draft
mode, which Lexmark calls Ink Saver mode (600- by
300-dpi), color print speed rises to 14 ppm, but black
speed drops to 15 ppm. According to Drew Zande,
Product Marketing Manager for Lexmarks Business
Printer Division, the black speed drops because the J110
is actually taking time to process an algorithm that
selectively subtracts dots to be printed, when printing
in Ink Saver mode. By Lexmarks reckoning, Ink Saver
mode can save users up to 50% on supplies costs. In
Best mode, which Zande describes as 600 dpi with
advanced color science processing, the J110 prints 2.3
ppm in color and 10 ppm in monochrome. Like many
ink jets in Lexmarks product line, the J110 can print
photos at up to 2400- by 1200-dpi. However, Lexmark
would not quote print speeds at this maximum
resolution. The J110 is driven by a 100 MHz processor,
which gives the printer an 8-second first page out time.
Lexmark claims that the J110 is robust enough to print
up to 10,000 pages per month.
The J110 also marks the debut of a new Lexmark
technology, called PerfectFinish, which pre-coats sheets
of paper with a thin layer of fluid that dries before
printing. Lexmark claims that PerfectFinish produces
crisper black text and richer colors, and reduces ink
bleed, especially when printing on recycled paper. The
PerfectFinish fluid, a formulation developed by
Lexmark, is dispensed from a bottle installed in the back
of the printer. The printer can coat up to 10,000 pages
before the bottle needs to be replaced.
Details about the PerfectFinish system were not
forthcoming from Lexmark. However, we were able to learn
from the U.S. Patent Office that the company has received
a patent for a coating apparatus for use in ink jet printers.
U.S. Patent 6,183,079, granted on February 6, 2001,
describes the apparatus, which is comprised of rollers and
doctor blades. The patent document also gives hints about
the coating material, explaining that it must have a high
viscosity such that only a minimum amount of water is
introduced onto the substrate, to prevent the paper from
curling. The patent says that patent application 9/096,128,
entitled Coating System for Ink Jet Applications,
describes example coating materials.
Separate Ink Cartridges
Until now, most Lexmark ink jet printers have used
print cartridges with nozzles and ink supply integrated
into a single unit, in a black/tri-color configuration (the
early Canon-based Lexmark 4079 did use separate ink
tanks and a permanent print head). The benefit of
integrated cartridges, according to Lexmark, is that
replacing the print head with the ink supply ensures
the best possible print quality, because one is essentially
replacing the entire print engine. Lexmarks opinion of
permanent print heads, such as those used by Epson, is
that they tend to deteriorate over the life of the printer,
and have a tendency to become clogged.
The debate over separate versus tri-color cartridges
is equally simple. Proponents of the individual cartridge
system, Canon and Xerox, claim that it reduces waste
colors are replaced as they are depleted, while Lexmark
claims that colors generally deplete evenly. Indeed, Xerox
commissioned a study to determine how much ink is left
over in tri-color cartridges after the first color runs out,
finding that on average, 20% of the ink delivered with the
cartridge remains (see Color Business Report, September
2000). HP and Epson also use tri-color ink cartridges in
their printers, but both have introduced models with
separate ink cartridge technologymost notably the
Lexmark J110: Product Specifications
Resolution Modes 600- by 300-dpi
600 dpi
2400- by 1200-dpi
Print Speed
Color Black
Normal (600 dpi) 10 ppm 16 ppm
Ink saver (600- by 300-dpi) 14 ppm 15 ppm
Best (600 dpi enhanced) 2.3 ppm 10 ppm
Duty Cycle 10,000 pages/month
Memory 8 MB
Processor 100 MHz
Software Compatibility PCL 3
Interface IEEE-1284, USB
Networking 10/100Base T
(optional on J110)
Paper Handling Tray 1: 250-sheet input tray
Tray 2: 250-sheet input tray
(standard on J110tn)
10-sheet multipurpose
feeder (standard on J110tn)
Paper Sizes Letter, Legal, Executive
Paper Types 16 to 32 lb. paper
Transparencies, envelopes,
labels, card stock.
Size 20.3"W by 11.7"H by 20.1"D
Weight 35 lb.
Street Price
J110 $899
J110tn $999
Source: Lexmark International, Inc.
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