Finally, it seems spring weather is here to stay. It's time to put away those heavy winter sweaters and hit the stores for some spring/summer wardrobe refreshers. In my browsing of the racks, I came across those ubiquitous items marked ONE SIZE FITS ALL. "Yeah right", I said to myself, "maybe if you're a department store mannequin." Sure, I'd be able to get that shirt on, but will it be a good fit? Will it really fit you too?

Let's face it, one size does not (and cannot) fit all; and this applies not just to clothing, but to most other commodities as well. Take automobiles for instance; one size can't fit all. Could we all drive Mustang convertibles? As nice as that may sound, where would I put my kayak, two large dogs, my sons' surfboards, and the king-size items from those Costco excursions (to feed the sons and the dogs)?

And printing devices.... Can any one printer fit everyone's need? Can one printer even fulfill one person's needs?

I don't think it would be blasphemous for me to suggest that there is no single printer that can offer everything to everyone. A user must make a decision based upon his/her needs and then prioritize. One printer may offer speedy throughput times and just adequate print quality, whereas another printer may provide the highest resolution available, but at a cost-per-print that is through the roof.

For myself, printing in color and First Page Out Time are important. I print numerous one- or two-page documents during the day and want them in color and quickly. My colleague, on the other hand, prints multi-page reports for distribution, so Total Time to Print is his priority. For our graphics department, consistently high Image Quality is an unyielding requirement. In many organizations, Total Cost of Ownership will be the principal factor.

Now, that was in the office, but what about those same individuals at home? Priorities change. For me, it is low cost-per-print - especially with young adults printing out web pages, map directions, and pictures on a printer they believe has an infinite ink source. My colleague concerned with Total Print Time uses his home printer for printing photographs, so image quality becomes more important than printing time. And that person in the graphics department, who in the office is so patient while those high-res images are printing? Well, at home she wants a personal printer that will quickly turn out her school papers.

What does this mean?

With printers, as in other commodities, one size doesn't fit all. The user (or organization) needs to choose a printer that fits them and their needs, their usage patterns, and their priorities - be it budget, speed, quality, footprint, ease-of-use, etc.

I hate to be a naysayer, but.... One Size Fits None.

Catherine Fiasconaro
Vice President, Operations
Director, SpencerLab Digital Color Laboratory