Color

Fire engines aren't red—they only look that way. Color is a perception.

Printer Architecture & Technology

There is an increasingly large number of innovative ways to put color onto a page. Ultimately, the goal of a print system is to quickly and inexpensively deliver quality color prints.

Print Quality

Print Quality Metrics are complex, including user elements of Text, Lines, Tints & Blends, Computer Graphics, and Photographic Images-as well as process characteristics of the RIP/controller, print marking engine and media.

Consumable Yield & Cost-per-Print

The Yield of an ink or toner cartridge is the number of copies of a page that can be printed from it, and the Cost-per-Print is the cost of the cartridge (and any other supplies needed) divided by the number of pages printed—simple, right?

Throughput Speed Performance

Real throughput performance must include workstation, driver, communication, and print controller processing time as well as print engine speed, all within a realistic workflow of representative documents.

Usability & Functionality

Extending from the user's Out-of-the-Box experience through setup, initial operation and ongoing usability, support in all its various written, on-line, and on-call forms, there are innumerable opportunities to excel by properly anticipating and providing for user needs.

User-Oriented Testing

Whether learning about Print Quality, Throughput Speed, Cost-per-Print, or Ease-of-Use, it is extremely important to be relevant to the real user environment, and to understand limitations that arise from the differences.