I'd like to get recommendations about color laser printing. Not brands, but the process.

32bit color depends upon the RIP (Raster Image Processor) that you join to your copier. It is always sampled down to 8bit in the end. Canon IPF printers are the only ones I know of that can handle 32bit files.

Most current machines have built in RIP’s that allows files to be sent from a computer. The built in RIP’s are not nearly as robust as the stand alone’s like Fiery, Splash, or Kodak KPG. The built in RIP’s are consider “Business Color”. The stand alone RIP’s are for graphic professionals.

I’ve owned many of these products over the years. If you are running a copy shop, then get something that moves fast 30–90 PPM (letter size). But if you want the best quality, albeit with slower speed, get the old standard Xerox Docucolor 12 (Doc12). It is the BMW of copiers. I use the Kodak KPG RIP but they are quite rare and you’d be very lucky to find one. Get the Splash RIP and be very very happy.

I’ve experienced Canon, Minolta, Kyocera and Ricoh over the years. The Xerox puts them all to shame in every respect. Lot’s of bait and switch with those other companies. The others use dealerships to sell their product, and maintenance and toner is put at a premium.

Xerox on the other hand, sells their own machines directly. They grow their own toner as well. I paid over fifty grand for my Doc12 and Kodak KPG about six years ago and never looked back. Now they can be had for next to nothing because they’ve been discontinued.

Check this out… I pay .09 cents per 4color 12×18 144lbs card stock print. My service, toner, parts, repairs… ALL INCLUDED for that price. If I make one copy per month, I pay .09 cent. If I make 100,000, I pay $9000. Xerox service is impeccable. They always show within a couple of hours.

You would need to see if they still service the Doc12 in your area. If you buy the machine from them, then you are set. If you buy it used from someone else, they will charge a $300 inspection fee, and possibly a $1000 refirb fee. They’ll take a used machine completely apart, and make it like a new one.

My B&W 12×18 prints cost .002 cents each.

The Doc12 uses an oil fuser mechanism. That has been discontinued. It only makes 12 pages per minute as opposed to 30–90. But the benefit to oil, is that they can produce a super hi-gloss print if desired.

Used Doc12’s are super cheap now.

Used Fiery RIP or Splash is needed to control it. Get the Splash for greatest color accuracy. Get the Fiery for speed.

If you are technically inclined, then a maintenance agreement may not be necessary. The Doc12 is an EXTREMELY RELIABLE machine. It weighs 600 lbs (twice that of other copiers) and has many user replaceable parts.

Toner can be purchased as separate colors and you can even get a refill kit. A full set of toner produces 2,000 12×18 images. I’m a photographer, so my toner usage is extremely heavy full color images. A designer doing logos would get ten times the output that I do.

This may be too much machine for your purposes. You may consider one of the newer stand alone units from HP or Sharp. Supply cost will increase dramatically, and quality of image will suffer. You also can’t run the thick thick card stock through them reliably.

Get a Xerox if you can. Any Xerox will do. They invented the science and have perfected it like no other.

Are you just looking for a desktop printer or for graphic services, like really large and/or high quality images?

A home office printer.

Basically works the same way a color Xerox [how dated of me] machine—raster laser scanning head, light charging electrons activating portions of drum—electrostatic transfer of toner to drum, electrostatic transfer again of toner off drum to paper and heat fusion to page. A weakness of this process used to be and may still be to some extent, difficulty dealing with very subtle tones. And of course, they cost more.

Why do you want one? Inkjets can handle 32-bit images. And if you really want and/or need a certain quality of imaging RGB digital photo process is the way to go and you can get printouts at moto photo or the drug store. I consider home-office based output the least important part of the creative process, since a very modest printer will suffice for all that I don’t contract out for. A copy center can run your final docs from a file.

Quality input, like a very good scanner, graphics/photographic software, tablet, and lots of RAM for image processing more important by far.

Basically works the same way a color Xerox [how dated of me] machine—raster laser scanning head, light charging electrons activating portions of drum—electrostatic transfer of toner to drum, electrostatic transfer again of toner off drum to paper and heat fusion to page. A weakness of this process used to be and may still be to some extent, difficulty dealing with very subtle tones. And of course, they cost more.

Why do you want one? Inkjets can handle 32-bit images. And if you really want and/or need a certain quality of imaging RGB digital photo process is the way to go and you can get printouts at moto photo or the drug store. I consider home-office based output the least important part of the creative process, since a very modest printer will suffice for all that I don’t contract out for. A copy center can run your final docs from a file.

Quality input, like a very good scanner, camera, the best or most appropriate graphics software, tablet with pressure sensitive stylus, and lots of RAM for image processing more important by far. Sort of the GIGO approach.