(Part 2) Top products from r/printers

The printing part of your request is easy:

Consider the HP LaserJet 4350DTN. This printer is a beast, and will tear through print jobs all day long at a fast 55ppm. The 4350dtn comes standard with Fast Ethernet, automatic duplex capability, and comes with two large paper trays allowing you to load 2 full reams (1,000 sheets) of paper at a time, or use each tray for a different color paper, letterhead, or pre-printed form as needed.

The 4350 is extremely reliable and highly expandable - there are staplers, stackers, envelope feeders, 1,500-sheet high-capacity input tray and even a wheeled printer stand available (see PDF link below). Windows 10 is fully supported (see link below). This printer starts at around $1700 new, however there are plenty of professionally refurbished units available with a warranty on eBay and Amazon for around $300.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B000621VOQ/ref=dp_olp_refurbished?ie=UTF8&condition=refurbished

https://www.fastprinters.com/pdf/HP-4350.pdf

http://h20564.www2.hp.com/hpsc/swd/public/readIndex?sp4ts.oid=412171

Genuine OEM 42X toner cartridges run about $200 each ($0.010/page), but generic cartridges can easily be found for under $40 ($0.002/page). Each one is good for around 20,000 pages. Most of the expansions (envelope feeders, etc) are also widely available on the secondary market for a fraction of retail price, which means you can fully expand this printer for a very reasonable price.

Now to address the mailing features:

The type of machine you are searching for is called a "folder inserter", and it handles folding one or more pages and inserting them into an envelope. A folder inserter designed to handle that volume would be easily more than double your budget and does not include the actual printer itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=438V5oJoid4

https://www.formax.com/pdf/FD6102.pdf

The 6102 shown above is an entry-level "desktop" model rated for 5,000 pieces per month, if you expect your volume to increase due to business growth, you will want to look at a higher model which offers greater reliability, triple the monthly duty cycle capacity, and nearly double the speed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1h__HbdXP0

https://www.formax.com/sites/default/files/files/products/6204.pdf

One option may be to lease the folder inserter rather than purchase outright. Typically, your leasing company works with a local service company that handles installation, configuration, consumables, and any repairs or maintenance that might arise. Your business simply negotiates the monthly lease price given the expected usage volume, plus a small amount for overage - if any.

Additionally, this arrangement is easier on your accountant, since the monthly lease may typically be recorded as a simple business expense rather than having a large amount of rapidly depreciating equipment sitting on the books. It makes it a lot easier for the staff as well - if there are any problems, simply call the service company and they show up and fix it at no charge. At the end of the lease, the you have an option to return the equipment, purchase it at fair market value, or own the equipment (higher monthly payment). Remember that this monthly lease price usually includes all the consumables, repairs and maintenance you need for the life of the lease.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VLPNGY

I have this printer. It works pretty well and I can typically find the toner pretty cheap on Amazon/eBay.

So the pigment ink will leave a slight green tint but it's more durable?

From the time I wrote the post and this morning I saw a lot of people looking at the Epson stylus c88+inkjet printer. So my main concern is either pigment or dye photo. I want them to look as nice as possible but I also want them to last more than the first wash.



https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000FSOZE4/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495290404&sr=1-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=epson+88&dpPl=1&dpID=416KE2ZKB3L&ref=plSrch

best i can do: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-CLI-221-Tank-Gray-Genuine/dp/B001CSPUDQ/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1451980554&sr=1-3&keywords=canon+pixma+gray+ink

https://www.amazon.com/Hammermill-Premium-Letter-Bright-102467R/dp/B00006IDP3

Give this a shot. Might be stiff enough to hold a fold well. I think I've seen this used by a few of our customers and it seems nice. Not much to spend to try a ream.

I'd be curious about these articles. The only time I've ever been concerned about toner is when I've been working on devices, in which case a face-mask is recommended if you suspect you might be inhaling toner. For anything else an appropriate toner vacuum cleans up anything that could be concerning, and the internals of the printer.

the 49 error is a communication error it could be something with one of the dimm chips but i would ignore it unless it reoccurs. if its a one time thing it may have just been a corrupt print job. if the printer is older then 4 years old it may be worth it to replace the sep pick and feed tires in the paper tray. the rubber will get hard over time and stop gripping properly. The other option would to be to pick up some rubber cleaner like this http://www.amazon.com/Sprayway-Rubber-Cleaner-Rejuvenator/dp/B0005JNPE4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1449556514&sr=8-4&keywords=rubber+cleaner and go ahead and repeat the cleaning procedure a couple more times. the rubber rejuvinator will make the feed tires tacky and prevent them from slipping on the paper.