Color printers hit higher speeds

The FS-C5030N offered a mixed bag of features. Setup documentation was thorough and clear, but the CD didn't have the driver we needed, and the unhelpful file descriptions on Kyocera Mita's Web site made it hard to find. The paper tray's length and width guides are hard to adjust. On the other hand, we liked turning the dial inside the tray to announce the paper size both to the printer and to users. Clearing jams is easy: The paper path slides out on rails. The control panel is easy to read and navigate.

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The FS-C5030N is one of the few printers that's cheaper to operate than an SUV. With inexpensive toner and no parts to replace until a 200,000-page maintenance kit, your first 50,000 prints will cost less than half of what many other color lasers consume. The long-term savings will quickly offset the printer's rather high purchase price: The $3,104 configuration we tested came with the optional ($479) hard drive, but only 128MB of memory. Extra 500-page paper trays cost a reasonable $299 each -- you can add up to three of them -- as does a duplexer. Kyocera Mita's memory prices are outrageous, and the company says the use of third-party memory voids the warranty.

Lexmark C760n

The Lexmark C760n's midpack ranking reflects its tricky balance of better and worse attributes. The bare-bones model we tested has the lowest purchase price in the roundup, but upgrade and consumables costs get pricey fast. Both text and graphics speeds are about average for the group, but text quality falls short of the mark. This printer would work best in an office that needs some color printing and retains a monochrome laser for high-volume loads.

The C760n averaged a good 19.9 ppm printing text. Letters looked bold and black, but we noticed choppiness on both straight lines and curves. On thick strokes, we observed tiny white spots. The printer's weighted graphics speed was a good 12.2 ppm. Solid blocks of color came out well, and transitions between shades looked smooth, but registration was slightly off on blended colors. Color photographs had attractive colors and a natural look, although focus seemed a bit soft; grayscale photos were sharp and clean.

The C760n's design is generally convenient. The front door folds up 180 degrees so it doesn't get in your way. The auxiliary tray that folds out from the left side needs to open only a couple of inches, which saves desktop space. The control panel's six buttons also function as numerals to enter PIN codes for secure print jobs, but they don't work for entering an IP address. The printer itself has two handgrips along the bottom, making it easy for one fairly strong person to lift.

Less welcome features included the control panel's LCD, which is not backlit. The output surface on top of the printer is so smooth that printed pages tend to stick to it. The main input tray is sturdy enough but lacks rails or stops to keep it in place; it was too easy to pull out and dump on the floor. The fuser lacks real handles; if a print jams there, you'll have to wait for the fuser to cool before you can clear the jam.

The C760n's pricing structure is no bargain. Upgrading the machine to a similar configuration as the others in this roundup elevates its price to about $2,500. Lexmark charges astounding prices for memory and charges the most for consumables. After five years, you'll have spent $15,200 on supplies, almost $2,000 more than for any other printer reviewed here.