Phaser 8550 and Paper Type settings

[nicksims]

I can understand that the printer needs to know the difference in thickness for the Plain Paper v. the Cardstock settings. But I'm wondering what the 8550 adjusts for when I enter some of the other settings... What does it do for the following?

Letterhead? (does it need to know that the page has already been printed upon? If so, what adjustments are made?)
Prepunched? (I thought I wasn't supposed to use prepunched paper?)
Colored Paper? (Does it change the ink % or volume?)
2nd Side?
Special (I've used this setting for vellum- it has worked without any problems so far).

The reason I ask is that I am using an extremely smooth cardstock with matching envelope- and I know I probably shouldn't, but the look is exactly what we're looking for. It has a pearl sheen to it. It is even tough to write on. I'd use the laser but prefer the look of the resin. The prints are a little susceptible to scratching via fingernail.

I've changed the settings to Enhanced (High Qual seems to put too much ink and scratches more easily, Standard looks too flat) and Transparency. I can hear how the Transparency setting sounds different and feeds a little more slowly (not a problem- it is still pretty quick). So far that is the best of the settings so far with the scratch factor- not great but better.

What I'm wondering is since this isn't such a high temperature printer (at least compared to a laser), what changes are done with the settings that don't seem to be based on the paper thickness? I'd like to better understand what these settings really do to maybe alter my paper usage a little better.

I've tried the Xerox site but couldn't find my answer and speaking with them wasn't helpful either (not the norm- they are generally pretty helpful for me). I just get party-line answers- don't use that paper and buy paper from us for the best results.

Thank you for your help.

Nick

 

[dalea2006]

It is the nature of this type of printer. The "ink" is actually not adhered to the paper like a laser printer at all. It is going to be susceptible to scratching no matter what paper you use. The smoother the paper, the more. As for heat, I had clients who made nice flyers, folded them and mailed them. Somewhere in the postal system, they got hot and the inks actually melted together the layers of paper in the fold. Hope this helps.

 

[nicksims]

Smooth paper- definitely an open issue for us. We can't really use too many rough papers because leftover paper dust can affect the printhead. Too smooth and the paper doesn't stay too well. Metallic paper? Some are ok, some are not. Some will take a bleed, but I'm always a bit nervouse until I've tested the paper and the print job- a great deal depends on the ink coverage and how thick the layer is. I try to keep bleeds to a minimum on this printer, and when I do, I try to lower the opacity as much as possible.

I know the ink is not "burned" on like a laser so scratching is always an issue. I'm really wondering how this model compensates or adjusts for the different settings. For example- the prepunched setting. I know it is a bad idea to use paper that has already been scored since the ridge can damage the printhead. Prepunched paper can have both a ridge and extra paper dust- so what does the printer do to allow for this?

I've also noticed that when I print on vellum (text weight or 80#), using the Enhanced setting, I get the best overall adherence when I use the Special setting. So what does it do differently for the Special setting?

As for heat in general, I don't leave my printed product in any kind of high heat situation. In fact, when I'm printing on the High Qual setting (photo or high color coverage graphics) I'll have the printer slipsheet them to prevent any transfer on the back of the pages.

Post Office? While I don't normally have problems with the usps, I wonder if those flyers were sitting on a hot truck. A big part of our work involves invitations- and I always have them hand-cancelled to avoid the initial round of equipment that will affect the envelopes. This is to avoid envelope damage and limited "crunching" of the invitation as it runs through the sorters.

Thanks dalea2006.

Nick