Buying a laser printer

It’s been a long time since I last had cause to print from RISC OS and, in those days, it was an old dot matrix printer, so I’m looking for some advice. I’m considering buying a Xerox Workcentre 3335DNI. https://www.xerox.co.uk/en-gb/office/multifunction-printers/workcentre-3335-3345/specifications

My desires:
- Print over the network, directly from RISC OS
- I don’t expect the other facilities (scan/fax) to work with RISC OS
- I’ve no interest in printing from RISC OS via a Windows PC (or Mac) so something like UniPrint isn’t for me
- But I do need AirPrint compatibility for my wife and children
- Fairly low volume of printing expected

To give me the best shot at this working easily (or as easily as possible) with RISC OS, I chose this printer as it has PCL 5e emulation, PCL 6 emulation and PostScript 3 emulation functionality. I expect to have to buy MW’s PS3 driver or similar.

I’d appreciate any advice you may have. Hopefully I’m on the right lines!

I have a 3345.

I print directly by USB.

I haven’t (yet) sussed-out the network printing.

I use the PS3 driver.

Scanning works fine to a USB stick, but I haven’t yet got the e-mail transfer working.

I don’t regret buying it, and have recently bought a big toner cartridge which may see me out!

I’ll drop you an email about this, Gavin. In principle those look OK, but potentially a bit on the cheap side (3335V). That usually translates to horrific running costs down the line. Xerox aren’t normally a first choice RISC OS brand (Kyocera, Brother and HP come to mind first), but we can see. If bought through myself, you’ll get a deal on software/drivers etc too.

As I wrote here, I use a Samsung C480W. Works with all OS I use (RISC OS (Pi-Top+WiFi-HAT, Titanium via LAN),Linux (Titanium, RPi, Ubuntu, Debian), WIN (7,10), Android (all family used SM-Art-Phones)…) via AirPrint.
All is working fine without problems.

I have a 3345. [snip]

Thanks John, great to know it works for you. I wonder what the stumbling block is with network printing? I’d really like to print via the network if possible but I guess USB would work.

I’ll drop you an email about this, Gavin. In principle those look OK, but potentially a bit on the cheap side (3335V).

Thanks Andrew. As I said, I don’t anticipate large volumes of printing so I’m not hugely concerned about long-term running costs. I did do a comparison on the Xerox site and it seemed fairly competitive per page, but I’m certainly open to new information! I really don’t like either the Kyocera or HP brands though so I’m staying away from them if possible.

As I wrote here, I use a Samsung C480W.

I saw your post previously, they don’t make that model anymore, so I’ll hunt down the current equivalent and check the specs on that. Thanks!

Thanks John, great to know it works for you. I wonder what the stumbling block is with network printing?

I’m sure that it is just my ignorance. The machine has so many features that I haven’t got to grips with. The manual is extensive and comprehensive, covering many things I only have very limited understanding of!

But I have no regrets over investing in it!

I can’t tell for any printer, but I did have a lot of problems with PCL printers, and prefer now to stick with PS. Never buy a Brother, since BRScript is not (enough) Postscript for RISC OS.

I would like to test the Kyocera line: they have good PS support, almost eternal fuser unit (so, very low running costs), and are reliable as a photocopier. Especially the old models. Scan is impossible from RISC OS, but scan to ftp, mail, smb and – sometimes – usb is possible.

I’ll try one day to ask my retailers for a RISC OS test :)

I can’t tell for any printer, but I did have a lot of problems with PCL printers, and prefer now to stick with PS. Never buy a Brother, since BRScript is not (enough) Postscript for RISC OS.

I have to seriously disagree with this comment about the Brother printers.
I have a Brother HL4050CDN – colour laser, working happily from RISC OS and Windows, you can even get Linux drivers. I have always used BRScript on it, it has printed all the colour newsletters etc for WROCC, and pretty much most of the Show documentation over the years. Only had two paper jams since we got it. The important thing to bear in mind not only Postscript drivers for RISCOS – double sided printing etc, but also PCL drivers are available.

I also use a Kyocera FS1370DN – B/W laser, this is also very good and has Postscript support through KPDL, very economical to run and reliable. This is actually my second Kyocera. So I personally can recommend both Brother and Kyocera printers.

I have always used BRScript

I have several of them here (recent), and none works under RISC OS with the PS or PS3 driver.
And I did not manage to use the PCL driver on any of my printers (but it’s probably me).

Kyocera: good to know. I’ll make test too.
I’ll check again. I work for a local Brother & Kyocera retailer, so it should be easy :)

but also PCL drivers are available.

Aren’t most lasers supposed to support PCL even if they don’t advertise it?

I have a basic Samsung printer (ML-2022W, I think, can’t be bothered to walk into the kitchen to look at the label on the front). It supports AirPrint and some Samsung specific protocol like QMS or something. Hazy memory, but I talked about this in the past (last summer?).

Anyway, as I test, since it seemed to understand basic HP PCL thrown at it on port 9100, was to generate a page as if to an HP LJ 5 (or 6? whatever the most recent RISC OS one is), set to 600dpi resolution. I wrote a program (search forum for SammyPrint) to spit this data to the printer and… it worked just fine.
Later discovered that I didn’t need SammyPrint, it works quite happily dumping data direct using RemotePrinterFS. So my fancy WiFi laser printer has no problems accepting HP PCL from RISC OS.

but I did have a lot of problems with PCL printers,

It seems, from what I can see online, that some printers like a preamble to set them into the right mode, while others work out what it going on from the data received (that’s why SammyPrint has a bunch of command line options). It may be that the printers you’ve tried prefer preamble? Or maybe a different preamble?

I have several of them here (recent), and none works under RISC OS with the PS or PS3 driver.
And I did not manage to use the PCL driver on any of my printers (but it’s probably me).

The Brother I mentioned earler happily works with PS or the PS3 drivers. Can’t remember doing anything special to make it work. I seem to remember I got the RISC OS driver origianlly from Paul Vigay site many moons ago. since this was setup for colour printing and duplex printing. I believe Richard Darby has now provided a number of both Postscript and PCL drivers. for a range of makes. They are available free via !Store.

Aren’t most lasers supposed to support PCL even if they don’t advertise it?

Sadly no. Many of the cheaper laser use GDI drivers which will not work directly from RISC OS. i.e. they depend on the software installed on the PC to provide the facilities to print. hence cheaper. Avoid these with RISC OS, unless using UniPrint. Its a case of check and recheck the specs of the printer beofre you buy.

This is something Epson is well-known for. They’ve upgraded to an optical sensor that detects the ink level on a cartridge window, if my memory serves me well. By taping the window shut, I was able to avoid this. Briefly.

You can buy a resetting device for several of the chips if the manufacturer uses them.

When it comes to laser printers, make an informed decision. Some image drums quickly wear out and are expensive to repair. Printer manufacturers are starting to treat laser printers the same way they treated ink printers. My old Samsung laser printer had the same problem. I replaced the toner cartridges a few times before the imaging drum went kaput, and the replacement drum ended up costing more than replacing the complete printer WITH FULL TONER.

I have a Hewlett Packard Colour LaserJet Pro CP1525N printer bought October 2011 and still working well. It has worked reliably over these 10 years, although we are not heavy users. It is connected to the home network. It works fine with RISC OS. It has PCL6 and PoScript3. Without looking at the manual, I don’t know whether it does PCL5.
Of course, it may not be manufactured any more, but there is probably a similar current model.

Note that Samsung sold its laser printer business to HP in 2016.

An old thread, but I recently bought a Kyocera multi-function laser (M5521cdn). It’s a bit of beast – they delivered it on a palette!

The printer side works fine on RISC OS with the the duplex Postscript 2 driver.