Affordable color lasers have multiplied from discounted old stock through new, slightly more compact, models a year later to today. When every small office and workgroup can enjoy a workhorse, high-volume alternative to inkjet printing and every vendor offers a color laser priced low enough to tempt even solo, let alone network, users.

The Phaser 8200 printer uses not laser but solid-ink technology to deliver gorgeous, smooth color at superior speed, plus PostScript compatibility and color-tweaking you can’t get from an entry-level color laser. It’s something of a compromise. No match for a laser for cranking out lots of black and white pages, and not quite up to an inkjet for photo-quality images, but it’s a very cool one.

The Phaser 8200 printer is known as a phase-change or a wax-jet printer. Its ink appears to be halfway between that of a laser printer and an ink-jet printer, or that used by offset printing presses. The four colors of ink come in small waxy cubes. To be more precise, the yellow, cyan, black, and magenta inks each come in slightly different shapes. They are inserted into the printer like a toddler’s toys, each one into its own slot beneath the hood of the printer.

For those who are used to standard cartridges, it can be disconcerting to find that the Phaser has no gauge to show how much ink is left, although the front panel shows a warning sign when the ink is running low. With this machine, you are expected to just open it and check. You can refill it whenever you wish - when you’re about to begin a major job, for example. You don’t have to wonder anymore whether the cartridge that’s in there will run out before you’re finished.

Unlike the hassles of disposing of or trying to recycle an ink cartridge or waste tank, the Phaser 8200 ink pack is friendly to the earth - requiring you to replace a single tiny kit or image drum lubrication package every ten or thirty thousand pages. There’s also a wastes tray you have to keep empty and replace now and then.

The short crayons melt within the printer, and the ink flows into a reservoir. The Xerox Phaser has a signifcant environmental impact because it draws up to 1500 watts, but Xerox says it averages less than 300 watts. A 600 by 600 dpi print head with 1236 nozzles sprays the ink onto a turning, warmed drum that transfer the ink to the paper in a sinle pass, compared to the four separate passes more cheap color lasers require.

The ink sets within seconds on the page, unlike the seeping or blotting that happens when you use an inkjet. You can get the ink off only by scratching with a fingernail as it does not even smudge if you run a damp finger over it. The end result, though dry, still looks almost damp. Color printouts appear with a definite banding in an inkjet printer and a laser printer too has a mild banding effect, but here, even solid-color areas look glossy enough to believe they were painted.

Phaser 8200 ink makes stunning color copies. It’s no competition for an inkjet when it comes to image quality, but it’s still pretty terrific. The phaser 8200 solid ink utilizes solid blocks of ink, which makes it easy to reload. By simply opening the front of the Xerox Phaser 8200 you can see how much ink has been used directly. More importantly, you can add ink at any time without having to unload or reprogram. The ink dries rapidly, and there is no seeping or smearing. The printout practically looks like it’s been painted on with rich, glossy shades, and the negatives like banding are eliminated.

- Ben Pate