The Inkjet Tests

PCQ Bureau

06 Jan 1999 11:45 IST

New Update

Printout
quality

This is an important test parameter,
though it tends to be subjective. PCQ Labs breaks it into several smaller objective tests,
and converts qualitative parameters into quantitative ones with the statistical
Brown-Gibson model.

The tests include: reproducing a thin line at an angle of
one degree smoothly; converging many thin lines–radially–to a point, and
reproducing two-point Times New Roman text clearly. Other tests involve studying the
dithering or screen patterns of printouts under high magnification. For instance, this is
a part of a full-page printout (inset) magnified at 500 percent, showing its actual
screening pattern.

At PCQ Labs, we tested six inkjet printers under Rs
16,000. To avoid comparing Rs 7,000 printer (the cheapest in the shootout) with a Rs
16,000 one, we divided the printers into two categories: those under Rs 10,000, and those
over Rs 10,000 and under Rs 16,000. There were four printers in the first category and two
in the second.

All the printers were tested on a P II system with 64 MB
RAM and Win 98. We used a standalone machine with Office 97, CorelDRAW 8, and Photoshop 5.

Word processing tests were done using Word 97, and
CorelDRAW 8 was used for graphics test. All speed tests were timed thrice and their
average taken. If the difference between any of the two readings was more than 10 percent,
the test was repeated. We carried out all the tests in every printer resolution mode
separately, testing the printer’s efficiency and speed in each mode. We also carried
out a number of quality tests by printing graphics on plain and inkjet papers, as
specified by the vendor.

We then calculated the page per minute (ppm) capability of
each printer, and compared the quality of the printouts in different modes. The
printer’s features and price were further added to find out the one that offered best
value to you.

Sara Hassan and Sougata Das

at PCQ Labs Tests

color="#FFFFFF">Tests and weightages
color="#000000">Print speeds Time taken to print the first page of a multi-page file Time taken to print a full-page color graphic Time taken for printing a full-page monochrome graphic Average speed per page of a multi-page file Time taken for printing a single page with text and a small color graphic Time taken per page for multiple copies of the same page Total Note: Timings for text prints are for default or standard mode, while those for graphics and text plus graphics are for the best quality available on normal paper. Timings for text prints are for default or standard mode, while those for graphics and text plus graphics are for the best quality available on normal paper.	face="Arial" size="2" color="#000000">27 23 22 14 9 5 100
color="#000000">Print quality Quality of a full-page color graphics on ordinary paper Quality of monochrome graphics on ordinary paper Quality of text prints Quality of CMYK mix on ordinary paper Quality of fountain fill Quality of full-page color graphics on speciality inkjet paper Total *Note* : Qualitative analysis was done on printouts taken at the best mode the printer could print in.	size="2" color="#000000">29 24 18 14 10 5 100
color="#000000">Price and features color="#000000">Price of the printer Drivers for multiple platforms Warranty Total	size="2" color="#000000">31 13 6 50
face="Arial" size="2">Click here to see printers at a glance and the results .

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