Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

Question

New laser printer for my Mac

by Aug 5, 2011 10:14AM PDT

My old HP LaserJet 4ML has broken, at last. I tried an HP LaserJet with PostScript, but it came dead, and HP, which considers it a business printer, for some reason doesn't have customer support for business printers except during business hours. I work at home every day and can't be restricted that way.

Back it went, and I ordered a Brother HL-2270DW, which was reported to have great print quality (but had only PCL6 PostScript emulation). Printouts are pale, and I'm not getting WYSIWYG. Both matter to me, both in text and other print. I might have been able to live with the lack of exactitude in WYSIWYG, but since Brother couldn't do anything about the paleness, so the printer is going back to the store, regardless. (One review of that printer mentioned paleness in print quality; many, many others praised its darkness and clarity.)

I could just get another of the same model (it's a very good size for me), but I could also consider a printer with PostScript. The problem is that although Mac OS has always come with printer PPDs (used with PostScript), there are fewer and fewer personal laser printers with true PostScript, quite a few for PC only and most in very large sizes and prices to match. Even one that I am seriously considering, the Brother HL-5370DW (more bells and whistles than I need but that's OK), has BR-3, which Brother says is PostScript but is their own kind, not Adobe's. It also has IBM and Epson PS emulations and PCL6, another emulation. I really don't know whether BR-3 will produce the same output as true PostScript does. Does anyone know more about BR-3 than I have been able to find?

I am also open to other suggestions. Does anyone have any? Or could you, at least, inform me more about PostScript and its emulations, their quality, anything that might enable me to make a more informed decision, this time? Print quality is extremely important to me (and my old HP printer had PS Levels 1 and 2), but I can't have anything very big, and it would be good to have choices about paper media, paper sizes and so on. Yes, I know I'm sounding fussy, but don't we all have strong preferences?

Thanks to anyone who has ideas about this. I know this is not about Mac hardware, exactly, but people who don't have Macs really don't have the experience or outlook about our particular computers, so I hope you will have perspective on my situation that they might not have.

Many thanks,

Jenny

Discussion is locked

4 Posts
- Collapse + Expand Details
- Collapse -
Answer
Cross posted.
by Forum moderator Aug 5, 2011 10:27AM PDT

Be sure to state when you do that!

- Collapse -
I didn't know that was not permitted
by jennywren1420 Aug 5, 2011 10:40AM PDT

when one post was specific to the Mac and the questions were not exactly the same (though the substance of the hoped-for results were). Very sorry!

Tell me, please, which would be the better place to post my questions about the printer? Peripherals (the general list) or Mac forums? That way I won't make a mistake. I have found that when I post to non-Mac forums, I get either no
responses or ones that pertain only to Windows. But the actual printers
are not exclusively for Mac users, so using a Mac forum may not be the
best? An answer would be welcome, but whichever one is the better, I won't cross-post again.

Jenny

- Collapse -
Both is fine but
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Aug 7, 2011 2:15AM PDT

By leaving out the reference to the other post we see duplication in effort and conflicting advice as details differ in the posts.

Feel free to cross post but tell when you do and try to avoid it.
Bob

- Collapse -
Answer
Returning printer, still hoping for help
by Aug 6, 2011 11:39PM PDT

I still am not sure what to do. I was hoping that someone would know more than I do about BR-3, the supposed Brother PostScript feature, because I wanted to exchange the printer, and not just return it. I don't know whether BR-3 is better than PCL6, a PS emulator. I see that there also are Epson and IBM features on the printer I thought of replacing the 2270DW with, but I don't know whether those are emulators or true PostScript like the Adobe PS.

The rest of my message still is relevant, though. I really wanted a printer with the best print quality possible. As I said, the first printer I got had PostScript, but besides the fact that it was dead when it came, I can't afford not to be able to get tech support only on weekdays, during business hours. Very strange that HP does it that way, but there you have it. You can't even talk to a person to ask why, because you have to go through the automated intro, and introducing the model number gets you only to a message saying to call during business hours. Well, my business hours can be up to round the clock.

Well, I would have liked to have more information, but I shall proceed on my own. Thanks, anyway.

Jenny

Back to Mac Hardware forum

CNET Forums

Operating Systems
Software
Electronics & Gadgets
Hardware
Tablets & Mobile Devices
General Help
Brand Forums
Roadshow Autos
Off Topic

Other Forums

Forum Info