The sections below will help you pick a printer for your office. PCC supports many printer alternatives, but some printers do not have the necessary features for Partner printing.
The following rules should guide your printer selection.
Important Shopping Questions: When shopping for a printer for your business, consider the following questions.
Is the printer you have chosen network capable or network aware?
Does the printer you have chosen support PCL 5, PCL 6, or standard Postscript emulation natively?
Can the printer you have chosen meet the printing demands of a busy office? How many pages per day will your printer need to print?
Do you have a Cat 5 network outlet near the location for your new printer?
Do you have an available port on your network switch or hub?
Network vs. Stand-Alone Printers: PCC recommends you purchase network-ready printers. A network printer offers a shared resource to your office that is more economical than a series of stand-alone printers. A networked printer will help you avoid the cost of maintenance and administration to individual printers. Network business printers have a more robust design and will lead to fewer service calls and replacement costs. The initial purchase price of a network-aware printer may be higher, but the extended life and decreased maintenance costs will be a benefit to your office.
Ethernet Network vs. Serial Network: Always speak with PCC's Technical Solutions Team (1-800-722-1082, x2) to determine whether you need an ethernet network-ready printer or a printer with a serial card. Depending on the type of network in your office, you may need to purchase a print server or serial card in order for Partner to print to your new printer.
PCC's Technical Solutions team has an extensive list of printers that work with Partner. The sections below describe only those printers that we have tested and can confidently recommend; other printer solutions may be available. Contact PCC Support at (800)722-1082 x2 to discuss your printer options or to check on the compatibility of a specific printer model.
These are the ideal printers for the busy practice: quiet, fast, and reliable, with professional quality printouts. In addition to the models listed, PCC clients have had great success with the HP 2430, 4000, 4050, and 4100 series printers. Though discontinued, these models can still be found through some vendors.
Sometimes HP printers come with a number and a code letter: HP 4050N, HP 4300TN, etc. What do all the letters mean?
N is for "Network." A printer with this letter can plug directly into your network without additional cost for a print server.
T stands for "Tray." A printer with this letter has an extra tray for more paper or different kinds of paper, such as letterhead paper.
D stands for "Duplexer." A printer with this letter has an attached device that allows you to print double-sided pages.
MFP stands for "Multi-Function Printer." See those which work with Partner below.
Experience shows us that these printers are well worth the investment. They handle high volume printing better than consumer model printers. They are all laser printers, which use ink cartridges that are far more affordable per-page than those used by "cheaper" ink-jet printers. They also work flawlessly with all of your Partner printing needs, particularly because they have an adjustable form length.
PCC is working to expand their list of supported printers. While we will always recommend the most durable, business class printers for a busy office, we understand that your printing needs may vary. We make every effort to allow Partner software to print to different models of printers.
We have installed several Kyocera and Ricoh printer models in our client offices with complete success and Partner compatibility.
Kyocera: FS-1900, FS-2000, FS-3900, FS-4000
Ricoh: Aficio AP4## Series
When you want a copier, scanner, fax machine, and printer all in one device, you want a "Multi-Function Printer." PCC technicians have tested two popular models and can support you and help you connect them to your Partner network.
HP LaserJet 3380 All-in-One
An affordable MFP. Requires a print server to work on your network.
HP LaserJet 4101 MFP
A larger MFP that holds more paper and includes double-sided printing capabilities.
Okidata 520 printers are an economical option for printing HCFA forms, mailing labels, postcards, and data mailer bills.
Note: PCC recommends electronic claim submission and ebills rather than in-office printing of claims and personal bills.
520 and 320 Turbo Are Not Supported. The Okidata "Turbo" models are not Partner compatible. The standard 320 and 520 models are.
If your printer does not ship "Network Ready," with an ethernet card, you will need to purchase a print server to put your printer on your network. PCC recommends the following print server:
HP DirectJet 170x
A reliable, general purpose print server that will allow your printer to be added to your network. You can purchase the HP 170x through Hewlett-Packard's Web site.
Please contact PCC at 1-800-722-1082, x2, if you have any questions about network printing.