Quit using pinfed paper

[Dan Lester]

Sorry for belated reply.

At 11:03 PM 10/9/97 -0700, Jian Liu wrote:
>Finally, with more and more of our dos based computers going windows 95
>based, the dot matrix printers become more and more annoying (noisy and
>slow), but we can't just put laser printers out there, for we still want
>to use the continuous printing, to save paper. I know there have been
>several rounds of discussions about printers on this list, but would like
>to know if you have some recent experiences with some printers that are:
>
>1. using continuous paper
>2. fast and quiet
>3. easy to maintain
>4. relatively inexpensive

Excuse me, but I'll disagree with some of the above.  Continuous printing
doesn't save paper at all.  Several reasons come to mind.

1. The paper is actually wider, so any twigs saved from printing to bottom
of page are wasted in printing the carriage strips.  

2. There is essentially no waste in sheet fed laser printing.  

3. On most pinfed printers I've used with the public (we've used a bunch,
and now are using ONLY  Epson LX300 as cheap ($170), incredibly durable
(some over six years of daily usage), and pretty quiet), people TRY to save
paper by ripping off a  half sheet, end up tearing the feed strips in the
tractor, thus requiring waste of several pages to get it restarted.  So, we
try to tell our TreeHuggers to NOT tear off in middle of sheet.

Also, if you check the economics, you'll undoubtedly find as we did:  

Pinfed paper is MUCH more expensive to purchase.  Our pinfed 9.5x11 costs
54 percent MORE per sheet than the 8.5x11 sheets of standard printer/copy
paper.  Even if you need to use banner sheets on network printed output,
you're still money ahead to get away from the pinfed.  Also, as dotmatrix
printers die out, as they will quite soon, the pinfed paper will increase
even more in relation to the sheet paper.  There will be lower demand, and
the costs to produce it, which are already higher due to the equipment
needed, will increase further. 

So, check out your local costs with your supply clerk, and I'll bet that
you find the same thing.

cheers

dan



Dan Lester
dan at 84.com
In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.  Erasmus, 1534