DOUBLE SIDED LASER PRINTERS

[NASH]

can anyone recommend a colour laser printer to able to print both sides on card stock

[draig]

You just need one that has duplex facilities. They should state on the specifications if the printer does this.

Sharon

[JSR]

Just because it has duplex, that doesn't mean it can duplex card stock.

For example, I have a Samsung CLP-550N which they say can print up to 160gsm (it will just manage 230gsm) - but if you want to use the duplex, they recommend just 70-90gsm maximum. If you even try 160gsm (which is pretty thin card) then it'll print one side but jam when trying to feed it back in - because card tends to curve as a result of heat and the paper path when printed on a laser printer.

We also have an Officejet with duplex facility, but you wouldn't want to be sending card through it because the rollers used to re-feed and turn the paper are too small to handle anything even remotely thick.

I think if you want to duplex card stock, you're looking at a pretty meaty (and expensive) printer. You may find it more economical just to stick with manual duplexing.

For instance, my non-duplex Epson C1100 has several settings for different thicknesses of paper/card and also several more settings with the same paper/card but for printing on the "back". If you're looking at thick card stock (over 160gsm), though, you'd quickly wear out the paper-feed rollers on a desktop colour laser - even if it says it'll do more at a push (the C1100 will do 220gsm and above but it doesn't half make some alarmingly reluctant noises as it forces the card through it).

[bms]

As JSR says, you might be just as well to print a batch on one side and then turn the card stock over, re-load into the paper tray and then send the second page to print (making sure you have orientated the paper correctly!)

[NASH]

As JSR says, you might be just as well to print a batch on one side and then turn the card stock over, re-load into the paper tray and then send the second page to print (making sure you have orientated the paper correctly!)

i`ve tried this on the epson inkjet printer. it will print one side but when i reload to print the other side this is where it will jam

[bms]

it will print one side but when i reload to print the other side this is where it will jam

Not suffered this with our laser printer. Could this be because the paper is slightly bent from the first print - if you're putting down a lot of ink then the paper might not be so flat. With the laser printers the papers/ card might curl a bit due to the heat, but normally this isn't a problem (or hasn't been for us in the past). Haven't tried it with thicker card stock though.

[NASH]

so Martin which brand of laser printer you`re using

[JSR]

As JSR says, you might be just as well to print a batch on one side and then turn the card stock over, re-load into the paper tray and then send the second page to print (making sure you have orientated the paper correctly!)

i`ve tried this on the epson inkjet printer. it will print one side but when i reload to print the other side this is where it will jam

If you're printing on card, have you set the "thickness" setting in the printer driver?

Older Epson printers (like the 1290S) had a physical thickness lever to open the rollers and lift the printhead, but since then they made it a driver setting that's hidden away.

[bms]

so Martin which brand of laser printer you`re using

We use the Oki C5750 - it's used for daily office printing as well as TMT papers. It has a straight paper path through the printer (if you want) so it doesn't have to pick up and curl paper/ card stock around rollers which makes printing onto thicker stuff easier.