Lexmark Z31 Inkjet Printer

• 1,200 x 1,200 dpi resolution
• Up to 8 ppm black, up to 3.5 ppm color
• Accu-Feed paper handling
• 1-click printer driver software installation
• Ink level and job status indicators

To set up the Z31, we followed the getting started guide: we unpacked the printer, connected the parallel cable to our computer, connected the external AC power supply, installed the ink cartridges, loaded the paper into the paper tray, and installed the software. Next, the Z31 driver guided us through aligning the print heads. Finally, the Lexmark Instant Calendar application started automatically and printed a sample calendar page. The entire setup process was straightforward and took about 20 minutes.

In our tests of the Z31, we printed a variety of fonts and font sizes using each of the printer's three modes: Quick Print (600 dpi), Normal (600 dpi), and High (1,200 dpi). For black text, we printed three Quick Print pages in 45 seconds (4 ppm), three Normal pages in one minute and 19 seconds (2.3 ppm), and three High Quality pages in seven minutes and seven seconds (0.42 ppm). Similarly, for mixed color and black text, the results were 1.9 ppm, 0.97 ppm, and 0.25 ppm, respectively. (During our test, the printer driver provided audible status messages.)

The Quick Print samples showed some banding and stray ink dots, and the black text was slightly faded. Colors were also faded and not entirely accurate--red text appeared orange, and pink text appeared lavender. Normal samples showed modest improvement and sharper text. High Quality text samples were very sharp and colors were much bolder and truer to the original, but pink text still appeared lavender.

We printed a 6-by-8-inch color photograph in all three modes, with speeds of 0.57 ppm, 0.27 ppm, and 0.18 ppm, respectively. The Quick Print sample suffered from pixelation and faded color. The Normal sample was remarkably improved, showed no banding, and looked reasonably sharp even on ordinary paper. The High Quality printout was slightly better than the Normal one, and took more time than we expected (five minutes and 35 seconds).

Overall, the Z31 produces sharp text, bright colors, and lovely photographs, especially in High Quality mode. However, its slow printing speed in Hiqh Quality mode and tendency toward variation in color text in Quick Print mode may disqualify it among some demanding users.

Pros:

• Quick and easy setup
• Sharp text printing

Cons:

• Colors not perfectly accurate in Quick Print mode
• Relatively low color printing