The Lexmark Optra E250 Printer – Great For Graphic Reproduction

by erin on March 7, 2010

Lexmark is well known as a manufacturer of a wide variety of printers to meet every need, from simple models designed for students and home use to mega models capable of handling heavy-duty business needs. The Lexmark Optra E250 Printer is a solid black and white laser printer, perfect for the dorm or the home office.  A nice feature is that the Lexmark Optra E250 toner cartridge comes with the printer, and provides the buyer with 1500 pages to get started.

This model costs about $250 and comes with a built-in duplexer. There are actually two models available in this series. The E250dn has network capabilities while the E250d model is $50 cheaper for those who do not need networking. Surprisingly, both models are a little on the slow end when it comes to printing text but blow through graphic prints with amazing speed. Lexmark Optra E250 toner is also able to be found at a reasonable price.

Quality is the name of the game when it comes to this printer. Graphic prints have clear and sharp detail with good progression when it comes to the grayscale.  When it comes to text, the E250 shines here too, with clean and crisp output.

In regards to performance, the Lexmark Optra E250 Printer does lose points for the slow reproduction speed when it comes to text prints. The average rate for text is just over 11 pages a minute. On the other hand, this printer rocks graphic printing, averaging just over 20 pages a minute, and the best in its class when compared to other printers on the market.

Lexmark offers its customer a great toner cartridge return, an appealing feature to people who are trying to take small steps to reduce their personal carbon footprint.  E250 models have a two-part cartridge, which is a great design feature as the photoconductor lasts longer than the toner. There is no need to get rid of a component that is still in good shape just because the toner runs out.

Those who participate in the return program agree to use their toner cartridge one time only and send the empty model back to Lexmark who recycles or reuses them. For this, the owner gets their replacement cartridge for $132, a discounted price.  This makes the price per page about 3.8 cents, which is a little high for a black and white printer, but one should remember that the printer itself is only $250.

Auto-duplexing is the one feature that separates this model from others in its price range.  The ability to print on both sides is a great cost saver. It is rare to find a home-oriented printer that does not require the user to hand feed the paper to get two-sided copies.  Like Lexmark’s E300 series printers, the E250 is small and weighs about 25 pounds, great for the student who has to lug the printer in and out of the dorm a few times a year.

In summary, the Lexmark Optra E250 printer is a solid choice for home and student use, but may not keep up to the demands of a small business office. The quality of its prints in both graphics and text are excellent largely in part because of the quality of Lexmark toner. The Lexmark Optra E250 toner cartridges have a unique two part design and the company’s recycling program is both a great value and environmentally responsible. You can find replacement toner at good prices online.

Comments on this entry are closed.

Previous post:

Next post: