For the last few months we've been working on updating and improving our printer test procedure, making it more thorough, more accurate and more selective.
All of our previous test criteria are affected by the changes to a certain extent.
There hasn't been much change to the Hardware criteria, although these have logically evolved with the latest developments in design.
We've tightened our Speed criteria. While we previously expected the best print speeds to be 10 pages per minute (ppm) at most, we're now looking for models that can print 15 ppm.
The Print quality scoring system has changed radically. We've decided to use a new set of test images to help us rate print quality more effectively. More specifically, these help us evaluate the quality of laser and inkjet models, as well as black and white and colour printing.
We'd like to thank Arthur Azoulay, who tests professional printers for Focus Numérique, for helping us develop our new tests to evaluate Colour fidelity in printers.
We've been wanting to develop a printer colour fidelity test for years, and while it was very complicated to define and to implement, with Arthur's help we've now managed to make it happen. Like in our monitor, TV, smartphone and tablet reviews, this new test means that we'll be able to calculate the average difference between ideal colours and those printed on regular paper and photo paper (dE 94). The higher this average, the less accurately the printer reproduces colours. Those of you who are used to reading our monitor reviews will probably be surprised to see just how high these averages are in printers. Here, for example, is the colour reproduction chart for the Canon i-SENSYS LBP7018C that we're currently in the process of testing. As you can see, it has an average deltaE of 12 on regular A4 paper.
This printer is the perfect example of what's likely to be a common trend in colour printers. In fact, greens and blues (respectively the grass and the sky) are often purposely rendered inaccurately to make these shades look brighter and more flattering. Meanwhile, red shades—often used for skin tones—are likely to be rendered more accurate. Another common characteristic—this time only for laser printers—is that grey shades often come out much darker than on the original test documents.
Manufacturers will no doubt defend this by claiming that the inaccurate colours are 'more flattering'. We've already heard this argument used to justify poor colour fidelity in monitors, TVs, smartphones and tablets. Such products initially reproduced colours that were verging on crazy, as apparently this was what customers preferred. Over the years, however, all of them have progressively toned down their colours for a more natural and more accurate result, at the very least given as an optional setting. Today, it's almost inconceivable to have a monitor or a TV with the kind of way-out colours that were widespread just five years ago. Users must now at least be able to choose for themselves whether they want accurate or 'flattering' colours.
Power use and noise levels: these criteria haven't changed for the time being.
One major change is that while the Cost per page will still be given in each review, it will no longer contribute to the overall score of a printer. As a reader rightly pointed out, price isn't a factor that's taken into account in any of our other reviews. Although it's clearly useful to have an idea of running costs, a great printer should still be considered a great printer no matter how much ink it uses.
While we've always maintained that price isn't taken to account when calculating the final scores of products on our site, printers were, until now, something of an exception. For the sake of consistency, this will no longer be the case. So while you'll still see a separate score given for cost per page, this will have no weighting in the final score of the printer.
We still have a few final tests to carry out over the next few days, but don't be surprised if you start to see the scores changing in our printer reviews, as we're hoping to update them all as soon as possible.
> Buyer's Guide: Printers
> Multifunction Inkjet Printer Reviews
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There hasn't been much change to the Hardware criteria, although these have logically evolved with the latest developments in design.
We've tightened our Speed criteria. While we previously expected the best print speeds to be 10 pages per minute (ppm) at most, we're now looking for models that can print 15 ppm.
The Print quality scoring system has changed radically. We've decided to use a new set of test images to help us rate print quality more effectively. More specifically, these help us evaluate the quality of laser and inkjet models, as well as black and white and colour printing.
We'd like to thank Arthur Azoulay, who tests professional printers for Focus Numérique, for helping us develop our new tests to evaluate Colour fidelity in printers.
We've been wanting to develop a printer colour fidelity test for years, and while it was very complicated to define and to implement, with Arthur's help we've now managed to make it happen. Like in our monitor, TV, smartphone and tablet reviews, this new test means that we'll be able to calculate the average difference between ideal colours and those printed on regular paper and photo paper (dE 94). The higher this average, the less accurately the printer reproduces colours. Those of you who are used to reading our monitor reviews will probably be surprised to see just how high these averages are in printers. Here, for example, is the colour reproduction chart for the Canon i-SENSYS LBP7018C that we're currently in the process of testing. As you can see, it has an average deltaE of 12 on regular A4 paper.
The higher the bar, the greater the difference between the colour requested and the colour printed.
This printer is the perfect example of what's likely to be a common trend in colour printers. In fact, greens and blues (respectively the grass and the sky) are often purposely rendered inaccurately to make these shades look brighter and more flattering. Meanwhile, red shades—often used for skin tones—are likely to be rendered more accurate. Another common characteristic—this time only for laser printers—is that grey shades often come out much darker than on the original test documents.
Manufacturers will no doubt defend this by claiming that the inaccurate colours are 'more flattering'. We've already heard this argument used to justify poor colour fidelity in monitors, TVs, smartphones and tablets. Such products initially reproduced colours that were verging on crazy, as apparently this was what customers preferred. Over the years, however, all of them have progressively toned down their colours for a more natural and more accurate result, at the very least given as an optional setting. Today, it's almost inconceivable to have a monitor or a TV with the kind of way-out colours that were widespread just five years ago. Users must now at least be able to choose for themselves whether they want accurate or 'flattering' colours.
Power use and noise levels: these criteria haven't changed for the time being.
While we've always maintained that price isn't taken to account when calculating the final scores of products on our site, printers were, until now, something of an exception. For the sake of consistency, this will no longer be the case. So while you'll still see a separate score given for cost per page, this will have no weighting in the final score of the printer.
Updated scores
These changes will obviously affect the printers we've already tested, as well as those we're currently in the process of reviewing. Some models will, for example, see their scores go up—in fact, certain Canon and HP printers will be upped to five stars. Other models, however, will see their overall score drop.We still have a few final tests to carry out over the next few days, but don't be surprised if you start to see the scores changing in our printer reviews, as we're hoping to update them all as soon as possible.
> Buyer's Guide: Printers
> Multifunction Inkjet Printer Reviews
> Multifunction Laser Printer Reviews
> Single-Function Laser Printer Reviews
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