Cheap cheap cheap black printer for low volume envelopes

[jpfulton248]

We have about one or two print/mail jobs per month that are of quantity less than 200 which we do in house.

Current workflow for those small jobs is, run all 9x6 catalog envelopes (flap on short edge) through postage meter with first class mail rate, affix both 1 return label and 1 destination label to each envelope, stuff 5.5x8.5 booklet, seal and wait for mail delivery person to pickup from our office.

I'd like to find an envelope printer that can print 9x6 envelopes. I just need black, I don't care if it can only take a stack of 25 at a time. I can have an employee babysit it. I can manage the VDP in prepress. Inkjet or laser is fine with me though laser probably not ideal. Straight through paper path would be nice. I'm willing to take a flyer on a used machine. Price point is < $1k.

Anybody have any ideas for something like this?

 

[PricelineNegotiator]

We have about one or two print/mail jobs per month that are of quantity less than 200 which we do in house.

Current workflow for those small jobs is, run all 9x6 catalog envelopes (flap on short edge) through postage meter with first class mail rate, affix both 1 return label and 1 destination label to each envelope, stuff 5.5x8.5 booklet, seal and wait for mail delivery person to pickup from our office.

I'd like to find an envelope printer that can print 9x6 envelopes. I just need black, I don't care if it can only take a stack of 25 at a time. I can have an employee babysit it. I can manage the VDP in prepress. Inkjet or laser is fine with me though laser probably not ideal. Straight through paper path would be nice. I'm willing to take a flyer on a used machine. Price point is < $1k.

Anybody have any ideas for something like this?

Just an FYI we could run these on our J75 with little to no wrinkling. Are you having issues running them through the bypass?

 

[kslight]

I could run these with no trouble on our Ricoh 7210. But if you want a dedicated machine, I used to use Xerox Phaser 7500s for envelopes…not fast, can only hold a few envelopes at a time, but I’d think you could find one or similar cheap. Also this little machine would print banner sizes if you had an application for that…those were our primary uses.

 

[printing4me]

In a pinch we have used an Epson Workforce Inkjet to knock out a small envelope run here and there. I don't think I would ever really recommend an inkjet we just happen to have it around for scanning and got desperate enough to try it. Do you not have any production or office laser printers? I have had success with many laser printers over the years for small jobs on devices that are not rated to run envelopes. The straight path you are after is usually accomplished by any type of bypass tray. FYI this will likely wear out your fuser in ways only envelopes do.

 

[jpfulton248]

Just an FYI we could run these on our J75 with little to no wrinkling. Are you having issues running them through the bypass?

Yeah, can't even pull one through the bypass. Part of the issue is determining size though. Did you try with a 6x9 envelope ever? I'm thinking a #10 might work.

 

[jpfulton248]

In a pinch we have used an Epson Workforce Inkjet to knock out a small envelope run here and there. I don't think I would ever really recommend an inkjet we just happen to have it around for scanning and got desperate enough to try it. Do you not have any production or office laser printers? I have had success with many laser printers over the years for small jobs on devices that are not rated to run envelopes. The straight path you are after is usually accomplished by any type of bypass tray. FYI this will likely wear out your fuser in ways only envelopes do.

Yeah, I've got a couple production laser printers with bypass trays but haven't had any success with them despite trying recently and a couple years ago. I think it has something to do with envelope size. My printers require a custom setup for 6x9 envelope and despite doing that custom setup it still isn't happy.

 

[bill kahny]

I've used lots of different desktop lasers and inkjets for envelops. Even ones with envelope fusers and feeders, and have lots of "Boy I'll never do that again" results. The biggest single factor is the envelope itself! Good quality new laser compatible will go through any of them. The envelope box thats been on your shelf for a year, will give the best envelope printer troubles.