Customer Reviews

Lexmark Z53 Color Inkjet Printer

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I was looking to upgrade my three year old Hewlett Packard 722C color printer with a newer version that would produce photo quality resolution. Since I have been very pleased with all my HP printers in the past (I own several for business) I immediately gravitated towards them again, only to take a second look when I realized I would have to spend two to three times the price of a Lexmark with similar specs. The Z-52 was VERY well priced, and though the reviews complained it had a voracious appetite for ink, I figured it was probably still a good value if one didn't print like a fiend. (They were discontinuing it, replacing it with the Z-53, virtually the same model, if only ever so slightly faster, and it was available at (a retail shop) for (a good price) with a cable and choice of three additional software programs to boot) I had never owned a Lexmark, and was a little leary, but decided that, for the price, it was probably still a safe bet. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The color tones were nowhere near as natural as the HP's. Now, I should say that have a very discerning eye for color,and some may not be as picky. But, if you prefer Kodak film tones to Agfa, or a Sony Trinitron TV to an RCA, you'll know what I am talking about. Just to experiment, I printed a low VGA quality digital photo on my old HP 722C (300 dpi) and then ran it on the lexmark at a higher resolution (1200x1200 dpi). I then showed it to two not so discerning people who did not know which was which, and each chose the old HP 722C hands down. There was no doubt in my mind that the tones on the older HP were still superior, and the resolution was virtually non-distinguishable. All in all, it's an OK printer I suppose, but sorry to say I will be sending mine back and shelling out for a new HP.

It is extremely difficult to rate a Lexmark printer on a five-star scale, as they have always provided a mixed bag of features, benefits, and aggravations. Since I have used this one quite a bit, I'll chip in my two cents.

THE GOOD: The Z53 puts black text onto paper at high speed and high quality, so it works well as a draft printer. Also, Lexmark should be commended for providing driver support for Linux and the Macintosh.

THE BAD: Many printers of this type rattle at high speeds or jam because of paper curl. The Z53 does not seem to have these problems - perhaps because of its large footprint - but only time will tell. Additionally, I think color prints from an HP just look better, resolution aside.

THE INDIFFERENT: All ink cartridges are overpriced, period.

THE UGLY: To put it politely, some Lexmark inkjets have had a reliability problem. Despite the next day exchange policy, I can not recommend using this printer in a mission-critical environment.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you use this printer to print letters and monochrome drafts, then it's a good product at a great price. If you run Linux, then the Z53 is probably the best inkjet for you on the market. Otherwise, caveat emptor.

This printer was very easy to set up in Windows 98se, NT and 2000. It produces very good quality on documents right out of the box. To get the best photo output you'll need to invest in the photo ink cartridges. Photos that I've printed with the standard color cartridge have a blue tint. The photo ink resolves this issue and produces outstanding results with photo paper. One other note, when switching the inks you must use the printer's setup utility to ensure that the unit knows which type of ink is installed. Results of a mismatch are blurred photos and double printed documents with colors out of place.

While the price of the unit itself is very competitive, the ink cartridges are somewhat expensive. Unlike some other printers, the Lexmark does not have a separate printhead, it's part of the ink cartridge which is the reason for the higher price. Since I've had trouble with printheads on other inkjet printers, the printhead integration in the cartridge was appealing - even at a premium. Print heads can be more costly than a new printer.

This unit has been installed for about 4 months and is used daily by up to four people in a networked environment. Thus far there have been no problems and I continue to be extremely satisfied with the purchase.

I was reading the other reviews and the thought "this must be the person's first inkjet printer" came to mind. ALL printer makers overcharge for ink. Duh! I have no problem using generic ink ($8 black/$10 color) in my Z53, and the photo quality from it is unmatched. Low quality mode is a little TOO low quality, but the 360x360 and higher printer modes are outstanding. You can't do better than this printer (this is my 4th one), especially for this price. Trust me.

I'm very disappointed with my Z53 after upgrading my operating system to Windows XP. There were several functions lost in XP that I used with Win98 and ME. The functions lost included printing banners, posters, booklets, iron ons and so on. Updating the driver from Lexmark for XP did not fix this problem. Lexmark has indicated to me that they do not intend to return the functionality of this printer using XP that I enjoyed with my old operating system.

This printer is awesome if you need a very fast printer, it is one of the fastest inkjets I've seen and is even faster than most personal lasers (if you count in the delay between when you send a document and when a laser printer actually prints). That said the ink cartridges cost almost twice as much as the ones for my Canon printer. I've had mine for two years and I recieved it used from a bussiness where it was networked, never had a problem at all!

My Z53 came free with my Macintosh. While this initially saved me the cost of buying a printer, I was deeply dissatisfied with it. The software that came with the printer didn't include an OS X driver, so I had to go onto Lexmark's site and download one. One of my main problems with this printer was the paper tray. Unlike, say, a HP printer, the paper loads at the top and in the back, which causes numerous problems. First of all, it's a pain to find a place on a small or crowded desk where you can place it and still be able to reach the paper tray. My brother (whose Compaq also came with a Z53) has a vertical desk, so every time he had to load the paper tray he had to both crouch down and lean far in to reach the tray. During the actual process of printing, the paper jams or prints crooked frequently because it doesn't always fall down properly. The paper also seems to vibrate too much: I have printed out many documents where the text had a double image in sections. The print quality itself is grainier than comparable HP printers, and the machine is noticeably louder while it prints. As far as cartridges are concerned, the Lexmark cartridges aren't much different in price than HP's and even cost more in some places. After about a year of frustration, my brother and I replaced our Lexmarks with the HP deskjet 5550. While they are a bit more expensive than the Z53, we have yet to experience any problems like the ones we encountered with our Lexmarks.

I was sold on the affordability, but was I surprised that I would make up the difference in the cost of ink and how much I would have to change it. The pictures I print do have great quality though.

good printer if you don't mind that the paper doesn't feed down correctly. No matter what I do, the paper feeds on a slight angle. I have a lexmark laser at work, that one works flawlessly but this inkjet has some problems..

I OWN AND HAVE OWNED MANY PRINTERS: CANON, HP, EPSON , XEROX AND MANY DIFFERENT LEXMARKS:1100, Z11, Z22, 5770 AND NOW THE Z53. THIS IS THE FASTEST YET.I PRINTED OUT A TORO OWNERS MANUAL OF 28 PAGES IN LESS THAN 5 MINUITES. IT WAS EASY TO INSTALL ON WINDOWS XP AND FOR MY PURPOSES IT PRINTS VERY WELL. I HAVE AN OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA AND IT DOES A GOOD JOB WITH IT'S PICTURES. I'M NOT A PHOTO FANATIC AND THE PRICE WAS MORE THAN RIGHT.THE INK COSTS ARE HIGH, BUT THEY'RE ALL THAT WAY.THERE ARE WAYS TO ECONOMIZE IF THAT'S A PROBLEM.