Review: Xerox Phaser 6120 laser printer

The most expensive printer here, Xerox's Phaser 6120 looks like a trendier brother to Konica Minolta’s Magicolor 2430DL, finished in blue and white but otherwise identical on the exterior.

Like the 2430DL it offers an engine with 20ppm mono and 5ppm colour print speeds, although consumables are priced differently and, in the case of the photoconductor unit, rated for very different page yields.

The photoconductor in the 2430DL is rated to last twice as long as the similarly priced unit in the Phaser 6120, making the latter more expensive to run.

The Phaser 6120 supports an optional hard disk, which you can use to store fonts and forms, as well as perform electronic collation.

It also allows you to proof the first print from a multiple copy run and then enable printing of the remaining copies from the front panel.

Secure printing lets you to send your print job to the printer but delays output until you are physically in front of it and have entered your password.

The Windows printer driver includes features such as booklet printing, driver macros which let you set up favourite configurations, N-up printing and two-way communication so you can get alerts at your desktop.

The printer comes with Postscript 3, PCL6, 5c and 5e emulations for maximum multiplatform capability and performance. Like the Magicolor 2430DL, the Phaser 6120 supports optional automatic duplex printing and a lower 500-sheet paper tray.

Although it missed out on top honours, we were pleased with the print quality from the Phaser 6120 and its Pantone-approved colours will be useful to graphic artists and those involved in pre-press proofing.

Excellent features and software support combined with touches such as progress indicators on the front panel, make this a ‘deluxe’ option for persona l use or a good lower-cost addition to any existing Xerox printers.

This is part of a group test on budget colour laser printers. Other articles are:
Introduction and editor's choice
Canon Laser Shot LBP 5200
Dell 3100cn
Epson Aculaser C1100N
HP Color Laserjet 2600n
Konica Minolta Magicolor 2430DL
Lexmark C510n
Oki C3200
Xerox Phaser 6120
The Real Cost of Printing