Konica Minolta C6500
PrintWeek, 20 February 2009
DP Direct managing director Nick Claxon has dipped a toe into digital colour print with this machine, chosen for its price and good image quality
What is it?
It’s a digital printer.
What does the machine do?
We use it to print all our colour digital work.
Why did you choose this particular machine?
There were three reasons why we opted for the C6500: economics, quality of images and paper stock range.
Did you look at any other similar machines?
We’d decided to dip our toe into digital colour print and the cost of HP Indigo presses was too great, so this machine provided a good low-risk option.
Why did you make the purchase?
It was down to a blend of providing back-up cover for our existing machines and getting into the digital colour market.
What features do you particularly like?
We like the large-capacity tray, the colour quality, the touchscreen and the SRA3 capability.
Is there anything that you dislike?
The capacity of the other paper drawers is too small.
Is there anything that you wish it had that it doesn’t?
A proper counter that gives actual counts as it prints.
How fast is it?
At top speed it can print 65 A4 pages per minute.
How reliable is it?
It’s no worse than our existing digital kit.
What’s the quality like?
We and our clients are extremely pleased with the quality.
How easy is it to use?
All our production staff find it easy to use.
How much time or money has it saved?
This is difficult to quantify. The gain has been in new customers and the ability to run paper stock that we would not have been able to run previously.
Has it won you any new work?
Yes. Take-up among existing clients has been good and we’ve acquired at least two new customers who continue to book in jobs on the machine.
Would you say that it offers value for money?
Yes.
Were there any difficulties experienced during the installation or after?
No.
What about the pre- and after-sale service?
The service has been very good throughout.
Who do you think the machine is right for?
We think that the machine is excellent for office use and small production runs.
Under what circumstances would you buy another?
When the opportunity arises, we’d be more likely to acquire the next model up in the Konica Minolta range.
CONCLUSION
User’s verdict
Speed 3/5
Quality 4/5
Reliability 4/5
Value for money 5/5
Supplier’s response
Gerry Mulvaney, managing director of Danwood’s graphics and production systems division, says: “DP Direct are very typical of the type of customer we have for the Konica Minolta C6500. They are first-time digital colour users with a wide range of jobs going through the device. The quality that their customers comment on is, in a large part, due to the unique toner technology that Konica Minolta has developed for this unit, which produces a much wider range of colours than other toner devices. It is very popular in corporate and public sector print rooms for the same reasons that Nick has identified: speed, productivity and cost effectiveness.”
