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Member Since 1987 |
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Model
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CL7200 base |
CL7200D/
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CL7200DT1/
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CL7200DT2/
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CL7200DL/
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Standard
Paper
Supply |
500 sheets x 2
+100-sheet Bypass |
500 sheets x 3
+100-sheet Bypass |
500 sheets x 4
+100-sheet Bypass |
500 sheets x 2
+100-sheet Bypass
2000-sheet LCT |
| Duplex |
Optional |
Standard |
| CPU |
733 MHz |
| Connectivity |
10/100BaseTX Ethernet and USB 2.0 |
| RAM |
256 MB Standard / up to 512 MB Max |
| HDD |
Optional |
CL7200D-Optional
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Standard |
Standard |
Standard |
Paper
Supply
Options |
1x500-sheet Paper Feed Unit
2x500-sheet Paper Feed Unit
1x2000 Large Capacity Tray
FAC28 Stand |
Not Applicable |
Finishing
Options |
SR960 Sheet Finisher
SR950 Booklet Finisher |
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In Short: The new Aficio CL7200 series is the latest large-format color laser printers from Ricoh and replace the very successful CL7000 and CL7100series. The new versions have improved processing and print speeds but retain the low cost of operation and excellent print quality. Like all color lasers that are capable of printing 11” x 17”, the Ricoh CL7200 series is big and heavy. The printers were relatively simple to setup but it takes two people to unpack and setup. All Ricoh CL7000 models ship with all of their developers and drum units pre-installed. The four toners easily install from the top right of the printer. The driver installation was also fast and seamless. The Ricoh CL7200 is true 1200x1200 DPI color lasers combining a feature rich controller with a fast, state of the art print engine. The end product represents one of the best values in the industry. The text and color images printed during our testing were very sharp even on the smallest of details. The solid color and gradation quality scored consistently high in our testing. The Ricoh CL7200 outperforms the other printers we tested in the same pricerange. The CL7200 models print up to 32 PPM in black & white and 28 PPM in color. All configurations include at least two (2) 500-sheet feeders plus a 100-sheet By-Pass feeder. Now you have three independently addressable input sources for a total capacity of 1100 sheets. This allows you to have three different types and/or sizes of paper loaded all the time for increased productivity. No other printer near this price offers such flexibility out-of-the-box. Also standard are 256MB, a fast Celeron 733MHz processor with Adobe PostScript Level 3, PCL5c, USB, Parallel, and Ethernet 100 Base TX interfaces. The CL7200D includes auto-duplex for two-sided printing. The 7200DT1
The Way We See It
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| Excellent |
| Good |
| Average |
| Poor |
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| Setup |
9.0 |
| Print Quality |
9.3 |
| Speed |
9.0 |
| Paper Handling |
9.2 |
| Supplies |
9.3 |
| Service/Reliabilty |
8.9 |
| TOTAL |
54.7 |
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configuration adds a third 500-sheet feeder and a pedestal. All models have the ability to handle up to 12”x18” or even 12”x 49” banner paper through the by-pass feeder. One very unique and powerful feature enables the CL7200 to print almost all the way to the edge of the page using the PostScript driver. Though Ricoh claims full bleed printing capability, we could not produce a true full bleed sample in our testing. We came very close, meaning the CL7200 has the largest printable region of any color laser we’ve tested on letter, tabloid, and tabloid extra paper sizes. Ricoh offers many upgrade options including a 2000-sheet input feeder, 4-bin mailbox, and finisher for stacking and stapling. Another unique advantage is the ability to upgrade to a true multi-function office machine with color printing, copying, and scanning capability with the addition of the IS300e image scanner.
The Bottom Line: The Ricoh CL7200 series represents the best overall value for large format color lasers. They combine great print quality and above average performance with one of the lowest operating costs around. Ricoh packs a lot of value into the CL7200 with standard features not found in competitively priced models. The Ricoh CL7200D is probably the biggest bang for the buck overall with the additional auto-duplex unit. All configurations work well with the Mac OS, UNIX or the Windows environments. Great print quality, above average performance, great paper handling, and low cost per page all add up to an easy editors choice.
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CL7200 series date of review: 8-21-06
