The Xerox Phaser 8550 is a solid ink printer with the small to medium office in mind. Solid ink printers are known for their simple maintenance and ease of use, and in this respect, the Phaser 8550 does not disappoint versus the more cumbersome toner based models, and costs are lower than HP 3600 toner, for example. On a typical laser printer, replacing a toner cartridge can be a very simple task or an extremely difficult one depending on the design. The Xerox 8550 ink technology makes replacing ink an extremely simple process. Its ink comes in solid blocks that are clearly marked and also designed in such a way that it is impossible to insert a block into the wrong slot.
There are four models in the line. The 8550 is the base model, the 8550N adds networking, the 8550DN adds duplexing, and the 8550GN, which adds extra paper capacity.
Print quality is somewhat mixed. Text looks generally sharp, but can tend to be a little blurry on some edges upon close inspection. Graphics and color prints, on the other hand, are more defined and less blocky than the average laser prints. Solid ink models are known to excel at graphics printing, and the 8550 proves this point well. Photo printing is better than most color laser prints, especially using the unit’s “photo mode”, with good color saturation and even tones, but is still not as good as a dedicated photo printer.
An interesting feature worth noting is the Phaser Installer, which allows a user to connect the Phaser to a computer, press a button, and have the unit install itself on the computer, including drivers and software. This certainly simplifies what can be a tedious process. Its embedded software allows most options and status to be viewed and configured from any computer on the network. The Xerox 8550 solid ink technology also reduces waste and lowers the cost of operating, saving money. The Phaser 8550 ink sticks are extremely easy to replace. Xerox 8550 ink also tends to look better on plain paper than most lasers.
Overall, the Phaser 8550 is an impressive machine with some great standout features. While its print quality fails to match lasers in some ways, the cost of operation and some of the “green” appeal of the Xerox ink technology will win some buyers over.
