Lexmark MX6500E manual Selecting preprinted forms and letterhead

Paper and specialty media guide 86

To help avoid paper jams and poor print quality:

•Always use new, undamaged paper.

•Before loading paper, know the recommended printable side of the paper. This information is usually indicated on the paper package.

•Do not use paper that has been cut or trimmed by hand.

•Do not mix paper sizes, types, or weights in the same tray; mixing results in jams.

•Do not use coated papers unless they are specifically designed for electrophotographic printing.

Selecting preprinted forms and letterhead

•Use grain long for 60–90‑g/m2(16–24‑lb) paper.

•Use only forms and letterhead printed using an offset lithographic or engraved printing process.

•Avoid paper with rough or heavily textured surfaces.

•Use inks that are not affected by the resin in toner. Inks that are oxidation‑set or oil‑based generally meet these requirements; latex inks might not.

•Print samples on preprinted forms and letterheads considered for use before buying large quantities. This determines whether or not the ink in the preprinted form or letterhead will affect print quality.

•When in doubt, contact your paper supplier.

Using recycled paper and other office papers

As an environmentally conscientious company, Lexmark supports the use of recycled paper produced specifically for use in laser (electrophotographic) printers.

While no blanket statement can be made that all recycled paper will feed well, Lexmark consistently tests papers that represent recycled cut size copier papers available on the global market. This scientific testing is conducted with rigor and discipline. Many factors are taken into consideration both separately and as a whole, including the following:

•Amount of post-consumer waste (Lexmark tests up to 100% post-consumer waste content.)

•Temperature and humidity conditions (Testing chambers simulate climates from all over the world.)

•Moisture content (Business papers should have low moisture: 4–5%.)

•Bending resistance and proper stiffness means optimum feeding through the printer.

•Thickness (impacts how much can be loaded into a tray)

•Surface roughness (measured in Sheffield units, impacts print clarity and how well toner fuses to the paper)

•Surface friction (determines how easily sheets can be separated)

•Grain and formation (impacts curling, which also influences the mechanics of how the paper behaves as it moves through the printer)

•Brightness and texture (look and feel)

Recycled papers are better than ever; however, the amount of recycled content in a paper affects the degree of control over foreign matter. And while recycled papers are one good path to printing in an environmentally responsible manner, they are not perfect. The energy required to de-ink and deal with additives such as colorants and “glue” often generates more carbon emissions than does normal paper production. However, using recycled papers enables better resource management overall.

Lexmark concerns itself with the responsible use of paper in general based on life cycle assessments of its products. To gain a better understanding of the impact of printers on the environment, the company commissioned a number of life cycle assessments and found that paper was identified as the primary contributor (up to 80%) of carbon emissions