Ricoh Aficio MP 1350, User Manual

Page 1: ...rved The license under which this document is made available and applicable law prohibit any reproduction or further transmission of any portion of this document This document may only be viewed electronically through the www BERTL com Web site and may not be stored in electronic or hard copy format Any reproduction of trademarks is strictly ...

Page 2: ...e 13 Status Monitoring 14 Job Queue Reporting 14 Security Settings 15 Address Book Management 16 Cost Control Reporting 16 Scan Templates 16 Email Notification Alerts 17 Job Log Management 17 Security 18 Security Features Summary 18 What We Liked 19 What We Would Like to See 19 Page 2 Ricoh Aficio MP1350 Copyright 2006 MCA Internet LLC dba BERTL 13 November 2006 All Rights Reserved The license und...

Page 3: ...sibility for Paper Refilling 20 User Accessibility for Paper Jam Removal 20 What We Liked 20 What We Would Like to See 20 Copy 21 Copy Features Summary 21 What We Liked 22 What We Would Like to See 22 Image Quality 23 Print on Demand 25 Document Server from Control Panel 26 Document Server from Printer Driver 27 Document Server from Web Browser 28 What We Liked 29 What We Would Like to See 29 Prin...

Page 4: ... up to 6 500 sheet 13 x 18 online paper capacity and twin cover inserters all place the MP1350 in the high volume production bracket BERTL analysts during their first evaluation of the MP1350 were provided with this device equipped with Ricoh s own embedded print controller This controller is clearly designed to accommodate the front office user and workflow demands rather than those in a light pr...

Page 5: ...paper source configuration Standard paper trays typically are universal or adjustable trays that can accommodate a wide range of paper supplies Paper upgrade options on some devices include additional universal trays or a high capacity tandem drawer A tandem drawer maximizes letter capacity by accommodating dual stacks of paper side by side However larger sized paper supplies cannot be loaded To r...

Page 6: ...d to see that opening the paper decks is now facilitated via a handle that can be gripped from above or below This makes the process easier than the bottom gripping design of previous generation products WHAT WE LIKED The Ability to reload one side of the tandem drawer while the other side is loaded and feeding paper into the run allows other media sources to be used for other stocks Ejection of u...

Page 7: ...d finishing solutions This leaves the print devices to just focus on creating the printed sheets In this workflow the stacking becomes more critical with production buyers looking for tight document alignment So sets can be picked up and loaded into the finisher unit Maximum Output Capacity 3 500 sheets Duplex Capability Standard Maximum Paper Weight Through Duplex Unit 80 lb cover Maximum Staplin...

Page 8: ...ents that the device offers users in contrast to rival devices The Z fold option allows ledger sized documents to be folded and bound into a letter sized document in a flush format This is a useful feature that allows documents that incorporate financial spreadsheets engineering plans maps and large scale diagrams schematics etc to be included within a bound letter sized document workflow The abil...

Page 9: ...themselves with is the occasional paper jam As a general rule the faster the device engine and the more paper handling options the more complex the process of removing a paper jam is Common jam sources come from the duplex unit and poor loading of paper supplies The position of the duplex unit can be a major factor in the ease of paper jams and the method of loading paper supplies can be a factor ...

Page 10: ...am Removal Routine Maintenance The complex paper path on the Ricoh Aficio MP1350 makes paper jam removal a multi stage process and often requires multiple sheets to be removed from around the device paper path The instructions provided on the large color touch screen are well laid out with moving displays that walk the user through each step of the process Each area within the de vice was well lab...

Page 11: ...pplies are accessed from a small panel to the side of the main engine access doors The access door to the toner refilling points can be opened without disrupting the printing process The dual toner supply allows for long uninterrupted printing and allows for refilling on the fly during a print run Users simply press in the green tab to release the toner bottle then turn the bottle to remove it fro...

Page 12: ...ed document viewing to check print on demand files or incoming faxes and for the more advanced the creation of scan to email or scan to file destination templates Administrators An office or network manager looks for greater control over the device functionality and setup without leaving their desk They may be looking to manage network setup establish security for IP filter ranges apply cost contr...

Page 13: ...r advantage to the adminIT depart ment who can navigate and manage devices across an entire fleet easily The queue manager provides a full list of print jobs includ ing page and set quantities This gives desktop users a good feel for the print workflow lined up for processing Design of the device management interface from both the desktop and walk up panel are very user friendly allowing for quick...

Page 14: ... includes the option to change the order of jobs and to delete jobs These functions are not available to desktop users but can be accessed using the walk up touch screen panel Walk up and desktop queue management al lows multiple jobs to be deleted at once This allows administrators to quickly remove jobs that have been sent repeatedly From the touch screen panel users can also view the jobs in pr...

Page 15: ...y inaccuracies or omissions contained in this document Page 15 Ricoh Aficio MP1350 Security Settings Extensive security measures available for the Ricoh Aficio MP1350 can all be administered using the WebImageMonitor Administrators and IT support staff have a fast intuitive method to safeguard the device and information flowing through it See more information on security measures in the Security s...

Page 16: ...ne address book plus two one touch number subsets 1 to 5 and 1 to 10 This along with the extensive search capabilities makes the communication process of the Ricoh Aficio MP1350 very efficient Scan Templates Scan templates are set up within the address book feature Users can set up scan to file templates using SMB FTP and NCP protocols SMB is further facilitated by the use of a browser utility all...

Page 17: ...cument Page 17 Ricoh Aficio MP1350 Email Notification Alerts The WebImageMonitor gives administrators the ability to set up four separate email list groups This can be used to inform the most relevant party when issues arise at the device BERTL set up three email notification groups a local administrator for non technical routine maintenance tasks IT support for technical problems and purchasing w...

Page 18: ...ernment approved test facil ity Many manufacturers get this certification to satisfy gov ernment security requirements and it is a requisite for many government agencies and contractors Most MFP devices pass evaluation assurance level EAL 2 with some aiming higher at EAL 3 The higher the level and the more extensive the testing the more secure the security features are deemed Controlling Access On...

Page 19: ...ers to gain access to the network through the MFP With the Background Numbering in Copy mode unique copies of confidential documents distributed at meetings can be signed out to each participant Document leaks are then easy to trace back to the original recipient The Unauthorized Copy mode within the print driver al lows printed documents to be produced with a back ground that generates a security...

Page 20: ... not accessible to those with physical impairments For this reason and the corporate world s increased focus on delivering a better work envi ronment for all user friendly features for physically impaired users are considered more often Common design features include tilting control panels which give wheelchair bound users a better view of the screen and larger display options for those with impai...

Page 21: ...ls faster email notification when the job has finished eliminating the guesswork of when to return to the device to collect the job or the ability to build a job using a mix of pages scanned from the document feeder and platen Features or Benefits Many copy features that are overlooked by the masses are critical time savers in niche workflow environments For example medical offices or car dealersh...

Page 22: ...to a good level We liked the extensive batch job build capabilities including the ability to change media sizes original type and reduction enlargement There is a wide range of document production capabilities including extensive page stamping features including one for bates type numbering applications A simplified display makes navigation of basic functions even easier and faster and aids those ...

Page 23: ... units Only the very finest fine line patterns started to break up a little and then only to the trained eye Image Quality The image quality from the Ricoh Aficio MP1350 was to a high standard across a wide range of document types using Text Text Photo and Photo modes This is in part due to the 4 bit CCD scanning technology in the color scanning enabled document feeder This allows a better quality...

Page 24: ...h of the house was reproduced better than Text mode with more detail being captured and only the most subtle shades losing some detail The portrait was a little grainy but to an acceptable standard with a lot more detail than Text mode Text Reproduction of the map was high quality with interpretations of color being well reproduced and a high degree of legibility in fine text and detailing The pho...

Page 25: ...ry storage Ricoh has been an innovator and leader in the field of print on demand in MFPs for many years ever since the introduction of its Document Server technology The Document Server takes advantage of the large hard drive storage facility providing walk up desktop and remote users with the ability to store documents for future use While some manufacturers are introducing their first print on ...

Page 26: ...P1350 Print On Demand Document Server from Control Panel From the control panel walk up users can view document thumb nails or view lists of files stored in the Document Server To check if the document is correct prior to printing the Ricoh Aficio MP1350 also includes a full document Pre view mode with zoom capability This is a feature that BERTL has been asking for since Ricoh intro duced its Doc...

Page 27: ...lly through the www BERTL com Web site and may not be stored in electronic or hard copy format Any reproduction of trademarks is strictly prohibited BERTL accepts no responsibility for any inaccuracies or omissions contained in this document Page 27 Ricoh Aficio MP1350 Print On Demand Document Server from Printer Driver From the printer driver desktop users can route files di rectly into the Docum...

Page 28: ...d documents using the WebImageMonitor and can search documents by file user name or by date stored Desktop users can print one or more jobs taking advan tage of the full printing functionality of the device While multiple jobs can be sent to print as a batch all are treated as a single job There is no method of treating them as a single task but separate documents Users can also send documents dir...

Page 29: ...ticated search and retrieve functionality including the ability to filter by user name makes finding documents in heavily used repositories faster than some rival devices WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE The ability to create personal folders within the Document Server rather than using the flat storage design would aid in organization Productivity would be increased by adding the ability to create colla...

Page 30: ...le printing capabilities and more all play a major part Most devices fair better from some of these factors than others and different workflows benefit from one factor more than another It is easy to play judge and pronounce what determines productivity But it will have little merit when evaluating print performance for an end user environment Device A may print Document 1 faster than Device B But...

Page 31: ...faired better with lower bandwidth than PostScript across Word Publisher and PowerPoint yet it still fell behind in output productivity albeit more marginal RPCS again proved to be the most attractive proposition in productivity terms especially on the graphically intensive Publisher file The PCL struggled to output and PostScript failed This resulted in resetting the print job upon delivery at th...

Page 32: ... plan or press release is stapled individually or building plans are in one color plumbing plans in another and electrical plans in another These workflow scenarios put MFPs and printers to task as they demand more than simply the ability to spool RIP and print a file as fast as possible Some manufacturers now include a desktop utility that looks to offer at least some of the answers to the proble...

Page 33: ...separate die punch GBC unit In the screenshot opposite For those looking for more media flexibility the Paper tab allows users to specify a media supply for the front back and chapter insert pages This flexible feature set allows a wide range of professional documents to be produced Chapter mode and user defined modes both allow users to work on any given page within the document applying media ty...

Page 34: ...sers to store all the print settings they need for a job To retrieve these job settings the user simply selects the icon they require When the mouse cursor is moved over an icon a pop up window appears providing more details on the print settings It does take a little time to learn how to use the driver but once the user is familiar the driver offers considerably faster job build times and increas...

Page 35: ...ued To change a custom setting users select the Change Ad Custom Settings icon on the opening screen From there they now have five tabs that can be used to build the job profile The Set up tab has the main media features job delivery mode options and set selection Within the Edit tab users can choose more advanced document production options Multi up Booklet and Sig nature modes provide for effici...

Page 36: ... texture and smooth interpretation of color gradations There was only minor stepping in some of the grayscale sliding scale that we have seen on some other devices and 25 percent grayscale was clearly visible Fonts and fine lines were reproduced to a high standard and registration was tight from page to page and from back to front There was a little breakup on fine scripts printed in reverse mode ...

Page 37: ...ments that are created in applications that do not offer numbering or other capa bilities The Job Binding feature in the RPCS driver coupled with DeskTopBinder utility allows users to combine multiple documents created in single or multiple applications into a single file for batch printing Direct PDF printing capability when the PostScript func tion is added allows users to send large PDF files d...

Page 38: ...he next year Security Security is another hot point in scanning Several devices now include the capability to send scan messages using encrypted PDF or other secure transfer medium This can be an important factor in many industries that are sensitive to data theft or misuse Integration with Third Party Applications The big buzz in the MFP industry is the move toward open architecture where the fir...

Page 39: ...n makes the entry of email addresses on the fly faster and more accurate than many competing sys tems with smaller monochrome alternatives Figure 2 Once the destinations have been selected the email can be personalized through the addition of a preset or man ual message or subject line A sender name and receipt can be set up at this time This ensures that the email is recognized by the recipient a...

Page 40: ...h users to check that each file is to a high enough quality before committing the job to the outgoing transmission queue Another valuable feature that Ricoh has included in the scan function is the ability to attach previously stored files to email functions To do this users select the Select Stored File icon on the lower left side of the scan win dow The user can then browse stored files as file ...

Page 41: ... data at various resolutions using both text and text photo settings Text is the default setting for most OCR work due to its 2 bit format which tends to produce the best text reproduction However as more documents incorporate images and color elements text photo which operates in 8 bit and reproduces gray shades for better reproduction of images and colored text elements is also being used After ...

Page 42: ...al OCR read evaluation had been carried out especially at the lower 200 dpi resolu tion The level of accuracy at 200 dpi Text mode was good with 6 point reporting a 90 percent accuracy rate at all four scan test settings with a clean 100 percent conversion at 8 point The 300 dpi Text mode delivered as expected even bet ter results with 6 point achieving a 100 percent accuracy rating with even 4 po...

Page 43: ...ed to sup port image creation Getting it to your destination is an other The chart below shows the scanning time but also reflects something just as if not more important the time it takes to actually use this image This is a frequently overlooked aspect of scanning There are differing time elements in the actual scan side of the operation but also in the time to desktop BERTL s test included diff...

Page 44: ...better degree Most devices do not allow users to switch be tween different modes in mid scan session The photograph also poses another problem in that the paralegal does not want to run the risk of damaging the photograph by feeding it through the document feeder The paralegal would prefer instead to use the glass platen scanner This again is not possible on some units which limit batch job build ...

Page 45: ...tion rollers which share the workload and maintain a straight feed path Smaller originals like invoices business cards index cards etc may only get captured and fed through the scanner by one set of friction rollers which can result in more crooked mis feeds and jams There is a Perfect Weight The flexibility resistance and other physical factors of standard office grade paper make it the ideal med...

Page 46: ... character recognition or ICR intelligent charac ter recognition software From that point on the form is converted into binary data and routed to a database or document management sys tem where it becomes part of the electronic workflow Rival MFPs can offer 2 bit or 8 bit monochrome scan ning which reduces the bandwidth associated with color scanning But the color data is still present in the docu...

Page 47: ...tion The scan and store function stores the document on the Document Server and emails a link to the recipient allowing them to make the decision when to download the data WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A searchable PDF creation format that converts hard copy into structured electronic information is available only with the GlobalScan option The Mixed Media mode should be more efficient While a useful ...

Page 48: ...large files across to the mail server which could create bottlenecks or worse still get rejected for being over the threshold that the IT administrator set up for the mail server This is even more important when you consider the file sizes created during color scanning tasks There is still a way to go before the device can go toe to toe against production scanners at the higher end with single pas...

Page 49: ...ategic guides look at digital imaging through the eyes of the business user The research examines not only the technical fea tures but also vertical market applications and business benefits The impact on worker productivity is a primary con cern BERTL is 100 percent independent It receives no funding from manufacturers and all product evaluations and reports are published at BERTL s own expense f...