When looking to print anything larger than the standard A4 colour copy at a printer’s you generally need to take out a bank loan. Going in-house is one solution to cut costs.

Oki’s C8600 is a fairly compact A3/A4 colour laser printer. Weighing 40kg the ­machine is a bit hefty for the average desk top, but that’s not what it’s for. The printer has a base tray with a capacity for 300 sheets. Above this there is an auxiliary tray which holds up to 100 sheets – which we found handy for special media options. It also has a backlit LCD control panel which follows the function over form ethos we’ve come to appreciate in the Oki brand.  

As in our review of the Oki C5950n we found this machine ungainly. The point, however, is that it is not as ungainly as most of its competitors. The Oki’s speed and print quality are its defining features. Printing 20+ ppm at 1200 x 600 dpi in truly vibrant and solid colour the C8600 is a versatile unit.