We are having a custom 8.5 x 11 form created for us using 100 pound cover (CS1). It contains a gift card on one side, a perf down the middle, and a peel out shipping label on the other side. The whole form will be will be pre-printed on an offset press, and the form will be die cut and adhesive applied when I get it. AKA, the form will be ready when it arrives.

My requirements:
1. Only need to print black. Just a card message, shipping label, and barcodes.
2. A normal day is 300 sheets...for the month of December we run 5,000 a day.
3. Good paper capacity. (IE 300-500 sheets)
4. I need at least one, and ideally two of these printers.
5. I’d like to spend $2k each if I could.
6. A Straight paper path would be great, but not required.

What I’m finding:
1. 8pt / 85 pound cover would be easy. But we really want 10-12pt.
2. If the printer does it, it’s only through the bypass tray…or about 50-80 sheets.
3. The Xante Ilumina would be perfect except it’s very expensive.

Please help us find the right printer.

I wonder if an inkjet addressing system or even a set of business class inkjets would do the trick for this? With light ink coverage the ink cost isn't a factor; with small print area the speed could be equal to a laser on heavy stock. The only big problem is finding an inkjet ink that will set quickly enough on the coated stock.

The Ilumina would be ideal if you could get a set used (they're dreadfully expensive per sheet to print with but since your coverage is low, not an issue; and since your actual print requirements are extremely modest, I wouldn't worry about not having service.) Unfortunately there aren't enough Iluminas out there to come up in the used markets.

We thought about ink jets, we are just supremely worried about the ink drying.
Essentially this is a high-pressure, order fulfillment application and the need for the solution to be simple yet reliable is very high. A package not arriving because the ink smudged and skewed the barcode just isn’t going to work.