High Quality Low Skew Printer recommendation

I currently run a one person stationery business that prints on heavy (80-100lb) stock and also offers customized stickers. I run on an OKIData c711n printer. The quality is fine for the paper products but is seriously lacking on the sticker quality. If I try to print a solid color sticker the banding and "ink" dots make it look like a consumer grade printer. One thing I do love about the okidata is the straight paper path feed.

Can someone suggest a laser printer with high quality graphics with very very low to no skew? I need the sticker sheets to print consistently straight.

I've been looking at the xerox 7500 & 7800 but am worried about the curved paper path. I'd like to keep the budget at or under $5k.

I know there are also "Production Printers" and "Digital Presses" but I don't know the first thing about them and so I'm overwhelmed. Can I even get anything like that for my budget? Are they even what I would need?