Need some help on a printer selection

[HawgHeaven]

We've owned Lexmark, HP, and Canon color inkjets.

Questions:

A) Do you NEED "photo" quality printing or will simpler color handling (like for graphs) work for ya?

B) And critically, will you be printing often?

If everyday need is simple color or even mostly B/W, only needing photo quality infrequently, thinking of laser. You can probably ask a friend/family to do it if you don't want to go to drugstore or Office Depot or Fedex.

And if not printing often, then laser is the way to go; will save you money in long run. Why? Inkjet cartridges tend to dry out over time, meaning you spend lots more to replaced so-called empty cartridges if not printing at least once a week or every 2 weeks.

Alternatively, you COULD remove each cartridge, put them in an airtight container with a small damp pad (like gauze), and re-install it when want to print again, but what a bloody hassle.

As "near photo quality" was good enough for us for everyday color printing, we bought a Brother color laser around last Christmas. Quite pleased and still on first set of toner cartridges. We do print B/W most times. I ***think*** the printer was $300 including tax. For photo printing, we have someone else do it.

Good luck with it.

Thanks. I just need it for the business, printing out invoices, receipts, etc, and maybe a picture or two. For photo printing, I also have someone else do it.

[Ronin_Jedi]

Thanks. I just need it for the business, printing out invoices, receipts, etc, and maybe a picture or two. For photo printing, I also have someone else do it.

Hey Hawg,

In that case, I'd suggest you get a cheap Color or plain-jane B/W laser. Ours is a Brother, Model MFC-9340CDW, on sale from Office Depot last Christmas. What I like about it is that it uses individual cartridges like inkjets.

Sent from my SM-T713 using Tapatalk

[HawgHeaven]

Hey Hawg,

In that case, I'd suggest you get a cheap Color or plain-jane B/W laser. Ours is a Brother, Model MFC-9340CDW, on sale from Office Depot last Christmas. What I like about it is that it uses individual cartridges like inkjets.

Thanks for the info!

[dcarch]

For laser, you can get all kinds of transfer paper to make special printing. For instance, you can print in shiny chrome/silver. That would allow you to make spectacular invitations.

dcarch

[HawgHeaven]

For laser, you can get all kinds of transfer paper to make special printing. For instance, you can print in shiny chrome/silver. That would allow you to make spectacular invitations.

dcarch

Good info... didn't know that!

[curious aardvark]

Based on my 30 odd years of experience with printers and computers.

Hp are hands down the best quality, their draft settings is on a par with everybody elses normal mode. So same quality but faster and with less ink.

But, hp have gone back to the crappy 2 cartridge system after 2 years making printers that took individual colour cartridges - so their ink costs are once again the highest on the market.

Brothers are a good alternative, the printers cost a litle more but you can use 3rd party ink cartridges, which drops the price right down to the silly mark.
The last decent inkjet printer canon made was the bj10ex about 20 years ago. It was also the first consumer inkjet printer on the market. They've pretty much gone downhill since then.
Epson, I hate them, my mate swears by them (I just swear at them).
Under no circumstances whatesover should you go anywhere near a lexmark !
Nasty, cheap crappy junk - which is why dell gotthem to make the dell branded printers, they were the only manufacturer with standards as low as dell.

All modern inkjets are capable of printing photo quality images. The differences are in how long the ink colour holds it's integrity.

Over here the new hp's come with a cheap ink service. Cost's about £20 a year and when it's running out it tells hp and they send you new cartridges. I'd probably either go for that or a mid range Brother.

Colour laser printers are super expensive to run. black and white ones on the other hand can be very very cheap to both buy and run - but again make sure they'll take a 3rd party toner cartridge.

YOu can get fancy papers for inkjets as well. Got a bunch in my workshop. Some are at least 20 years old. Turns out they're not as useful as you think they're going to be :-)

[HawgHeaven]

Based on my 30 odd years of experience with printers and computers.

Hp are hands down the best quality, their draft settings is on a par with everybody elses normal mode. So same quality but faster and with less ink.

But, hp have gone back to the crappy 2 cartridge system after 2 years making printers that took individual colour cartridges - so their ink costs are once again the highest on the market.

Brothers are a good alternative, the printers cost a litle more but you can use 3rd party ink cartridges, which drops the price right down to the silly mark.
The last decent inkjet printer canon made was the bj10ex about 20 years ago. It was also the first consumer inkjet printer on the market. They've pretty much gone downhill since then.
Epson, I hate them, my mate swears by them (I just swear at them).
Under no circumstances whatesover should you go anywhere near a lexmark !
Nasty, cheap crappy junk - which is why dell gotthem to make the dell branded printers, they were the only manufacturer with standards as low as dell.

All modern inkjets are capable of printing photo quality images. The differences are in how long the ink colour holds it's integrity.

Over here the new hp's come with a cheap ink service. Cost's about £20 a year and when it's running out it tells hp and they send you new cartridges. I'd probably either go for that or a mid range Brother.

Colour laser printers are super expensive to run. black and white ones on the other hand can be very very cheap to both buy and run - but again make sure they'll take a 3rd party toner cartridge.

YOu can get fancy papers for inkjets as well. Got a bunch in my workshop. Some are at least 20 years old. Turns out they're not as useful as you think they're going to be :-)

Great info Alex... thanks!

[DDave]

Well, Alex has me by 10 or so years of experience.

But I would concur. Had real good luck with HP over the last 20 years at two different school districts and at home.

If you absolutely need to print a color picture now and again, I'd recommend an ink jet. If you can go with black and white all the time then I'd recommend a laser.

Do you want to scan and copy also or just print?

One thing I will say is avoid 3rd party knock off ink cartridges like the plague. It has been my experience over the years that there is a reason that HP cartridges are more expensive than the knock offs. Because they work and don't leak inside the printer essentially ruining it.

[Slanted88]

got a brother...for business...does everything...had it 4 yrs...cartridges ain't bad...we use the hell out of it for invoice copies & whatevers...happy with it till my turn to load paper...always me...

[Hoser]

I recently picked up an HP envy for 69 bucks on Amazon. Works really well for around the house sort of printing Phil.

[dward51]

Hey Hawg,

In that case, I'd suggest you get a cheap Color or plain-jane B/W laser. Ours is a Brother, Model MFC-9340CDW, on sale from Office Depot last Christmas. What I like about it is that it uses individual cartridges like inkjets.

Sent from my SM-T713 using Tapatalk

I 2nd Brother for reliable fairly inexpensive laser printers. Also their toner is less than most others. I had 2 of their b&w multi-function models and they were workhorses for the price.

[dcarch]

Another consideration:

A All-In-One printer.

One that prints, copies, scans, and faxes. Not much $$ more and not that much bigger.

dcarch

[Ronin_Jedi]

Another consideration:

A All-In-One printer.

One that prints, copies, scans, and faxes. Not much $$ more and not that much bigger.

dcarch

Ditto. That is what the model I quoted does.

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[curious aardvark]

you actually have to look hard to find a printer these days that isn't all-in-one.
I just assumed whatever he gets will be :-)

But yeah, that's what you want.

Worth considering brother actually do a3 printers for about half the cost of everyone else. Might be useful onece in a blue moon, you don't live in kentucky though do you :-)

[dcarch]

Another few considerations:

1. If you do a lot of mailing, make sure your printer can print envelops.

2. My printer has two paper trays, that allows me to use scrap paper for test print/drafts.

3. If you do a lot of spread sheets, a printer which can print on 11" x 17" paper is very helpful.

dcarch