Is there a color printer that does not suck?

[BenBurch]

I haven't had a color printer in years now as each and every one I have ever owned has needed new cartridges almost every time I used it.

Its not that I printed that much; Just the opposite.

I'd install cartridges, and print what I needed to, and then, a month or so later, I would try to print something else, and many of the jets would be clogged and I could almost never get all of them unclogged, so the output was useless.

Is there any reasonably priced color printer out there that you can use about once a month without the cartridges becoming expensive trash?

[NeilC]

I think Brother printers are reputed to have value in that area. Best check out some reviews that cover economy.

Bear in mind the cartridges you get with a new printer are often only 1/2 filled.

A colour laser lasts for ages with the toner cartridges you get with it but printing quality for photos might not be sharp enough depending what you want.

I bought an Epson colour laser for about £200 about 3 years ago and I've never changed the colour toners! I used it mostly letters and some photos.

[a_unique_person]

Get a colour laser printer. I have had one for about two years now, and it works fine. Try to get one with decent sized cartridges, though. I was looking at a new HP one that looks great, at an excellent price, and has the smallest laser cartridges I have ever seen, at the same price as the large cartridges in the more expensive models. Don't think I'll be buying that.

[Reality Believer]

Yep, go laser. Ink jet printers are part of a conspiracy between the manufacturers and the ink cartel.

[bigred]

My girlfriend has an HP "all in one" (also copies and scans) - 5200 I think, or some such - wasn't top end, and works fine. Cartridges aren't too pricey either. FWIW

[AgeGap]

I have an Epsom R220 or something like that. I use cheap compatables. Jet-Tec inks are good. Depending on where you get the inks you can return your empties for recycling.

[bruto]

Some years ago I had an Epson and it clogged constantly. I've been told that that's still a problem with them if you don't use them a lot. My HP 932 C, a relatively cheap model a few years old ( I just realize that it must be 6 or 7 years old now), has not given any trouble at all, and the ink lasts well, even if left unused for weeks at a time. It's never clogged. Unfortunately, I don't know if the new ones are as good in this respect. As I understand it, on the HP the ink cartridge includes the print head, which helps prevent clogging, and though you'd think it would raise the price of a cartridge significantly, it seems not to.

e.t.a I should add that I do print photos at high resolution, which means a laser printer would not do well for me. I have an old monochrome laser printer that I use when I need to print tax forms, large PDF downloads and the like.

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

Yup, laser.

~~ Paul

[CFLarsen]

'Tis not the cost of the printer.

'Tis the cost of the print.

[El Greco]

Some years ago I had an Epson and it clogged constantly. I've been told that that's still a problem with them if you don't use them a lot.

Epsons suck.

[Michael Redman]

I have an Epson R1800, and I think it's pretty damned awesome. It sits for months at a time without use and works just fine when I need it.

One important procedure for this, and probably many other inkjets is to turn it off via the power button when it's not in use, so the print heads are parked on the protective surface and don't dry out.

[bruto]

I have an Epson R1800, and I think it's pretty damned awesome. It sits for months at a time without use and works just fine when I need it.

One important procedure for this, and probably many other inkjets is to turn it off via the power button when it's not in use, so the print heads are parked on the protective surface and don't dry out.I did this with my Epson always, but still, after some time it would take as many as 8 cleaning cycles to unclog enough to print legibly, and eventually would not flush at all. In other words, it wasted a lot of ink, and within a few months of purchasing it, I found it nearly worthless for any but the lowest quality photo printing. My son, who prints photographs with considerably regularity, has an Epson, and has fewer problems, and also gets good print quality. Most of the people I've talked to suggest that Epsons are not the best choice for irregular use.

Pro photo outfits like Epsons because the inks are good, and some high grade third party inks can also be had, and they are very stable and water resistant. My HP uses a very different sort of ink from the others, which is beautiful on HP paper, but discolors in a week on other brands, and is very sensitive to moisture.

[danielk]

For irregular use, I'd rather send in my digital photographs to have them developed professionally. Last I heard it's pretty cheap. For colored illustrations a color laser printer is the way to go.

[mummymonkey]

I've just gone through three printers in quick succession. The first two were Epson and clogged up all the time meaning all the ink got used up during head cleaning. They were also slow and noisy.
So I got a Canon Pixma ip4500 (http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/128807/canon-pixma-ip4500.html) and it is everything the Epsons weren't. It's a marvellous printer.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Brother MFC-9840CDW http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828113257

I love mine! I've had it about 3 months now. Paid around $750-$800, IIRC.

[four elevener]

I have an Epsom R220 or something like that. I use cheap compatables. Jet-Tec inks are good. Depending on where you get the inks you can return your empties for recycling.


Does your R220 have a hard time feeding paper & envelopes through like mine? I can rarely click PRINT on a document without it coming back telling me that there's a paper jam or that I have the CD tray open. I'm at my wit's end with this printer, and it hasn't even been used that much.

[Pythra]

I have always been happy with HP inkjet printers. I have two in my house right now, no problems with either. They're older models though and I don't have much experience with the newer ones.

As for Epson, I had an Epson Stylus all-in-one once that was bundled with my PC, and I will never buy an Epson printer again. The nozzles clogged after a week of disuse and there were constant feed problems. The simplest black and white print job was a huge effort for that printer. Once the ink ran out (after about six weeks because of all the nozzle-cleaning) I threw it away and was relieved to be rid of the beast.

[AgeGap]

Does your R220 have a hard time feeding paper & envelopes through like mine? I can rarely click PRINT on a document without it coming back telling me that there's a paper jam or that I have the CD tray open. I'm at my wit's end with this printer, and it hasn't even been used that much.
OKish but I have never fed envelopes through it. I did have a clog but I just printed a yellow circle to unclog it. I was using dirt cheap inks at the time. Never had a jam but had difficulty getting the paper into it in the first place.
It is an Epson stylus photo R220 and was on offer at a local computer shop.
I always switch it and the computer off when I am not using it. It gets used for printing off LOTS of photos.
Good advice from above post to get prints from the likes of CostCo or similar. This will work out cheaper but you do not have as much control as at home.
I do love digital photography, much more forgiving.

[BenBurch]

Thanks guys! I appreciate the pointers!

[four elevener]

OKish but I have never fed envelopes through it. I did have a clog but I just printed a yellow circle to unclog it. I was using dirt cheap inks at the time. Never had a jam but had difficulty getting the paper into it in the first place.
It is an Epson stylus photo R220 and was on offer at a local computer shop.
I always switch it and the computer off when I am not using it. It gets used for printing off LOTS of photos.
Good advice from above post to get prints from the likes of CostCo or similar. This will work out cheaper but you do not have as much control as at home.
I do love digital photography, much more forgiving.

Lucky you then. :) Looks like I may have gotten a slight lemon straight out of the box. I may keep it around just for the direct CD/DVD printing (which I need for my business), or maybe upgrade to a better printer, but the general consensus in here seems to be to avoid EPSONs. That's unfortunate because I believe they are the only brand that supports printing directly to disc media.

[mummymonkey]

Lucky you then. :) Looks like I may have gotten a slight lemon straight out of the box. I may keep it around just for the direct CD/DVD printing (which I need for my business), or maybe upgrade to a better printer, but the general consensus in here seems to be to avoid EPSONs. That's unfortunate because I believe they are the only brand that supports printing directly to disc media.The Canon I mentioned above will print direct to CD. It also does duplex.

[four elevener]

The Canon I mentioned above will print direct to CD. It also does duplex.


Excellent...thanks! I'll be at my local Frys later on today and will definitely check it out.