Gilbert Posted March 25, 2007 Share Posted March 25, 2007 What's a good quality photo printer to consider for the home/small office use? Quality is No.1 Concern, followed by Durability, since I have 2 little girls that love to print pictures of themselves... Geeeezus! I've done limited research, and haven't learned much, if anything. Which direction should I go, i.e. Ink Jet or Laser. Inkjet appears to way to go, but I honestly don't know. Was considering the Pixma pro9000, but if there's something better that can be had for less, or just a little more, please let me know, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted March 25, 2007 Share Posted March 25, 2007 From www.pcmag.com TOP RATED PRODUCTS: Canon Pixma iP4300 Photo Inkjet Printer Canon Pixma MP960 Photo All-In-One Epson PictureMate Flash HP Photosmart A716 Compact Photo Printer HP Photosmart A516 Compact Photo Printer TOP SELLERS: 1. Brother HL-2040 Laser Printer 2. Brother Multi-Function Center® MFC-7820N Laser Printer 3. Canon PIXMA MP530 All-In-One InkJet Printer more > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert Posted March 25, 2007 Author Share Posted March 25, 2007 thanks Bill, I had spent quite a bit of time at PCMag and CNET reading reviews. It seems the Epsion 4300 (I think) and Canon Pixma were the top dogs. Then I started to wonder from there and over-loaded my wee little brain, and thought I'd cast a question out on the forum. I became intruiged with the Canon Pixma pro9000 because it had 8 different color cartrige capacity, and because I'm hoping it will drop down in price, when it's big brother Replacment pro9500 hits the stores this month. But I'm hoping to hear from someone that's got experience with these things. I've never owned an inkjet, and my NEC laser just bit the dust. The NEC was just a B&W laser, that I got cheap about 7 years ago during a BESTBUY Open Box table sale. Paid less than $150 for it, and it's the fanciest I've ever had. Now, I'd like to get a very nice color photo printer, and another El cheapo or semi cheap-o B&W All-In-One laser for daily routine duties. What's better for photo's Laser or Ink Jet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted March 25, 2007 Share Posted March 25, 2007 Don't know if it helps, but I recently purchased the HP 1600 LaserJet COLOR printer.........does wonderful Pictures. Only 249.00............. It is a Big unit though, so if you have space issues you might want to get something smaller............JMHO........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Travis In Austin Posted March 25, 2007 Moderators Share Posted March 25, 2007 What's a good quality photo printer to consider for the home/small office use? Quality is No.1 Concern, followed by Durability, since I have 2 little girls that love to print pictures of themselves... Geeeezus! I've done limited research, and haven't learned much, if anything. Which direction should I go, i.e. Ink Jet or Laser. Inkjet appears to way to go, but I honestly don't know. Was considering the Pixma pro9000, but if there's something better that can be had for less, or just a little more, please let me know, thanks. Gilbert, I can't speak to what pros like Michael use, but for home use it is basically two choices, HP and Epson. Inkjet for sure. They both offer individual ink refill systems. HP is Black, Photo and Color. Epson is 5 or 6 tank system. THe big advantage with these is that you are only replacing what needs to be replaced. I.e., if you use a lot of black because of regular printing you will not have to replace the color or photo tanks. Epson is slightly higher in price, and prints faster. I bought an HP photo printer for the office two years ago, we print a lot of photos, excellent quality, no reliability issues. If I need another one we will probably go Epson because it is a tad faster. Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Travis In Austin Posted March 25, 2007 Moderators Share Posted March 25, 2007 Don't know if it helps, but I recently purchased the HP 1600 LaserJet COLOR printer.........does wonderful Pictures. Only 249.00............. It is a Big unit though, so if you have space issues you might want to get something smaller............JMHO........... I am not familar with the laser ones, they were much higher priced when we got the HP Photosmart 7550. We needed to be able to print on glossy or matte photo paper for court. The other issue was the color fastness, the epson and HP inkjets were the highest rated for color fastness. Travis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted March 25, 2007 Share Posted March 25, 2007 I use the Epson R-1800 ($500.00 at Newegg). The 13 x 19 prints on Epson paper I think are as good as Kodak Ecktacolor prints. The reviews on Newegg from users all say this is the best ink jet printer period. It will also print on CD/DVD discs. It does an incredible job blowing up a 2 x 3 scanned print (1200 DPI) to 13 x 19. I dropped my jaws when I saw the default results. JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arky Posted March 25, 2007 Share Posted March 25, 2007 I have the hp 7550. Works fine for me but I ain't a pro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted March 25, 2007 Share Posted March 25, 2007 the kodak printers that print 4X6 only are nice. They use dye sublimation and cost around 100-150 dollars. Simple use, also it has a clear coat to ensure waterproof durability Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert Posted March 25, 2007 Author Share Posted March 25, 2007 dang, after hours of exhaustive research, I believe Epson is going to get the nod. Travis is right, they are the top dog (more often than not) when it comes to great quality photo printers. Not sure which which model though, and I'm still gonna wait till I hear from Colter. He's gotta have experience with this stuff..... Where the heck is he anyway... still road trippin on some bad shrooms? I wanna buy a dang good photo printer and forget about it for the next 10 yrs. Or until it craps out on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted March 25, 2007 Share Posted March 25, 2007 From Consumer Reports........... Quick Picks Best for photos:Canon Pixma iP5200R , $230Excellent for text, photos, and graphics, the Canon is also speedy and among the least-expensive for printing photos. It has a second paper tray and supports Ethernet connectivity. Best value among inkjets:Hewlett-Packard PhotoSmart 8250 , $120This modestly priced printer produced very good photos and text, and has low per-print costs for both. Fastest inkjet:Canon Pixma iP6700D , $180The Canon was one of the fastest for photos and its costs were among the lowest. Photo quality was very good. It has infrared capability and two paper trays. Fastest laser:Dell 1710 , $200Speediest among all the lasers we tested, it prints 24 pages per minute of excellent text for about 2 cents a page. Its tray can hold 250 sheets of paper, more than any of the other printers. It's pricey, though. If you can settle for slower speed, consider the Dell Laser 1110 for $100. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 I let a pro lab print mine because I prefer real photos. I just don't care for the color management problems and streaking of ink jet prints. Plus it's a lot of machinery to maintain. That being said, a friend of mine uses a large format Epson with 7 colors I think, and is very happy with the results. It uses CMYK and three colors of black. It does outstanding work on black and white. I think it's a 24" carriage printer. Invest in some good quality paper stock and good Rototrim cutter. Michael Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colterphoto1 Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 I'll get the model number from him this week. If you watch the sales, sometimes they will give free shipping. I think my buddy Troy got that plus a couple rolls of paper. I'll get you his dealers name also. M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 You can get archival inks for doing B/W prints, but only for certain models of printers. Mostly the Epson IIRC. The separate color cartridges get replaced with various shades of black (sounds like a contradiction doesn't it). The newer color lasers are amazingly cheap. I would look at the Brothers before the HP models. They are more color correct. Toner cartridges are easier to change. Costs more on the front end, but the total cost per page is cheaper with the laser. My favorite printer is Walgreens. I can take in a CD or just dump the photos from my pc. It's cheaper and they are real photos. Bruce Michael - don't you ever sleep? [^o)] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJkizak Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Remember that Consumers Reports test a majority of the Inkjets on standard paper for comparison purposes and that for serious photo work you must use the special papers available. Standard inkjet paper photos look like crap. The special papers will produce photos in all their glory, just as Kodak uses special papers for all of their film photos. If it were possible to print a kodak film photo to standard 8.5 x 11 paper it would look like crap. JJK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert Posted March 26, 2007 Author Share Posted March 26, 2007 Remember that Consumers Reports test a majority of the Inkjets on standard paper for comparison purposes and that for serious photo work you must use the special papers available. Standard inkjet paper photos look like crap. The special papers will produce photos in all their glory, just as Kodak uses special papers for all of their film photos. If it were possible to print a kodak film photo to standard 8.5 x 11 paper it would look like crap. JJK I take Consumers Reports reviews with a HEAVY dose of salt. IMHO, they're great for things like refrigerators, washing washing machines, microwave ovens, dish washers, toilets, etc.... but when the subject or item in review gets even the slightest bit complicated or technical, I pretty much scrub there opinions. My parents are long time subscribers, my wife recently started a subscription only 2 months ago, but personally, they're not for me. Thanks anyway BIll, I do appreciate your input, and offering the CR review. I'm leaning toward the Epson Stylus Pro3800. I found a deal offering free shipping and a 250 sheet pack of 8.5X11 Premium High Luster photo-paper. It even looks like it'll print on 17x22 formant. The printers that accept roll paper take a big jump in price, so I don't think I'll go that direction. The foot print of the 3800 isn't too bad either, and will work with the space I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boom3 Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Canon, i9900, or one of the similar Canon 13 x 19 models. I have the predecessor, the s9000 six ink 13 x 19 machine. It's excellent. Epsons, in my experience, are touchy and high-strung. Canon's models are very user-friendly and don't require a great deal of fiddling to get good quality. Canon has caught up to, and surpassed, Epson now in overall quality and pro acceptance. Speaking of color management, I haven't needed any to get excellent results from from my Canon. I have profiled my flatbed scanner with a Kodak Q60 card and also use a Huey monitor calibrator. Printer profling is next. If you want excellent scanner software at a reasonable price, try Ed Hamrick's VueScan, which works well with flatbed and film scanners. It has a profiling utility that I used with the Q60 card. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 Remember that Consumers Reports test a majority of the Inkjets on standard paper for comparison purposes and that for serious photo work you must use the special papers available. Standard inkjet paper photos look like crap. The special papers will produce photos in all their glory, just as Kodak uses special papers for all of their film photos. If it were possible to print a kodak film photo to standard 8.5 x 11 paper it would look like crap. JJK I take Consumers Reports reviews with a HEAVY dose of salt. IMHO, they're great for things like refrigerators, washing washing machines, microwave ovens, dish washers, toilets, etc.... but when the subject or item in review gets even the slightest bit complicated or technical, I pretty much scrub there opinions. My parents are long time subscribers, my wife recently started a subscription only 2 months ago, but personally, they're not for me. Thanks anyway BIll, I do appreciate your input, and offering the CR review. I'm leaning toward the Epson Stylus Pro3800. I found a deal offering free shipping and a 250 sheet pack of 8.5X11 Premium High Luster photo-paper. It even looks like it'll print on 17x22 formant. The printers that accept roll paper take a big jump in price, so I don't think I'll go that direction. The foot print of the 3800 isn't too bad either, and will work with the space I have. I also take it with a grain of salt.... By the time Consumer Reports does a full indepth review (sans the recent baby seat mishap) the model is already last years product and a new product or even a different line is in place that may or may not be the similar or could be a total different product. This happened to me alot when i worked for the blue shirt company, where people came in with reviews, mostly from consumer reports that had one or even two whole model difference. In the technology world with the speed that change happens consumer reports is useless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jheis Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 I've got a HP photosmart 7760 that I bought at Costco a couple of years ago for ~$150 IIRC. I think it produces amazingly good prints up to 8 x 10 on glossy paper. The results on matte paper are not as notable. Epson & HP both sell printers cheap and make their profit from their (very expensive) proprietary ink cartridges. I read recently that Kodak is coming out with a new line of printers that will capitalize on very inexpensive ink supplies and make their profit from volume instead, so you might want to wait a while. James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomad02rider Posted March 26, 2007 Share Posted March 26, 2007 I have a Canon MP780 all in one and the photo quality is very good, but I am no expert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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