Printer Recommendation?

[Tom]

Hi, I need to buy an inkjet MFD (printing and scanning) for home printing.
I print mainly text business documents and occasional color photos.
My last three printers have been HP MFD inkjet devices and the last two I
dumped because of paper jams and having to replace inkjetr cartridges that
weren't empty. The reviews for the canon pixma mp600 and canon pixma 530
(I like the 530 for the ADP and the ability to scan legal size documents)
are very good at pcworld and cnet. A problem I have w/ inkjets is I may go
two weeks w/o printing and I"m concerned about ink drying out and the print
heads becoming clogged.

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Burt]

Hi, I need to buy an inkjet MFD (printing and scanning) for home
printing.
I print mainly text business documents and occasional color photos.
My last three printers have been HP MFD inkjet devices and the last two I
dumped because of paper jams and having to replace inkjetr cartridges that
weren't empty. The reviews for the canon pixma mp600 and canon pixma 530
(I like the 530 for the ADP and the ability to scan legal size documents)
are very good at pcworld and cnet. A problem I have w/ inkjets is I may
go
two weeks w/o printing and I"m concerned about ink drying out and the
print
heads becoming clogged.

Thanks,

Mike

Mike - your concerns are real regarding clogs after leaving the printer idle
for a prolonged period. What was the reason for having to replace HP carts
before they were empty? Some of the HP carts have a built-in printhead.
This feature was more expensive than simply buying an ink cart, but it is
more forgiving for occasional use in that a clogged printhead only requires
that you purchase another cart, and it comes with a new, unclogged
printhead. Inkjet users would do well to print something in full color at
least a few times a week, and preferably more frequently.

 

[measekite]

Hi, I need to buy an inkjet MFD (printing and scanning) for home printing.
I print mainly text business documents and occasional color photos.
My last three printers have been HP MFD inkjet devices and the last two I
dumped because of paper jams and having to replace inkjetr cartridges that
weren't empty. The reviews for the canon pixma mp600 and canon pixma 530
(I like the 530 for the ADP and the ability to scan legal size documents)
are very good at pcworld and cnet. A problem I have w/ inkjets is I may go
two weeks w/o printing and I"m concerned about ink drying out and the print
heads becoming clogged.

Thanks,

Mike

I feel that Canon makes the best. For photo quality Canon is superior
however the HP does have better test draft quality and the normal text
quality is somewhat better. Canon has better paper feed mechanics. I
own both but printers rather than MFP. I prefer separates because if
one function goes south you still have the other and you also can have
the best of both breeds. I prefer Canon for printers and Epson for
scanners. But if an ADF is important then it is much more economical to
have a MFP.

If you use only Canon ink you will have the following advantages:

1. You should not have a problem letting it sit a couple of weeks with
printhead clogging IF YOU ONLY USE CANON INK. I do it all of the time.

2. The quality of your photos is superior when using Canon ink

3. Your photos will be more fade resistent.

And I know that Canon ink costs more but you get what you pay for. Now
there are idiots out there that will argue these points and you can
listen to them if you wish but I do not have problem and I do not waste
ink and time doing head cleanings or reprinting photos. Many times I
leave my photos on my desk under a window or on the refrigerator in the
kitchen and they do not fade.

Now sometime in the future I do expect some fading. Even my ectkachrome
slides faded after time.

Hope this helps.

 

[Frank]

measekite wrote:


---uninformed bullshit lies...(as usual)---

Epson is by far the very best photo printer.
Frank

 

[Michael Johnson]

Mike - your concerns are real regarding clogs after leaving the printer idle
for a prolonged period. What was the reason for having to replace HP carts
before they were empty? Some of the HP carts have a built-in printhead.
This feature was more expensive than simply buying an ink cart, but it is
more forgiving for occasional use in that a clogged printhead only requires
that you purchase another cart, and it comes with a new, unclogged
printhead. Inkjet users would do well to print something in full color at
least a few times a week, and preferably more frequently.

If one searches the net they will find software that will periodically
print pages to keep the nozzles from clogging. I used to have one
installed but now I can't remember what it was.

 

[measekite]

If one searches the net they will find software that will periodically
print pages to keep the nozzles from clogging. I used to have one
installed but now I can't remember what it was.

I have NEVER found that necessary on my Canon printer when using the
appropriate ink that the printer was designed to use.

 

[Richard Steinfeld]

I want to confirm what Burt wrote, especially since he's not an HP junkie!

My experience with four HP inkjet printers has been great in regards to
their ability to recover from long storage and just begin printing
nicely. These are older models: 850c, 940c, 970c, and Photosmart 1115.
As far as I know, these four machines use essentially the same
technology and the same ink (and almost-identical cartridges). I can't
speak for models that use different ink formulations or logic, nozzle
sizes, etc. My machines are conventional HPs: they use pigmented ink for
black and dye inks for color.

Richard

 

[measekite]

They do NOT print photos well at all and they all have less than stellar paper handling when compared to the Canon printers.  I have both.  They do print great draft that looks very good and their text quality is excellent.  For letters with envelopes they do a poor job of registering the envelope.

Richard Steinfeld wrote: I want to confirm what Burt wrote, especially since he's not an HP junkie!

My experience with four HP inkjet printers has been great in regards to their ability to recover from long storage and just begin printing nicely. These are older models: 850c, 940c, 970c, and Photosmart 1115. As far as I know, these four machines use essentially the same technology and the same ink (and almost-identical cartridges). I can't speak for models that use different ink formulations or logic, nozzle sizes, etc. My machines are conventional HPs: they use pigmented ink for black and dye inks for color.

Richard

 

[TJ]

They do NOT print photos well at all and they all have less than stellar
paper handling when compared to the Canon printers. I have both. They
do print great draft that looks very good and their text quality is
excellent. For letters with envelopes they do a poor job of registering
the envelope.

Interesting how you can determine the qualities and characteristics of a
whole line of printers by examining those of just one example. Being
clairvoyant like that must be a terrible burden for you.

TJ

 

[Brendan R. Wehrung]

Interesting how you can determine the qualities and characteristics of a
whole line of printers by examining those of just one example. Being
clairvoyant like that must be a terrible burden for you.

TJ

Yes, I'm pretty sure he knew you were going to say that before even you did.
It's a curse.

Brendan

 

[Phil Pickard]

Which currently available Epson(s) do you recomend?
Phil

 

[Frank]

I have NEVER found that necessary on my Canon printer when using the
appropriate ink that the printer was designed to use.

 

[Michael Johnson]

He is still nursing that cartridges that came in the box with the printer.

 

[Burt]

He is still nursing that cartridges that came in the box with the printer.

Michael - So am I three years after the printer purchase, but they have been
refilled and purged more times than I can guess. I finally had to retire
two of the original carts - probably after 30 or so refills.

 

[Michael Johnson]

Michael - So am I three years after the printer purchase, but they have been
refilled and purged more times than I can guess. I finally had to retire
two of the original carts - probably after 30 or so refills.

And therein lies the difference between you two..... his still has OEM
ink in them.

 

[Burt]

And therein lies the difference between you two..... his still has OEM ink
in them.

Fortunately, not the only difference between us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Michael Johnson]

Fortunately, not the only difference between us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good point. No insult intended toward you on my part!

 

[measekite]

Why does the above say this?

Quote
You idiot!
Frank
End Quote

But I do agree with it.

 

[Richard Steinfeld]

For one thing, I don't print photos with my inkjets. It's just not
economically feasible since I can get snapshot prints at Costco for 19
cents each and don't get ripped off by the 10,000 percent markup charged
by the printer mfrs for their ink. When I become a serious photograper
again, if ever, I'll probably get out my film cameras, buy a great
enlarger dirt cheap on eBay, and make silver prints. I should save a
fortune this way vs. ink prints. Maybe I'll use my digital SLR for
source material, but the silver camera has a hell of a lot better
viewing screen. Beats the hell out of the expensive digital viewer.

Meashmuck, you're piss poor as a clairvoyant. You've just got to bite
ther bullet and replace that crap Chinese aftermarket fake crystal ball
with a real one. I hear that you can buy a genuine Epson crystal ball
for $85,000 (It's named after you:_Durashmuck_.

I've had no problems whatsoever with paper feeding. There's an old trick
from the electronics workbench as well as what I learned from
professional printers:
1. Clean the rollers.
2. Make sure that the paper guides are positioned properly.
3. Fan the paper before putting it into the machine.

Common sense.

By the way, I've been using both aftermarket ink as well as OEM.

Richard

 

[Richard Steinfeld]

stellar paper handling when compared to the Canon printers. I have
both. They do print great draft that looks very good and their text
quality is excellent. For letters with envelopes they do a poor job of
registering the envelope.

--------------------------------------

For one thing, I don't print photos with my inkjets. It's just not
economically feasible since I can get snapshot prints at Costco for 19
cents each and don't get ripped off by the 10,000 percent markup charged
by the printer mfrs for their ink. When I become a serious photograper
again, if ever, I'll probably get out my film cameras, buy a great
enlarger dirt cheap on eBay, and make silver prints. I should save a
fortune this way vs. ink prints. Maybe I'll use my digital SLR for
source material, but the silver camera has a hell of a lot better
viewing screen. Beats the hell out of trying to make out the picture on
the viewers of my expensive digital camera.

Meashmuck, you're piss poor as a clairvoyant. You've just got to bite
ther bullet and replace that crap Chinese aftermarket fake crystal ball
with a real one. Don't you know that those relabeled balls fade and go
dim? Buy a genuine Epson crystal ball for $85,000 It's named for
you:_Durashmuck_. It's got a chip that makes it go blank after 350
hours, whether you use it or not. But, hey: that's no problem for you,
right?

I've had no problems whatsoever with paper feeding. There's an old trick
from the electronics workbench as well as what I learned when I did
printing when I was in college. Real simple stuff:

1. Clean the rollers.
2. Make sure that the paper guides are positioned properly.
3. Fan the paper before putting it into the machine.

Common sense. Amazing how well these no-brainers work.

By the way, I've been using both aftermarket ink as well as OEM.

Richard