zabdiel Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 I thought about posting over in the social area but since a printer can be a modelling tool I thought I'd post here. Could anyone give any recommendations of things to look for (or avoid) when buying a new printer? I don't have a printer and the last printer I owned way dot matrix :icon_eek:. I've had a bit of a read around on-line and sounds like I want a colour inkjet (which is what I suspected) and that having one that worked as a scanner too would be handy. It probably won't get that much use but I plan to use it for printing kits form scalescenes.com (as well as more mundane stuff like the odd photo, directions, etc.), and I don't see much benefit from being able to print direct from cameras, memory cards etc since I imagine I'll always want to check how something looks on the computer screen before printing it. Various people seem to have printers around the ??40-50 mark. Is one of these going to be work or am I likely to benefit from spending a bit more? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alcazar Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Things to take into account are: Initial cost? Does it come with any ink/trial inks/none/? HOW MUCH ARE INKS TO BUY AND HOW MANY TANKS NEED REPLACING EACH TIME? (This last is vital if you aren't going to be out of pocket0 Are cheaper inks available? Do they need you to replace recognition chips in the ink-tanks? Will the printer be used for anything else? Will it handle the paper you want it to? Is it reliable? (Do an internet search. For example, I would NEVER have another Epson, but others love 'em) How many dpi? Is replacement ink readily available locally? Off the net? How easy is the printer to use? More may come to mind, but the above were my reasons when I bought a Canon IP4600. VERY fine printing. Photos are stunning. A BIT fiddly to set up, but not beyond an average computer user. AND I got ??20 cashback Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Nickey Line Posted October 21, 2009 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 21, 2009 In my experience ink jet printers aren't much good for occasional use as they tend to dry up. I paid a bit more (@??100 from memory) and bought a colour laser, which works first time after several weeks, or even months of non-use... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
zabdiel Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 Thanks alcazar! In my experience ink jet printers aren't much good for occasional use as they tend to dry up. Hmm... That's not something I've heard before. Is it a problem with all ink jets? I expect that I will sometimes not use it for a couple of months. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
edcayton Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I certainly agree about ink-jets drying up if you don't use them. I do try to remember to use mine regularly, but keep forgetting and the ink cartridges are VERY expensive (one black and one colour for my Lexmark costs more than a new printer). I would be very interested to hear about people's experiences with colour lasers (and costs) because I think that is the route I'm going down. PS bought cheap Lexmarks because we had loads of mechanical problems with three HP's (one replaced under warranty) and I don't remember the ink situation being any better. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forester Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Very disappointed with my new HP Photosmart C6380. My first set of renewal cartridges, due any moment, will cost more than the printer did. It is said than in the five year life of the average inkjet the cost of cartridges can be as much as eight times the purchase price of the printer. This is nothing short of a scandal. Go laser! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beacon Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 We have had used Epson all-in-ones for quite some time now and have generally been pleased. For light use we pay quite little out on ink and the best quality is really very good as is the speed for basic text printing. We have however experienced the problem of drying up after a period of no use. Nothing compares to the printing I can achieve at work using a laser but then we pay out ??80 a time to replace colours - I have never investigated laser printers for home use as this has always put me off a bit!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady_Ava_Hay Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I don't agree with any of the posts above. I have an Epson R300. It self cleans every time I fire it up. I use it very infrequently and empty black cartridges at about twice the rate of colour. There are six cartridges. The ink cartridges are (were) readily available at computer fairs and I once paid 3 Euros for a set and 30 Euros for six sets. My local refiller stocks them and can refill my old cartridges although i only use him for black. Good piece of kit but like most inkjets, sensitive to paper quality and type, particularly on rich colour prints which can take ages to dry and cockle paper as it dries. Laser printers need toner at infrequent intervals but at massive expense based on my experience of an early HP 4L. Lexmark are to be avoided as the cartridges are very expensive and the quality indifferent. From experience it seems that Epson or Canon printers are good with HP still among the best for laser. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Il Grifone Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 Thanks alcazar! Hmm... That's not something I've heard before. Is it a problem with all ink jets? I expect that I will sometimes not use it for a couple of months. I've had this problem with my Canon Pixma iP2000. I was very pleased with it and the ink cartridges were cheap. After not using it for a while, the print head has clogged. (It wouldn't print black - after trying to clean ithe print head, it wouldn't print colour either!) It would be no problem to replace the printhead, but on line a new head costs about 50% more than the ??50 I paid for it! I bought a new iP190 all in one for ??30 in Tesco. Ink is a bit dearer (Canon pro rata - there's more ink in the cartridges but pattern cartridges are nearly as dear. The Lexmark I had before was 1. much inferior and 2. extremely expensive for new ink. Drying up would not be a problem here (apart from the ink lost) as the print head is incorporated in the cartridge. Lexmark printers are very common at boot sales. I wonder why. One I looked at (HP IIRC) was OK on price (about ??50) but new cartridges were ??20 each and it needed 4! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
asmay2002 Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 If you expect your printed items to last for any length of time I suggest you get one for which colourfast inks are available. Standard inks generally fade after a while. Andy May Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold martin_wynne Posted December 10, 2009 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 10, 2009 In my experience ink jet printers aren't much good for occasional use as they tend to dry up. I paid a bit more (@??100 from memory) and bought a colour laser, which works first time after several weeks, or even months of non-use... Hi, Bear in mind that laser printers heat the paper, causing it to shrink slightly and unpredictably. This can cause problems if you intend to print multi-page drawings and fit them together accurately -- such as Templot track templates. Experience from users is that laser-printed templates are difficult to line up properly, whereas inkjet-printed templates align perfectly when trimmed to the marks. regards, Martin. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutting42 Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 I seem to recall that Ink Jet ink is the most expensive liquid in the world at about $8000 per gallon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RedgateModels Posted December 10, 2009 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 10, 2009 niiiiice avartar there Gareth Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutting42 Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 niiiiice avartar there Gareth Yup, she's cool ain't she. Its a 2002 Mk3 Wal 5 string Bass Guitar made out of Mahogany with American Redwood facings.I was fortunate to know the builder and I really could not afford to buy one any more so it is one of my most treasured belongings. That said I do play it most weeks and gig fairly regularly. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
noiseboy72 Posted December 10, 2009 Share Posted December 10, 2009 Modern Lasers work at much lower temperatures on the fuser, causing less shrinkage. The toner is also colourfast and not affected by sunlight or even damp. I have an OKI C3200 LED printer. This is essentially the same as a laser, but with flat paper path capable of taking 250gsm card without problems. It costs ??30 per colour to fill it up with generic toners and this last for more than 2000 pages. When the rollers, drums and belts wear out after 30 000 sheets, I will bin it and buy a new one. I have never compared the costs per page to ink jet as my main reason for going laser was the drying out issue. I print onto waterproof plastic paper and the result is amazing. A bright, clean image that is waterproof and colour fast. The "paper" cuts and works like plasticard. I have even printed dust, dirt and grime onto it and used it for fencing etc. Laser all the way for me, 5 years and going strong ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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