Tenwheels

Just getting back into photography. I'm looking for a decent printer. What should I be looking for?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I recently bought an Epson ET-2760 that uses tanks of ink. It cost $63 to buy ink bottles for all colors - and that's a bottle of ink, not a little cartridge.

Comparisons -
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2373165,00.asp
http://www.cnet.com/topics/printers/products/
http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/printers

Photo printers -
https://www.photoworkout.com/best-home-use-photo-printers/
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1872566,00.asp
https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/best-photo-printers/
http://www.computershopper.com/printers/photo

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1872566,00.asp
https://www.lifewire.com/best-photo-printers-to-buy-4066817
http://www.pcmag.com/reviews/photo-printers

cdayton

Hard to beat a Canon PIXMA Pro-100.

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

Canon Pro-100 is a great choice. If you're looking to print bigger than 13x19, check out the Canon Pro-1000.

nikonbrain Loc: Crystal River Florida

I agree wholeheartedly just do not put third party ink in it unless you want to void your warranty... it is your printer of coarse so you can ruin the head if you like its not if it's when ...

colinc1 Loc: Goleta, California

I have had a Canon Pro-100 for over 2 years. It has never failed me even after not being used for a month. Just make sure to use Canon ink.

ecurb Loc: Metro Chicago Area

I have been using digital printers since 1994, lots of different brands including Epson, Lexmark, Brother, and HP Photosmart. Epson is the only mfg whose printheads ever leaked and ruined the printer, the table it was on and the paper stored under the table. I do not recommend any Epson printer.

jkm757 Loc: San Diego, Ca.

Do you want to print with a dye based ink or a pigment based ink? If you want to print with a dye based ink I recommend the Canon Pro-100. If you want to print with a pigment based ink I recommend the Canon Pro-10. I've used both and prefer the results I get with Pro-10, but you can't go wrong with either one.

Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx

I am high on Epson, but Canon makes excellent photo printers as well. There is a significant quality difference between office printers that print photos and true photo printers and avoid office printers. First, look at print size. I recommend no less than 13" x 19". Then look for the number of ink cartridges. More is better for photo printers as they cover a wider color space with greater tonal fidelity. Don't go with less than 6 inks. Look at the archival properties you want from the papers / ink combinations. There are two different types of ink out there; dye based and encapsulated pigment based. They both claim to be archival, but encapsulated pigments seem to have the edge. If you are going to be printing a lot, ink cartridge size and ink costs become an issue, but more ink on paper provides for a higher quality print. So I do a fair amount of printing with my Epson XP-15000, especially proofing, but I use an outside shop I trust for larger runs.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

Or just remove the third party ink before sending the printer in for repair!

nikonbrain Loc: Crystal River Florida

That the stupidest suggestion I have heard don't you think they know the chemistry of their ink ...if the head is toast they know you did something wrong with the newer tech in the Canon pro series , nozzles don't clog period they have done everything to save your heads ,their Ink contains glycerin 3rd party doesn't # 2 when your printer sits idle the ink is now drawn back into the sub tanks and the head is no longer capped it sits in a glycerin tank with a negative pressure to keep glycerin in the nozzles . When you go to print you notice a prompt from the printer please wait awhile.. it is recycling the glycerin and refilling the head with ink then says printer ready.. when the printer does an occasional nozzle check it no longer uses ink .. it uses glycerin . In fact these new printers can write their own profiles for papers and canvases as they come with densitometers ... So with all these savings you still want to try and brick a head and lie to the manufacturer .. You have spent thousands of dollars on a camera and lens tripods every conceivable tool and software to get great images and this is where you want to get cheap the final product to show off your Craft ...Really P.S . when we had a problems with bad heads years ago in our IPF 8300 we had to return heads for credit you don't think they looked for their ink ...

Gallimaufry Loc: Denver, CO

Nikonbrain and others, we seem to have this discussion every couple of weeks or so, which is fine except for one thing. I have a Canon Pixma Pro100 (which I agree is great). I've had it for two years.

To begin with I want to say, that it may or may not be true that ALL third party inks will clog your printhead. I have only limited experience, but at least I have some. You see, I've only tested one third-party brand for the Pro100. So that's the limit of my expertise.

Ok, using third party inks will void your warranty. After your printer is one year old and out of warranty, however, the warranty issue becomes irrelevant.

The warranty issue aside, though, I can tell you that since my 1st set of OEM ink cartridges became empty I have been using Precision Colors inks for my Pro100. Never once have my printheads clogged, even after not printing for weeks. I understand others may have had a different experience. I can only speak for mine.

Equally as important, the prints produced using PC inks are basically indistinguishable from those I've gotten using OEM inks.

One of the most knowledgeable printer experts is Jose Rodriguez, aka JToolman. It is from watching numerous videos on his YouTube channel that I learned about Precision Colors inks. You can--and should--go to his YouTube channel and do a little research. He also has videos in which he compares on video the color quality of Pro 10, Pro100, and Pro1000 OEM inks v. Precision Colors inks. And he honestly talks about print longevity. The newer PC Signature Edition inks recently replaced the inks I am still using, and are said to be even better--full disclosure, I've not used them yet.

Now before all of you anti-ALL-third-party inks continue to trash ALL third party inks, I want to know if you've ever used Precision Colors inks. If not, then I kindly suggest that you are being irresponsible with your comments about ALL third party inks.

Simply put, if you haven't tested Precision Colors inks yourself, then you DON'T know about their quality. If you are going to trash ALL third party inks, then please clearly indicate that your opinion is just your opinion with only some evidence to back your opinion up, unless you can also say you have tested ALL third party inks, particularly including Prercision Colors inks.

I think it is great to bring this subject up numerous times, but, to be honest, I am getting tired of all of the opinions which trash ALL third party inks ipso facto.

Two notes before I end my skree--based on my own experience and that of Jose: One, I wouldn't use any other third party inks besides Precision Colors inks because Jose also trashes the other brands. If he doesn't like them, I won't waste my time.

Two, I have no vested interest in helping Precision Colors with this post. I'm just giving you the facts, ma'am, just the facts.

One last thing: The Pro10 has been discontinued. Canon is coming out with a new model for 13x19 printing soon. According to Canonrumors.com, it may be announced on the 9th.

nikonbrain Loc: Crystal River Florida

I have watched his videos also I have used precision colors and and clogged an epson I had to through out The head cost too great and lost the head on a Pixma pro 9500 which I repaired it with a new head and I watched my boss lose 2 heads ever 6 months in a IPF 8300 a 44inch printer these heads are $450.00 each .He got so mad he gave it to me I replaced the heads yanked the 3 tanks that were 3rd party there are twelve purged the offending ink I am on my 4th year with these heads . My new Canon PRO 4000 is 3 months old I pay $800.00 a year to extend the warranty for a total of 3 years ... they will never see third party ink.. why do you think Jtoolman has videos on cleaning clogged heads . The particles in 3rd party inks is not ball milled to the standards of OEM ... Just my experience talking .. it is no place to get cheap. if you have trouble with paying that much for ink get a 24 inch printer or a 44inch printer the smallest tank is 160 ml for $99.00 the largest is 700ml it takes me 5 to 7 months to go thru a 350 ml tank of a cyan tank my most popular used color the coverage is amazing . when you buy a large format printer you are buying ink the printer is practically free my printers have twelve tanks in them average cost 350ml is $166.00 thats almost $2000.00 the printer with rebates and 350 ml tanks is $3500.00 thats for a 44inch printer the 24 inch printer comes with 160ml tanks and is around $2000.00 enough ink to fill the head and sub tanks and print for quite awhile ..

Gallimaufry Loc: Denver, CO

Thanks for sharing your experience, Nikonbrain. I certainly accept what you are saying.

I would only point out that a number of other responders in this and other previous discussions of this topic have said they have used Precision Colors inks and have never--like me--had never experienced a clogged printer head.

I don't know why that is. But certainly it means that both your experience and my experience should be taken into account.

The size printer I am using is what fits in both my house and my budget, so while I appreciate your suggestion--at least I think you are suggesting this--that I buy a different model larger printer, that's not feasible or needed for my printing work. Forgive me, but given your style of writing, I could not totally tell if you were suggesting that I get a different kind of printer.

nikonbrain Loc: Crystal River Florida

I was trying to tell you small desktop printers are not meant to be economical on ink
, and probably never will be 3rd party inks in the long run are not economical as the printer usually more times than not fails because of non OEM inks and you are faced with replacing it . Just look at the people here complaining of clogged heads and asking how to clean them . The web is full of them .. there is a problem with theses inks.. whether one admits it or not . It also takes maintenance I run 4 inch test strips on my older printer every 3 days whether I print a job or not... because of the technology of years past sitting is the worst thing for it. Most printers like this 7 year old machine have capping stations and ink builds up on the platten face and does not create a good seal and nozzles dry out over time ...unless used regularly . One thing in Canon inks to solve this is Glycerin to slow the drying of inks I very seriously doubt third party ink producers have picked up on this and I doubt they care . The biggest thing I know for a fact is most of this inks being made are coming from just a few makers and bought in bulk and labeled by sellers calling them their own ... inks.. not caring what machine it goes in ..