Ruraldi Loc: Milmay, NJ

My printer recently went to printer heaven - may it RIP.
I'm looking for a new printer that I'd be able to print my own 11X14 prints and that the print cartridges aren't outrageously priced.
Any recommendations would be helpful. Some questions I have looking at the large variety available are :
`laser or inkjet
`minimum dpi
`brand
` cartridges or tank ink
` print speed
` quality vs quantity
` best place to purchase
` wifi ? or cable hook up
`compatible with both Mac and windows
Any helpful recommendations or your experience with specific printers would help me make an intelligent decision. I'm not looking for a cheap printer, but something that will make nice enlargements and not cost a fortune to run.

gmar3180 Loc: Waxahachie, TX

Check out the Canon TS9520 all-in-one. Max printing size is 11x17 and reasonably priced around $300. You might be able to pick it up for a lower price during Labor Day sales.

riderxlx Loc: DFW area Texas

Ink Tank if at all possible. Saves LOTS of money.
bruce

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

`laser or inkjet — INKJET for photos. LASER for office documents. Laser prints don't last! Photo inkjet inks can last 100-400 years!
`minimum dpi — 1440x720 or close to that. The larger the print, the lower the resolution required.
`brand — Epson or Canon printers made for PHOTO printing.
` cartridges or tank ink — Tanks, if you can get a true PHOTO printer with more than four ink tanks
` print speed — It is what it is. The higher the resolution, the longer it takes. Double the resolution and it takes four times longer to print!
` quality vs quantity — Most inkjet printers have several speeds. The trade-off is speed versus resolution. Worry about quality FIRST.
` best place to purchase — B&H, Adorama, Roberts, or similar LARGE online retailers. NOT Abe's of Maine or 42nd Street Photo.
` wifi ? or cable hook up — The vast majority of printers sold today offer WiFi, wired Ethernet, and USB connections. Pick your poison.
`compatible with both Mac and windows — Not usually an issue. But if you buy any model older than four years, Mac compatibility may be limited. You want a newer model to get NATIVE Apple Silicon driver support. Apple's Rosetta 2 Intel processor emulation will go away in a few years.

I would look at the Canon Pixma Pro 200 and the Epson ET-8550. They're dye ink models.

For maximum print longevity, look at pigment ink printers (Epson P-Series). Be prepared to pay more for printer and inks.

If you get an Epson pigment OR dye ink printer, print at least one 8x10 per week. Epsons thrive on constant use.

Don't believe any claims about borderless printing! To print borderlessly, the printer has to spray ink BEYOND the edges of the paper. That ink collects on internal printer parts, and transfers from those parts to subsequent prints. That causes smudging, especially if you make a borderless 4x6 and then print something larger. Just accept the fact that printing on a slightly larger paper will save you money in the long run.

13x19 printers are for 12x18 and smaller prints.
8.5x11 printers are for 8x10 and smaller prints.

If you print from Lightroom Classic (HIGHLY recommended), you can design package print layouts, or put several different images on the same sheet of paper. This can help you make the most of your media.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

I second the Canon Pixma Pro 200, I have gone several months almost up to a year without printing on mine and had no problems printing. My biggest worry when purchasing a photo printer was clogged printheads and this has not been a problem at all with this printer. I also like that it is wireless and the Canon support software Professional Print Layout which is a Photoshop Plug In is a joy to use.

One point of disagreement with the above post and it could be that I don't print tons of images is that I have had the printer for over 2 years and am on my 4th load of ink and almost exclusively print 13 X 19 borderless prints and have not encountered any problems with ink residue or smudging.

one_eyed_pete Loc: Colonie NY

"burkphoto" gave excellent advise as usual. I suggest you checkout JToolman videos (loads are on youtube) or his fb group. He is a printer guru and has a stable of over 16 inkjet printers. Both Canon and Epson make excellent photo printers but both have their "fanboys" and harsh critics (just like car brands). Personally, I love my Epson ET-8550 purchased 6 months ago. I print with Qimage Ultimate and use it's scheduled purge print utility to automatically print a 5"x7" plain paper purge print (costs pennies) every week which keeps my printer nozzles clear and ready to print. I make 13"x19" prints with a 1/4" border which easily hides under edge of a mat.

MJPerini

It depends on the quality you want, and what you are willing to accept.
True Photo Printers have more ink shades (from 6-10) and are pigment based for vibrant long lasting prints.
They are wide Gamut devices that can print anything you can see on even a very good display.
General purpose color ink jets are generally dye based and have fewer ink cartridges/tanks.
People do use them to print Photos and many feel that the results are "Good Enough"
Only you know how important a photographic print is to you, and what your budget is.

texaseve Loc: TX, NC and NH

Wow, this is such great information for me. I never realized that the reason I had smudges when working on my other printers was because of my borderless printing. The lightbulb just went ON. Thanks.

Carl1024 Loc: Kaneohe, HI 96744

Try looking @ Brothers?

shackcf

I use an Epson ET 8550. This is a tank printer and max size is 13x19. It is not cheap at $800 but I was tired of the damn cartridge merry go round. There are other sized Epson ET printers that may fit your needs. The standalone printer app is a big bonus for me. Plus the remote printer app is easy to setup. I have had Canons in the past, they were fine but the cartridge BS is still a pain. I installed a Canon for friend about a 18 months ago and never could get the remote app to work properly. Good luck on your quest.

Amadeus Loc: New York

I just want to put my 2 cents in on the borderless issue. I’ve seen it commented so many times here at UHH that recently, out of fear, I have been printing with borders. However, I have never seen this problem with Canon printers. I have had canons for over 20 years, my recent one is a Pro 100. Never encountered this specific problem.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I prefer ink tank only because of the virtually free ink. 5,000+ copies on the original ink. $68 for a full ink replacement, although I think the price has gone down. Epson ET-2760.

Carl1024 Loc: Kaneohe, HI 96744

if you can get carts & not bottles, you're better off?

xposure

I am agreeing with the epson 8550 tank printer. Yes the printer is on sale at Best Buy and comes with tons of ink and it may be a little more expensive up front but in the long run save you tons of money on ink. I have Canon Pixma 9000 and pro 200 13x19 printers and have spent thousands of dollars on ink so now I am changing to the Epson 8550.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I ran an inkjet printing department in a portrait lab. We *never* printed borderless prints. We ran our Epson 44" printers day and night in peak seasons for three months in the Spring and five months in Fall and Winter. We ran them enough the rest of the year to keep the ink moving. They were quite durable, and the quality remained consistent for years. We did a head alignment when needed, which was rarely.

Wide format pigment printers need frequent use, because the pigment settles out of the ink to the bottom of ink lines that feed the heads from the cartridges mounted on the side of the printer. Ink will precipitate if mixed with certain third party inks. When that happens, you need new heads, lines, and ink! That gets expensive. I use and recommend OEM inks for all brands of printers.