davidmac Loc: Corydon,Indiana

I need a new printer. What would be a goodone for home use?

To be used for photo & just plain printing.

David

PhotoArtsLA Loc: Boynton Beach

We use a lot of Epsons here. Their "photo" line is massive, and all the photo printers can do general text printing. Our workhorse is an Epson 3880, but we have the big 44" Epson as well and a half dozen other Epsons. The latest of their photo printers definitely bring a proper digital darkroom to your desk.

JimH Loc: Western South Jersey, USA

HP, Canon & Epson all make decent printers. Photo printing demands the use of good quality photo paper and good ink. Depending on your budget, I'd look the for ability to print on multiple sizes of paper (3x5, 4x6, 5x7, 8.5x11, envelopes, card stock, etc etc.) and the size of the paper tray. Cost of consumables is a major factor - how much do ink replacements cost per set? Wireless capability is nice if you have multiple PCs in the house that you want to be able to share the printer. You should be able to find a very decent home-use printer for less than $300 easy. It is NOT necessary to get a printer that is the same brand of PC, as I've heard a few salespeople claim. Most printer guts are made by one or two manufacturers anyway and just rebranded.

PJT Loc: Sarasota,Florida

The above statement form JimH has the ring of truth to it!
I myself look for for the highest DPI coverage that a potential printer will yield.
My printers of choice are Epson, and Cannon for photograph needs.
I use HP for all of my standard letter printing, and in a pinch for photography.
I'm not to strong on Kodak, or Lexmark.
But that's me.
" Remember opinions are like noses, everybodys got one! " :thumbup:

hendrik

Believe it or not, I have used the cheapest Epson printers (under $100) for many years and sold a lot of work produced with it. If you have more money to spend , buy a Stylus Photo printer that handles 13x19 paper. That's the one I have now.

davidmac Loc: Corydon,Indiana

Thonk's to all. Lookihg at Epson workforce 1100 or a60


David

hendrik

i also have an epson workforce 1100. great tool, good photo quality.

Bob Curtis Loc: Bay City, TX

David, this is going to depend upon several items. You said this is going to be used mainly for printing photos and other items. O.K., I'm interested in the Photo portion. Are your photos just snap shots, or photos you really like? If you want something to print really good photos and up to 13x19 inches in size, let me recommend that you check out the Epson Printers as I believe that their's are among the best made. (However, they are not as expensive as some major brands.) My personal printer is an Epson R2400 which has been in constant use for everything from letters, Christmas cards, correspondence, to making of large prints for display, contests, and for sale. I use only Epson inks as I know their quality and durability. I have some prints hanging on the living room wall that have been there or at least 15 + years and have shown none to very little fading. This is because I use only Epson products, inks, papers , etc. Believe me, it DOES make a difference!

Now if you just don't really care what you use, go out and buy yourself a cheap printer and some cheap inks, but dont come crying to me when you discover that "you have been had." The old adage - - - "You only get what you pay for " is very true!

Bob Curtis

Greg Loc: Maryland

I would recommend to NOT use one printer for everything. Not that it can't be done, but this is likely not the most effective use of resources. For photo's, you've got to determine what you intend to print. 4x6 5x7 snapshots? If so, just get a decent letter size photo printer from Epson or Canon. They both make nice printers in a size to print that and up to 8x10 pretty cheaply. If you are planning on printing larger, that's going to cost you more. Now you can use that for general purpose printing, but if you do that a lot, the ink could cost you a fortune in the long run. For general purpose printing, pick up a cheap monochrome laser. Print costs are MUCH lower, and you can get them for under $100 now if you shop around a little. This will be especially true if you are not the only one printing to this printer.

aaron Loc: brooklyn ny

if your needs are simple, 4x6 or maybe 8x10, look at the Canon line of Pixma printers. they are pretty good and Canon is very good with phone tech support.

Porsha75

I have a HP printer. The quality of my pics that come out are very rich in color, very high quality.

marcomarks Loc: Ft. Myers, FL

For photos I like Epson as well. I use Epson Stylus Photo 1400 for photo printing. I wouldn't use a photo printer for everyday text and other printing though.

If you do mostly monochrome printing, get yourself a Brother or Samsung $89 laser printer for lowest print per page costs. If you need color for other stuff than photography, there are lots of sub-$120 printers by many manufacturers that can serve that purpose.

Photo ink is just too expensive to use for everyday printing.

janab

I LOVE my Epson 1400. It gives me great quality prints up to the maximum. I've had mine for 4 years or so.

ShakyShutter Loc: Arizona

I did not see much discussion in these recommendations regarding the permanence or lack there of it in the various inks. Hasn't anyone had problems with inks from low end printers fading after a short time. Some of these models do not use pigment type inks. That needs to be taken into consideration when choosing a printer.

Jwilliams0469 Loc: Topeka, Ks.

I'd go with Epson! I've used them for years and have had great prints from them. However, I'd recommend buying an endless ink system from ebay to keep your ink cost down... It's worth the extra money, believe me!