Madman Loc: Gulf Coast, Florida USA

I purchased a refurbished Epson Photo Stylus 1400 directly from Epson several years ago - about the time that it was being replaced by the 1430. It has been extremely reliable and given me great quality prints. I use Epson paper that I purchase when they offer the 40% discount. For ink, I bought re-fillable cartridges and bulk ink. No problems there either.

Just as important as the quality of the machine is the customer service provided by the manufacturer and Epson is one of the best. Call with a question and you will get the information needed. In fact, you may get more help than you need or expect. When I received my printer, I opened the box and began perusing the literature that came with it. It came with software discs but I wasn't sure that they were compatible with my computer. I called Epson and the young man that I was speaking with asked if my computer was online. I said yes and he said he would send me the correct and updated software and drivers. Great, I thought I would go ahead and finish the job of setting up the machine myself after receiving the downloads. I thanked the gentleman and was going to hang up. No, he says, stay on the phone with me and we'll make sure the printer is operating correctly. I explained that the printer was still in the box. He says that's okay, I'm going to be with you until it is set up and you have made two test prints. That level of service impresses me. And on the rare occasion that I have called them, the service has been the same every time.

I would definitely recommend Epson, if I ever need to replace mine, it will be with another Epson.

I just remembered that I did buy another Epson, a small all-in-one for my father. It, too, has performed flawlessly.

u1003074 Loc: Goshen, New York

I've used both Epson and Canon over many years. I have found that the Canon printers are much more reliable--you don't have the constant problem of ink head clogs with Canon that Epson has. Cleaning the ink heads uses up gobs of ink.

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

You do not say which Canon printer you have, but in general they are excellent printers. Have also owned other brands, including Epson, over the years, and was happy with them. My current printer is a Canon MX70 which does a great job. But you get what you pay for - buy an inexpensive printer, use it for photos, and it will use a lot of ink. Gets expensive with the small ink cartridges.

If you want to do a little research and comparison, that might help. Look at them on a website like B&H where you can see the specifications as well as the prices. Red River Paper also has done a lot of printer reviews which are quite good, so that would be a good place to start.

don646

go to ink products.com check out their ink .... been using their ink and refill ink cartridge for 10 years never had any problems
I think you will be well pleased

DON

rdgreenwood Loc: Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

When my beloved R1800 Stylus Epson died after about 7 years, I replaced it with a SureColor P600. It's an amazing machine. I print one or two images a week on it; it never gives me any trouble. It seems to be better on ink--proving a point made earlier about the advantage of larger capacity cartridges--and gives gorgeous results. I also like the fact that it immediately installed itself wirelessly. It's a dream machine. (I think I said that earlier, but I do love this printer.)

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

I have also been very happy with Epson printers and have had many models over the years, including one Bill mentioned, the 4000 which was a fantastic printer. I am currently using a P800 and am also very happy. I have always TRIED to print at least one 8x10 every week and to not let the printer sit idle for longer than that. Non-use caused the death of my 4000, and I will not let that happen again. I find that I do enjoy the entire process of both selecting and printing several photos every week. In today's digital world it is a breath of fresh air to hold something more analog like a print. Epson's P400 and P600 also would seem to be excellent choices for less money although if you will be doing any printing volume, the P800 will save in the long run. I won't even consider using anything but OEM inks for a wide variety of reasons. The ink cost of the P800 is more than acceptable to me. Best of luck.

jethro'spal Loc: Oklahoma

I replaced an HP with Epson about 2-3 years ago and have been very pleased with the results. Be sure to use their Ultra Premium paper for photograph prints. The ink is relatively expensive but be sure to use the High Capacity cartridges for some cost savings.

bigwolf40 Loc: Effort, Pa.

I have Epson so I would like to know which 3rd party inks do you use and their link. Thanks....Rich

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Our Epson 4000 died from lack of use, too. Our 9600, 9800, and 9880 were used constantly. The 4000 was used for batch printing of odd-sized panoramas, which we seldom had to make. It sat idle too much... After two service calls, we just gave it away in working condition. The folks we gave it to let it die from lack of use.

Fortunately, the P-series has anti-clog coated heads! They're quite reliable. But the old caveat, "If you don't use it, you lose it" probably still applies.

Madman Loc: Gulf Coast, Florida USA

I realize that your question wasn't directed to me, but I recommend and use inks and cartridges from cobraink.com.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

I don't know how deep you want to go in to costs of a printer. But the Epson 1400 series has been good to me. I use the Epson 1440 now. I was using the 1400 but went to the 1440 as it is not hard wired and now I print from my Mac my wife's Windows machine as well as my laptop from the back yard. Not that expensive.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Mmmm, let's see, reduced cost of ink vs. increased risk of printer downtime for repair...

Or, reduced cost of ink vs. probable need to create custom ICC profiles to get good color from third party inks...

Or, reduced cost of ink vs. increased risk of print fading because the third party inks have less stable dyes or pigments...

There are good reasons why professionals use OEM inks in Canon and Epson printers. It is generally easiest and safest to stay within the printer manufacturer's walled garden of paper and ink options. Once you climb out, there are many variables to control. The Biggie: Do you have a custom ICC profile for your printer and the particular ink set and paper surface you use? If not, what you see on the monitor is most likely NOT what you get on the print!

You don't buy an inkjet photo printer to save money! You buy it for:

• Personal, local control over the output's appearance
• Confidentiality, when that is important
• Convenience of "on demand" printing
• Archival image permanence
• Maximum available range of printable substrates (papers, canvas, board...)
• Maximum color gamut reproduction
• Studio proofing

The larger the print, the more the cost of inkjet output compares favorably with photo labs, assuming you know what you are doing with color management and safe print handling.

All that said, if you work with a professional printers-and-printing-supplies company, you may be able to find a reliable source for third party inking systems. Just be sure you understand what you are getting into before you make the conversion. There are good CISS systems and truly awful ones. There are decent ink sets and really bad ink sets, too.

bigwolf40 Loc: Effort, Pa.

Thank you for your input....Rich

bigwolf40 Loc: Effort, Pa.

Thank you for your suggestion...Rich

gary robertson Loc: Now living in Sandpont Idaho, from So. Cal

I have a Epson EY-4550 which uses the bottles of ink as opposed to the cartridges and it does a great job for me. A refill is a fraction of the cost and you get about a 1/2 pint of ink for less than $15 on line. I used to spend at least a $150 per month now less than $10.