I'm looking for ideas on a new photo printer. My last two HP photo printers died on me much too soon, and both developed a "kink" with Qimage. They'd generate thin black lines on the prints. Only happened when using Qimage. I'd guess Epson would be a better alternative. With so many models out there, just doing a search gets so many responses, it's hard to sort through all of 'em. So, I'm asking those of you who do a lot of printing for ideas.
Budget is around $200. I doubt I need anything bigger that letter size prints and something easy on ink would be nice, if that's an option.
Thanks for any ideas and your experience you've had with what you recommend.
Hi Bob, and Happy New Year
Your question is so subjective that it would be similar to asking a group of 2000 people, "what kind of car do you recommend for me.... I don't really travel all that much"
You will get 2000 different answers.
Nevertheless, it would be fun to hear opinions.... and there will be rebuttals. !!!!!!!!
Let's get the ink out of the way first.
No such thing as EASY on the ink. Granted some printers are a tad more economical on ink, but for the most part, that's where they make their profit.
I have an Epson R 2000 right now, and that thing is smarter than I am by a long shot.
All that research and development, technology, and engineering for a small price..?
They sell INK!
I have had Canon printers, Epsons, and HP.
Here are my personal experiences.
HP.... Excellent hardware. The machines are well made and virtually indestructible. I have had three.
Software, (Drivers) are so bad that (truth), my wife is waiting for the Xlarge inks she bought to go dry, so she can throw it out.
HP never updates, not do they fix anything. Her printer goes OFF LINE when it feels like it. She clicks print, and nothing.
She has to open Devices and Printers every day and uncheck OFF LINE. Google it. Hundreds of complaints, no fix. For years, no fix.
Canon.... Excellent printer... Quality of output, Superb.
I found that I was burning out heads and replacing heads... too much aggravation.
Epson...I love my Epsons... I had a 1280, an R1800, and an R2000.
I know, they have a reputation for clogging... So be it.
I do not have much trouble with clogging perhaps because I print a lot. (and I have to be careful because Mike checks my prints for banding)
The output is excellent, and it just keeps going and going until it decides to pass the baton to the next generation.
Since no brand seems to be 100% perfect, I guess I go with Epson because the need to run a cleaning cycle now and then, is far less irritating than the alternatives mentioned above.
Fred