Looking for a photo printer & multifunctional printer for <$200 each

[Zara]

Hello!

I am a newbie in this forum. I have only owned laser printers (in the past: HP 5L/currently: HP1020). I would like to buy a photo printer and a multifunctional printer.

I need to buy a multifunctional printer for a home office and I have been considering some of the Canon inkjets (MP-560/MX-860) that according to the Amazon reviews offer a good photo printing quality.

Nonetheless, I am afraid about the ink cost of the inkjets, so I was thinking that a Id better buy a multifunctional laser like the Canon ImageCLASS MF4350d and a separate photo printer.

Additionally, I need a printer that can handle a decent color printing in regular paper for my children (4 & 8). Sometimes they need to add color images to their school homework. That is why I was considering the MX-860...until I found some reviews stating it is a piece of junk and that recently-made Canon printers do not offer the same quality as Canon printers of the past, besides the fact that ink tanks are smaller and more expensive than those of older models...Any recommendations of a good MP that is currently available, offers good quality and is cost-effective?

On the other hand, is the Canon i560 a good choice as a photo printer? I know it is an old model, but it seems that older models are better than the newer ones. Is there a recent photo printer that is good and within my budget (<$200)?

Thanks so much in advance!!!


Zara

 

[qwertydude]

If you're willing to learn how to refill ink then the current canon's smaller tanks almost become a non issue. Also the nice advantage with the newer printers is two different black inks. A pigment black for waterproof text on plain paper and a dedicated photo black for photos.

 

[Zapper]

Hello,

We just replaced our dinosaur HP PSC2120xi with a brand new shiny Epson Artisan 710... You can do some research and find them from $120-$140 online (free shipping)...

Dennis

 

[tsiya]

A CISS is the most economical solution, it almost eliminates handling cartridges.

 

[stratman]

Ink will be the biggest expense for most over the life of the printer.
The way to reduce your Total Cost of Ownership is to either purchase third party refilled cartridges or refill on your own. Refilling on your own, or using a Continuous Ink System (CIS), offers the biggest savings. It costs me about 1/10 the cost to refill versus purchasing new OEM Canon cartridges.

The Canons are fine printers. The newer AIO models you mentioned will do the job for you. Yes, Canon has cut some corners on materials used for the new printers, but they still print well. The biggest negatives about the new models for most people are the smaller cartridges and lack of a chip resetter, though it has been reported that a chip resetter is about to become available - http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=4703&p=1 - so you will be able to reset the chips when you refill and the printer will continue to monitor ink levels in the cartridges. Some might also not like the absence of CD/DVD printing (required a small hack and an eBay DVD Tray purchase for USA sold Canons). A couple other issues compared to the older printers, such as a CIS scanner instead of a CCD which most people will not notice a significant difference overall, but still an excellent AIO line.

One thing that has been more an effort than with other printers is using a Continuous Ink System (CIS) with the Canon AIO's. Canon's construction makes it more difficult to use a CIS with the All In Ones than other manufacturers like Epson and HP. CIS systems are available and people do use them, but it takes an effort and Canon AIO's printhead/circular washers can create issues of poor sealing and incomplete ink flow for SOME. There is plenty of discussion in the forum if you search for CIS and Canon.

Another consideration is the HP Photosmart Premium Fax All-in-One - C309a which seems to be based partly on Canon technology such as chipped catridges and printhead. The HP will print on CD/DVD's (like the Epsons) and has a simple CIS system available to save on ink costs, though there is no chip resetter available yet. For more on the CIS system see http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=4715.

 

[ghwellsjr]

If you are concerned about the quality of the latest Canon printers, you can still get an older model by checking out this link.