NEW MEMBER! so whats the best printer

[Stationery Shack]

Hey guys!

I am Jamie and own stationeryshack.co.uk wanted to introduce myself. And ask fellow printer nerds like myself there best machine. We use mainly brother machines and have been great with really cheap compatible toner cartridges. what toners and printers do you use? or ink machines

 

[Roy Sletcher]

Hey guys!

I am Jamie and own stationeryshack.co.uk wanted to introduce myself. And ask fellow printer nerds like myself there best machine. We use mainly brother machines and have been great with really cheap compatible toner cartridges. what toners and printers do you use? or ink machines

Hi Jamie,

Let me be the first to say "Welcome". Others will chime in as they login.

Best machine? is a hard question to answer not knowing your needs. Would it be colour art prints, business use, ransom notes, forgeries, etc.

Generally the cost of ink and other supplies will rapidly outstrip the cost of the printer. Plus some machines are decidedly temperamental and finicky to use.

Best I can do is recommend a UK supplier who is an occassional participant on this board, and runs a small Inkjet supply business in the North of England. His name is Martin and can assure you he is 100% reliable and will give you good parctical advice for economical printing. His user name on this site is Inksnail.

http://www.octoink.co.uk/
http://www.octoink.co.uk/
rs

 

[guymark]

I would absolutely echo the sentiments of Roy who makes the point it is hard to suggest a machine without knowing the intended use.

For example, I use an old HP Designjet 500 when I need large prints with dye ink (a better gamut than most pigment inks) - and I use an Epson pro 9600 for pigment printing on coated polyester etc for large external prints.

For invoices, I use an old but but cheap to refill colour laser (Brother MFC 9420 which also provide colour fax and copy facilities) and for printing tickets for friends (events, festivals etc), I use an HP officejet 7000 for most of the work, and overprint with black toner from the laser to allow it to then be "foiled" with a metallic foil to give some basic anti-copy protection. Once you have used a perforation blade to do the detachable counterfoil you have a respectable looking ticket that can be used for most local events etc.

So, in any given week I may be using four printers - each fulfilling a different need that the others either could not do or would be less effective.

I suspect it will also depend if you are looking at the best printer for YOU to use - or the best one(s) to SELL. In which case the answers might be very different as a printer which is economical on ink but may cost a little more may be the best for you to have for yourself - but a printer which "looks good, has lots of bells & whistles, is fairly cheap - BUT has a fair markup on the ink cartridges, may earn you more in repeat ink sales that the original printer - providing the costs are not so high as to leave people feeling disappointed in their purchase from you.

I am toying with the idea of a printer than can handle either "white" ink or toner. I use the inverted commas as I gather than most toners and inks are not pigmented white the titanium dioxide etc as such but have microscopic hollow spheres that APPEAR white - in much the same way as snow looks white instead of transparent like water. If you can find good prices (and a "just in time" supplier who can drop ship for you so you don't need to keep stock), then a white ink or white toner printer might get you a few sales as at the moment, they are not to be found in all shops - online or high street.

If you can tell us your needs (to sell them, provide customer prints, to use them for own use (and if so for what etc), I am sure many of us could suggest models to consider, ones to consider avoiding (!) and - in the case of unusual / large / expensive machines which ones can be considered second hand and what to be aware of (especially with large format printers etc).

I have found that there are some awesome folks on here who REALLY know their stuff - and are happy to share their knowledge for free. You cannot say fairer than that.

It's a great board to be a member of - welcome.