Which A3, A4 printer do you recommend?

[hajime]

Hello, I need to buy a new all-in-one printer. No preference for inkjet or laser. Need to be compatible with both Mac and Windows. Automatic Duplex Printing is desirable. Which printer do you recommend if:

a) Printing papers as large as A4 is sufficient
b) Printing in A3 size papers is required

30 years ago, Epson had better drivers. Then, HP. Haven't bought a printer for 10 years. Not sure the latest trend.

Thanks.

 

[deany]

My advice is anything HP + AirPrint as iPhones, iPads, rMBP and iMacs work seamlessly.
Some of the ink jet HPs have the technology that makes them as fast as laser but also fairly good quality too.

 

[chscag]

You might also take a look at the Brother line of printers. Their latest laser printers use auto duplex printing and are wireless. Also easy to setup and are Mac compatible.

 

[carestudio]

Epson has pretty good record of Mac and Windows support.
Currently I am using Epson P600 printer with InkRepublic P600 refillable carts
http://www.inkrepublic.com/P600-iRefill.asp
So far so good, like the printer and refillable system and inks.

 

[pastrychef]

Personally, I avoid all inkjet nowadays. Other than an old Epson 740 and an Epson 900, every inkjet I've own has died premature deaths on me. Mostly due to clogged print heads and one HP that just wouldn't detect that any ink cartridges were installed.

 

[pmhparis]

Personally, I avoid all inkjet nowadays. Other than an old Epson 740 and an Epson 900, every inkjet I've own has died premature deaths on me. Mostly due to clogged print heads and one HP that just wouldn't detect that any ink cartridges were installed.

I've done post-mortems on a few dozen friends and family ink-jets. Over 75% died when using cheap ink cartridges or because they let a color go dry and didn't replace it promptly, yet those who continued to buy the manufacturer's or (good quality compatible) ink and replaced cartridges when prompted keep printing year after year.

 

[jimthing]

How good is the HP "Instant Ink" programme?
https://instantink.hpconnected.com/uk/en/r

My understanding is it's a hell of a lot cheaper. As rather than buying (say, £20 black+£20 col) carts, that low/modest users will likely have dry-up before being fully used, HP instead send you replacements for a fixed £3/5/7 per month (depending on your usage needs). This is a HUGE deal cheaper than £40 in one go for two larger ones bought in store, that then dry-up and have to be prematurely replaced for another £20 (usually it's one that goes each time).

 

[pastrychef]

I've done post-mortems on a few dozen friends and family ink-jets. Over 75% died when using cheap ink cartridges or because they let a color go dry and didn't replace it promptly, yet those who continued to buy the manufacturer's or (good quality compatible) ink and replaced cartridges when prompted keep printing year after year.

I always used original ink carts thinking it would help prolong their life spans. Didn't help me one bit.

Not to mention the large amount of ink wasted trying to unclog them before they went completely clogged and useless.

 

[carestudio]

inkjet printer needs some sort of cleaning jobs from time to time, you must keep the jets open.
if you run into clogging problem, iRemove cleaning kit from inkrepublic can definitely help you a lot
http://www.inkrepublic.com/iRemove.asp

inkjet printer is perfect for printing family pictures, just need some extra care.

 

[chscag]

I always used original ink carts thinking it would help prolong their life spans. Didn't help me one bit.

I agree. I found no difference in the longevity of any inkjet printer when using the manufacturers cartridges vs refillable ones purchased on line. If you want longevity from a printer, buy a laser printer.

 

[pastrychef]

inkjet printer needs some sort of cleaning jobs from time to time, you must keep the jets open.
if you run into clogging problem, iRemove cleaning kit from inkrepublic can definitely help you a lot
http://www.inkrepublic.com/iRemove.asp

inkjet printer is perfect for printing family pictures, just need some extra care.

Why even bother when color lasers are so cheap nowadays? Just avoid inkjets and any of the potential problems that come along with them.

 

[chscag]

Why even bother when color lasers are so cheap nowadays? Just avoid inkjets and any of the potential problems that come along with them.

The reason color laser printers are so cheap is that their toner cartridges (4 required) will send you to the poor house. Granted, it depends on your usage though....

 

[pastrychef]

I had a Samsung CLX-3175FW whose original toner lasted me 4 years. Granted, I didn't print often but still very impressive for a printer that only cost me $200. After that, I bought a C480FW that I found on sale for $70.

 

[carestudio]

Why even bother when color lasers are so cheap nowadays? Just avoid inkjets and any of the potential problems that come along with them.

there are things that Laser would never achieve. Vivid color... and perhaps the color spectrum and others. I personally did not try printing laser on photo papers, but I believe inkjet would only good for pro photo papers

 

[pastrychef]

It's possible...

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index....ces_photos_indistinguishable_from_inkjet.html

http://www.photoreview.com.au/tips/outputting/printing-photos-with-a-laser-printer

 

[hajime]

About 20 years ago, inkjets were more economical than laser printers. Then, about 10 years ago, the cost of laser printers dropped but the toners went out quickly. So, the running cost increased at the end. How about the situation now? Please note that if I go for inkjets, I will only buy original inks from the manufacturer.

 

[chscag]

As stated above, it depends on your usage. Color laser printers do an excellent job of color printing and there is no worry about the toner drying out as is possible with an inkjet printer. There are however, other things to consider when using a color laser printer: Toner cost, and after so much usage, drum replacement.

If you own a small business and do flyers, bulletins, and so forth, a color laser will pay for itself over the long term.

 

[hajime]

In terms of inkjet, I have the following three choices:

1. HP Officejet 7612 Wide Format e-All-in-One
2. Epson WorkForce Pro WF-8590
3. Brother MFC-J6720DW

Any experience on these machines?

Any good all in one color laser printer that prints A3 size papers? Looks like unless I go for the very expensive one, there is no All in One color laser printer that prints A3.

 

[hajime]

One thing I dislike about inkjet is that in the past, even handling with a sweaty hand, it went smudge. These days, some manufacturers claim that the prints are smudge, fade and water resistant. In reality, is this truth?

In case of choosing color multifunctional laser printer, should I go for 1 pass or 4 pass?

 

[carestudio]

It's possible...

http://www.syracuse.com/news/index....ces_photos_indistinguishable_from_inkjet.html

http://www.photoreview.com.au/tips/outputting/printing-photos-with-a-laser-printer

yes but these are all A4 size right?

 

[pastrychef]

yes but these are all A4 size right?

It's paper. It should come in any size you need.

 

[jimthing]

How good is the HP "Instant Ink" programme?
https://instantink.hpconnected.com/uk/en/r

My understanding is it's a hell of a lot cheaper. As rather than buying (say, £20 black+£20 col) carts, that low/modest users will likely have dry-up before being fully used, HP instead send you replacements for a fixed £3/5/7 per month (depending on your usage needs). This is a HUGE deal cheaper than £40 in one go for two larger ones bought in store, that then dry-up and have to be prematurely replaced for another £20 (usually it's one that goes each time).

^See above^.

AFAIU, for a few bucks very month, HP send you mini replacement carts for your machine, thus no more dry ink problem. Has anyone used this programme, and can offer thoughts on it?

 

[MacRazySwe]

Well, I got 11 years use out of my $150 Canon Pixma printer. Not bad if you ask me.

I'm sure it would have lasted a lot longer if it wasn't for the fact that we ended up buying cheap replacement ink cartridges in the end.

Point is, I can really recommend Canon.