New Color Printer

[tim_knight]

Looking to keep the price around $150 or less, Speed is not a need, quality is a must. I have looked at printers in my

B&H catalog book and more confused as to what to buy. Help and advice would be appreciated.

[mendel_leisk]

What about format? IE: 8.5"x11", 13"x19"

 

I'm a total novice at printing, so fwiw:

 

I've had no problems with my HP B9180 which does up to 13"x19". It runs a slight amount of ink through the nozzles daily, and has never clogged, in spite of my very infrequent usage. It can also be connected into a network. It's definitely over your price ceiling, but if quality is a must that might have to bend a little.

 

Have a read at photo-i, he tends to review a lot of printers, in very thorough detail.

[Uhooru]

What do you mean by quality? What kind of quality do you expect to get for 150 bucks or less? You might have to make some compromises here. If there is a "quality" printer for 150 or under, I'd like to know as well. Perhaps have a look at some used printers like an Epson 2400 or 2200 something like that, just thinking out loud.

[dave_redmann]

If "peed is not a need, quality is a must", and you don't want to spend much more than $150, you will be far better

off uploading your files to a reputable service and having them make prints. Try Mpix, try Shutterfly, there are many

others too (the relative merits and demerits of which I discussed extensively in <A href="http://www.photo.net/digital-

darkroom-forum/00QnNl">this thread</A>). If you need to be able to pick them up same day, try your local drug

store, or even Wal-Mart or Sam's. All of them will make 'real' photographic prints (that is, on light-sensitive paper, not

dye-sub or inkjet) with decent to excellent quality, with no investment in equipment, and with total per-print

expenditures that are likely to be less than what the ink and paper will cost you for an inkjet.<P>

 

I periodically toy with the idea of buying an inexpensive inkjet for printing at home. But I keep coming back to the

conclusion that, unless you want to invest over $500 in the printer, have somthing that will take up a lot of desk

space, keep a stock of various paper sizes and surfaces, and spend somewhat more per print, what really makes

much more sense is to get 'final' prints made by a lab, and then get quality-not-important-but-need-them-

today 'proofs' at my local Walgreen's drug store.

[dave_redmann]

P.S.

 

To be clear, in my view printing at home is for two classes of people: (1) the pros and really serious hobbyists who

will invest in an Epson 2880 or similar printer, make sure they have the right paper profiles, etc.--and potentially get

excellent results; and (2) the I-want-it-now set that is not too picky about quality and can't wait until the next time

they swing by the drug store to pick up the prints.