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Best Inkjet Printer?


Jon37

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Our local car club owns a deskjet printer and I print the ''color'' portion of the monthly newsletter. The club owns a Hewlett-Packard 930-C purchased in 2001, and it was a whale of a bargain at $135. The only downside has been speed; using the PageMaker program previously, and MS Publisher now, output is one sheet per 90 seconds! And of course there is the ever-present ink cartridge ripoff (though I now refill my own black ink cartridges for about $3 a pop).

However, at some point the old printer will give up the ghost. Anyone have recommendations on what to replace it with? Is there anything out there that goes a bit faster and maybe uses individual ink color cartridges (red, blue, yellow) so that when one color is depleted you don't have to pitch out the entire 3-color cartridge? And which is reasonably-priced?

(By the way, I must honestly confess that, while I'm an AACA member, I'm printing the periodical of a single-marque club chapter, not the newsletter of the local AACA region!)

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Guest Debby Soucia

For my self I just bought a HP Photosmart 3210. I really like it and it does have the different cartridges. I printed my son's wedding on it and it came out really good. I don't have it hooked up to my computer so I can't tell you any thing about the fun stuff like changeing pictures. The ink at staples is 7.55 each with the $3.oo rebate they give. There are 6 colors with the black bigger and cost more, $17.00 for 2. I am thinking about the lasier ones next time. Any body have any of these and are they good for pictures?

Debby

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Hey Debby

I was looking at that model online. I like the idea of the 6 color, borderless printing. I noticed its an all-in-one printer, and I was wondering about how easy it is to print with. My stepmother just bought an HP all in one (not sure the model) & she's having nothing but problems trying to get it to print anything at all. Says she has to have my dad cuss it a few times to get it to print <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />.

Have you tried using any of the ink refills on it?

I've been using the HP 5650, like it a lot (two cartridge only). My hubby just got a 'new' computer & I may let him have my current printer if I find something else that will do the trick.....

Dawn

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I publish the Brass-Nickel Touring newsletter, which is usuaully about 24 pages (digest size - 5 1/2 x 8 1/2). I use a HP 1700, which is their lower end business printer. As such is built for speed and economy. It can print up to 5,000 pages per month (which is much more than I need). It does have 4 separate ink cartridges, which has been a big money saver. Our newsletter is, therefore, all color. It also has a auto-duplexer, which allows me to do double sided printing automatically. It is also a wide carriage printer. It prints at 1200 X 1200 (black), up to 2400 x 1200 dpi on premium photo papers at speeds at speeds up to 16 ppm black and 14.5 ppm color.

I have used many brand printers but always seem to come back to HP. This printer has been the best investment I ever made.

Hope that helps.

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I'm using the HP K550 which is a business printer.

The one downside I've found is getting cartridges. Office Max & Office Depot only carry the small resiovors for it so I get the large ones online. Like the Brass Nickel's newsletter mine in also digest form. The K550 does have thing to print both sides available for it. I didn't get it. I print one side of all the pages then start with the first one and go back through printin the second side.

What I like is is it has replaceable printheads (if needed) and all you do is replace the resivors when the are empty. Also, there is a light that warns you which ones are low and when it is empty, the printer will stop. Replace that resivor and start printing again.I have not wasted any pages due to running out of ink. I print average 55 newsletters a month, 4 to 5 sheets of paper front and back. I got it in time for the Feb newsletter and used the small resivors and have replaced them with the larger ones, now using the 2nd set of larger ones and they should last for the Nov. and Dec. issues yet.

When comparing printers look at the cost of cartridges and the ink qty. and how many pages they say it prints

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I forgot to add you should also look at the specs for duty rating on the printer itself. Usally they will rate them pages per month. 55 copies of 4 double sides sheets = 440 printed pages per month. This would max the duty rating of some of the home/personal printers.

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Guest boblove

I am the editor of the Tallahassee Region (FL) newsletter as well as the web site and am by profession an Office Automation Analyst for the State of Florida. From experience, I can say that nothing beats a good color laser printer. They have really come down in price lately and for the money you really can't beat them in productivity (both in time and costs). Inkjet printers are good for occasional home use and for photos but cannot stand up to the rigors of printing a newsletter; plus - replacement cartridges cost more than the original printers sometimes. Our monthly tome is 10 pages, double-sided, and in color. I am presently using a Dell 3100 which cost new approx. $350. At about 13 cents a page, it really beats having it done at a print shop! Ease of use, time, and cost are the driving factors for most clubs and if your budget can swing it, your editor will be most appreciative. (P.S. The printer is mine and I only charge the club for the actual costs of materials and postage. The time spent is my contribution to the members' enjoyment of the product).

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  • 2 weeks later...
Guest boblove

I use Microsoft Publisher and I haven't actually timed it, but the advertised ppm is 30 B/W and 15 color. The printing speed has more to do with the memory capacity of both the computer and the printer. My newsletter is normally 10 pages with about 30-40% color and I print out, fold, staple and ready for mailing, 70 copies in one evening. I have looked again at the Dell website and the closest to my model now is the 3110 printer (I ordered mine with the optional duplexer for double-sided printing). The costs run approx. $.08-.10 per page with full color photos). B/W of course is much less.

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  • 11 months later...
Guest GP Gleason

I use a HP Color Laser Jet 3600n. It was mid-range priced but comes with full toner cartridges (enough for 4-5000 pages). A lot of others only come with partially filled cartridges when new!

I had a Minolta Laser, too which was real good. I don't remember the model but my daughter swears by it!

You can't go wrong with HP Laser Jets!

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  • 1 month later...

I was using an HP 2550L Laserjet, which has individual color cartridges. The price of the printer, including ink, was $500 three years ago. The problem is that each cartridge costs $75 (no, the decimal is not missing), and it uses all four colors weather you print black and white or color!!!!!

I've decided I don't need to make color proofs anymore.

But... It sure made nice copies.

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  • 3 months later...

Okay, our club bought a Samsung CLP-600N color laser printer last year (to replace the $135 inkjet I mentioned when starting this thread) and I'm VERY impressed! (Not to say that HP or others are not good, of course!)

This thing turns out a superb job and does it amazingly fast. It's an elephant, though, weighs a ton and (though a desktop) measures about 18" x 18" x 18". But it's totally professional, built like the ones down at Kinko's or Staples.

Only problem is the toner cartridges, which run $75 each (it uses three colors and one black, cartridges). This high cost has been mentioned elsewhere on the AACA forum - I guess I'm not alone!

Anybody got ideas on how to save? Do refilling kits work? Who sells the cheapest cartridges?

<span style="font-style: italic">UPDATE:

Just for everyone's information, I just placed an order with Ink Technologies.com for one black cartridge, for $79.55. This is a replacement type (not original manufacturer), $6 less than they'd charge for the genuine Samsung black cartridge and about $10 less than you'd pay at Office Depot. (Shipping is free at this particular company, by the way.) BUT, their color (replacement) cartridges are only $79.55 also, which is about $43 less than they (or Office Depot) would charge for the compatible Samsung cartridge. So there are some real savings to be had, out there...</span>

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  • 1 year later...

I have had and used a number of printers but use an ink jet at home. I have an Epson all in one that is a GREAT printer/copier/scanner. It works great and I can buy generic cartridges for as little as $1.65 per individual color or black cartridge when I buy 25-30 at a time. I have not had any problems and have owned it for about 4 years. I would never buy a printer that did not have individual color cartridges.

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I stick by my analogy :)

Inkjet Printers = Pinto

Multipurpose Inject Printers = Taurus

Laser Printers = Transit Connect (look it up)

Multipurpose Laser Printers = F250 Super Duty

FYI: My daughter in college doesn't even need a printer. Most stuff she submits electronically. If on the rare occasion she needs to print something she just runs down to kinkos, Office Max, Alpha Graphics, etc. and just plops down 25c a page.

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I stick by my analogy :)

FYI: My daughter in college doesn't even need a printer. Most stuff she submits electronically. If on the rare occasion she needs to print something she just runs down to kinkos, Office Max, Alpha Graphics, etc. and just plops down 25c a page.

Peter, the Publications Committee is discussing this topic right now in time for the Philly Seminar. As I explained to them today, with my region we have maybe 30 members out of 100 that even have a computer. We're dealing with older members here who have no use for electronic gadgets. (Sometimes I think gadgets waste a lot of my time too! :))

Then you have other members who have trouble reading a PDF online, so they have to print it themselves, which they prefer not to do.

Wayne

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I really need my newsletters online as I tend to lose them.......

Now, come on Dave. I know you keep your region's newsletter right beside your easy chair?:P

Just teasing you. Yes, I realize they are hard to keep up with. You should become a Publications Committee member, scoring 30-40 newsletters. Gives new meaning to... "I can't find my SHOES!":D

RW since a local newsletter costs more to print and mail than dues, you might consider a two tier dues system.

You know, Dave, that was brought up at a recent meeting of ours, charging an extra $5.00 membership fee to have hard copies mailed. We're still working through this. Our newsletter is the biggest expense for our region.

Wayne

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