Color inkjet printers

[LeslieG]

I've always had just black and white laser printers, but I want to get a color inkjet for the kids' school projects and occasional printing photos. Has anyone recently purchased one they could recommend? Do they really print lab quality photos?

 

[tink_n_pooh]

Lab quality photos? No. Decent photos? Yes. More cost effective to print a photo at home with 100% coverage (ie photo) than to pay the less than 10¢ to have it printed? No.

 

[LeslieG]

There's quite a variance in price too. Does a $300 printer print better than a $100 printer, or is it just a difference in options?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I have an HP Color Laser Jet as my secondary printer. It was under $400 new. HP currently shows six color laser printers at under $400. Mine is a multi-function printer, which will also work as a scanner/copier/fax.

But I get very high-quality prints that will not run if they get wet. Mine takes four cartridges; the three color ones will handle about 1400 pages and the black will handle about 2400. And they will not dry out or clog, which will happen with an ink-jet.

 

[Debbie7452]

After many, many HP printers I didn't love I switched to a Canon (MX882). It is so much easier to use, faster, and makes better copies and photo prints. The software is also much, much easier to handle. I will never go back to HP.

The photo quality is pretty good. However, if I'm going to needs lots of prints I order them from Walgreens.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

I have a Canon Pixma MG 5320 wireless printer with AirPrint. It works beautifully and prints fantastic quality photos, far better than photos printed at WalMart, Walgreens, etc. It also scans and copies.

 

[formill]

Our newest printer is a Canon Pixma MG3100 and we are happy with it- if you have kids or do a lot of printing one feature to look for is "duplex" printing- it sucks the paper back in and prints on the second side- kids use that all the time for school papers. I find it prints very good photos if you use photo paper. Last printer was a Brother and it drove us crazy with paper jams every time you used any kind of different paper- labels, photo paper etc.

 

[Swimalie]

I have a black and white laser and a color ink jet. I am considering getting a color laser. The cost per print will be much lower than the ink jet and the quality should be might higher. A color laser now can run around $400. My black and white laser cost me $1000 used but it also does 11x17 which is the only reason I haven't given it up yet.

 

[Lewisc]

I have a black and white laser and a color ink jet. I am considering getting a color laser. The cost per print will be much lower than the ink jet and the quality should be might higher. A color laser now can run around $400. My black and white laser cost me $1000 used but it also does 11x17 which is the only reason I haven't given it up yet.

Business inkjet printers can use high capacity cartridges which print alot more pages per cartridge, much lower ink cost per page, then the cheap printers which are priced to make their profit on ink.
Color laser have similar per page ink costs. Photo quality is better with inkjets.

 

[Swimalie]

Business inkjet printers can use high capacity cartridges which print alot more pages per cartridge, much lower ink cost per page, then the cheap printers which are priced to make their profit on ink.
Color laser have similar per page ink costs. Photo quality is better with inkjets.

Just to clarify, I do not have a business ink jet. I have a cheap old HP that is about 10 years old. The laser is even older but prints much better since it is a higher end. My son's school just got a low cost HP color laser and the quality is amazing!

 

[Lewisc]

To clarify I'm talking about printers like the HP officejet 6700 (around $100 BF otherwise $120-$140) or the Office Jet Pro 8600 (around $200).

Those printer have a per page ink cost about the same as a color laser and better photo quality. Per page ink cost, if you use high capacity cartridges, is almost half the cost of the cheap inkjet printerss. Laser doesn't run when wet and might print faster. It costs $$$ if you have to replace 4 laser cartridges at once. Sometimes a printer will come with "starter" inkjet cartridges and "starter" laser toner cartridges. You'll need to replace your consumables shortly after you start using your printer.

I have the Canon MG6220. Good printer. The per page ink costs are a little high. Only an issue if you print a lot.

People who print a lot of B&W might save money getting a B&W laser printer (Brother has some good buys) and a color inkjet.