photo printer suggestions

[needtime2scrap]

I currently have a HP photosmart 8250 which has been pretty good. But lately its been getting tempermental and the photos haven't been printing out as clear as they once were. Keeping in mind that this printer is 5 years old I'm thinking of getting a new one. Can anyone recommend a good photo printer? I'm not wanting a wide format printer and I don't want to break the bank with ink as well. And I want to be able to print up to a 8x 10 photo.

[tlwyse]

I've got an Epson 4000, 4800 and 7800 (wider format than what you're looking for, I know) but recently picked up an Epson Stylus Photo 1400 for just general printing needs. I've been really impressed with this printer. It's inexpensive ($250-300 USD as I recall) and it does a great job on photos. With the "Claria" dye-based inks, it's a lot more forgiving of media types compared to the Ultrachrome (pigment-based) inks and you don't lose all that much in terms of print longevity.

Great general purpose printer, handles up to 13"x19", high resolution, very small picoliter spot size and reasonably fast. Only drawback for me is that it won't handle rolls.

Regards,
Terry Wyse
WyseConsul
Color Management Consulting

[Buffy]

I have an Canon i9900 that works very well on a variety of papers up to 13" x 19". I also have an older Epson R800, which is very nice but Epson ink has the annoying chip in it that says your out of ink when you still have about 20% left. Both are now discontinued but have replacements in a similar price range (under $500).

[Ahab]

I too am impressed with the Epson 1400.

[Ballyclogh]

I third the Epson Stylus 1400...I could not afford to fully replace my R2400 so I went with the 1400 and I could not be happier with the results. Quality-wise it prints almost identical to the R2400. I use Ilford papers and I have not noticed any difference that makes me hesitate in recommending this printer.

[photolady]

I can't 4th the 1400 but I can 4th the Epson printers for awesome photo prints. I have used Epson photo printers for about 12 years now, and have never been disappointed on their quality.

[kent vinyard]

I have an old epson 1280 printer and it is getting tempermental also. May need to be replace pretty soon. Those useing the 1400 printer could you give any idea about the ink consumption of that printer? Would like to hear from anyone useing the 1900 printer also.

[Arjay Bee]

Just purchased the 1900 - will let you know how it goes - waiting for my new puter to hook it to.

[simons-photography]

my epson died on me I'm sure it was programmed to stop. I've replaced it with the Ricoh Auficio GX2500 and I'm really impressed with the quality, not so impressed with the idiots that reviewed it though

[OregonJim]

Originally Posted by photolady

I can't 4th the 1400 but I can 4th the Epson printers for awesome photo prints. I have used Epson photo printers for about 12 years now, and have never been disappointed on their quality.

Well, I can 4th the Epson 1400. Great workhorse photo printer that will go up to 13x19. It's a 6-color printer using the Claria inks. I've seen them on sale for as little as $200 at various photo supply houses.

[Jester_rm]

Seconding the i9900, we've had one in our office for a couple of years now and it's worked wonderfully. Does tend to be high on the ink usage, but then again we're always printing full resolution on glossy paper, which makes it a hog.

[Frogroast]

Has anyone tried the Kodak ESP line? It can only do 8.5x11 max but they claim best quality prints from the cheapest ink out there.

[N.Stocks]

I have just purchased a epson R2880. After a few teething problems, the prints ae outstanding. I finally have a good enough prints to frame my prints !

It cost £550, but there is a £100 rebate...