[Jimbo]

Any suggestions on a good printer? I have one that is a few years old and I am not also happy with the final look. Thanks JIMBO

[flyer]

I have two HP photosmart and I'm quite happy with them.

[Nesster]

I have an Epson r1800 and really like it - though the new one (1900?) looks even better.

It is good to be able to print 13" wide, but as I found out quickly: what the heck do you do with the prints? There's only so much wall space and framing's a pain.

So some questions: how large do you want to print? Color or b&w? Matte mostly, or glossy/semigloss/satin? I think the printers out there do some things better than others.

[Ben_Edict]

Any suggestions on a good printer? I have one that is a few years old and I am not also happy with the final look. Thanks JIMBO

For which image size?

Ben

[Jimbo]

I am finding that the larger the better as I do a lot of cropping.. close up work.. 13 would be great... Thanks for the information.. I have an old HP all in one 6110 which is ok as I learn more about the type of photographing I want to shoot.. I will check out the couple of suggested units.. JIMBO

[TaiChiTom]

Jimbo,
I have an Epson 2400 which I love. It will print up to 13x19. The colors and detail are superb. And my B&Ws are strikingly crisp without color cast. Of course you have to calibrate your monitor and find the papers you like. The 2400 is aging technology but still a great printer.
Tom

[sandpipe]

Tom, have you encountered any problems with clogged printer cartridges and wasted ink? I have been considering your printer model or the 1900 but have had difficulties with other epson's in the past with these problems.

It would be nice if there was some official technical advisory on procedure to minimize such problems. I sometimes wonder what effect ambient temperatures have on the inks-- my old epson was in an attic where summer daytime temps reached 100 degrees. Also, how often is it necessary to make a print to ensure uninteruptted ink flow?

Paul

Jimbo,
I have an Epson 2400 which I love. It will print up to 13x19. The colors and detail are superb. And my B&Ws are strikingly crisp without color cast. Of course you have to calibrate your monitor and find the papers you like. The 2400 is aging technology but still a great printer.
Tom

[Chako]

You might want to look into the Canon models also. I know Canon isn't a good word in these parts (joking ), but I have an i9900 that has stood me well for many years now with no clogged inkjets or anything. They don't make the i9900 anymore, but they do offer a dye based and a pigment based model (you can research them if you wish). Canon does make nice dependable printers. But then, so do Epsons. I don't think you can go far wrong with either brand.

I agree, try to frame a 13x19" print. Custom frame here I come! Now 11x14" is a sweet spot for cheap framing.

[sluggo913]

I have a Epson 1400 and also concidered the Canon pro 9000 I think it was for the savings of about $150.00 and the ability to print right on cd's and dvd's I went with the epson as I shoot video as well so it was faster to mass produce discs. The print quality is very good and have sold aprox. 20 prints from it it will do up to 13x19 but no fine art papers. I picked up a Fuji Pictrography 3000 for $500.00 off of Craig's list it will only do up to 8x10 but the photos may as well come from a lab this is used for packages and special prints because it cost about $2.50 per 8x10 sheet to print. The Epson if I remember correctly in the testing done buy Popular Photography had a wider color gamuet and the print life was aprox. 100 years on display. Good luck on your search hope this helps.

[Pete E]

After doing considerable research , I settled on Hp Photosmart 8750

The deciding factor was professional Photographers who had experience with much more expensive printers giving it high marks.

I have been pleased with the tonal quality I get from prints. This seemed to be the large format printer that gave the most bang for the bucks.

[Ben_Edict]

Jimbo, I too have an old Officejet 6110 mulfifunction printer and it gives quite pleasing results, when used with the correct paper. As HP uses dye based inks in this modell, the image permanence is compromised, when using the wrong paper. But if you print on the HP Premium Plus papers and other "swellable" (gelatine coated) papers, the prints last quite long. I still use this printer, when I give away prints to friends and relatives, because the Premium Plus High Gloss paper is, what appeals to most people.

The main drawback of that printer, though , is the poor HP driver software, which always starts to apply automatic image "enhancements", whenever you print. Unfortunately it doesn't even allow to save changes to these settings, so I have to switch off all the automatic sharpening, colour correction etc. again, whenever I start a new print run. As far as I know, this is the same for all the HP low-end printers.

For "serious" printing I have switched to the Photosmart B9810, which produces superb prints, but has some quirks, especially when loading the paper. But is another class pricewise and needs different paper (as it uses pigment inks).

Pete mentioned the Photosmart 8750, which is a superb printer. But it can be an expensive one, if you print heavily, as it uses tri-colour cartridges for its dye inks. Also you have to use the swellable papers, to achieve good permanence of the prints, so the choice is a bit limited. But if you don't print too much, it is a very good choice and produces top-notch black and white prints, too.

Ben

[gamgee]

Pete, could you please elaborate your considerable search and hopefully save some time to us who also look for the printer. I am much more inclined to trust forum member review of the current photo printer offer then any of the so called pro review sites and especially magazines.