Topic: Photo printers.

[TB613]

I am looking for a dedicated photo printer. What do the august members of the forums suggest.  

[The Postman]

Epson  

[Kmelew]

I am currently using an Epson Stylus Photo 960.  Uses six individual ink tanks instead of one tank for black and one tank for colors.  You should try to look for a photo printer which uses individual color tanks, that way if one color runs low you only have to replace that particular color and not every one (which is very wasteful).

The 960 has been discontinued and it is getting somewhat difficult to find replacement ink locally.  I am thinking about replacing it with and Epson Stylus Photo R800 or a Canon 9900i.

Another important component you should consider for your digital darkroom is a device for monitor calibration.   This is one of the more popular devices.  

[TB613]

Thanks Postman and Kmelew.

Does anyone out there have any experience with the dye-sub printers such as the Sony ones?  

[Kmelew]

I also have a Kodak Printer Dock 6000 dye sub printer for my nephew's camera.  Produces beautiful prints!  However I see two drawbacks to inexpensive dye sub printers: 1. The ribbons can get expensive and 2. You are usually limited 4x6 prints.  Dye sub printers that print larger than 4x6 get expensive.

But with dye sub printers though you get a continuous tone print with no banding (the lines caused by the printhead moving back and forth).  

For reviews you may want to check out:

 Imaging Resouce
 Steve's Digicams
 PC Photo Review

[TB613]

Thanks again Kmelew. The 4x6 limititation on the inexpensive dye-sub printers wouldn't be a problem for me. I can use my HP 970cse for anything larger than 4x6 and although it is somewhat older it does a very good job on pictures and I just wanted something a little better for those photo album pictures.
 

[B2Media]

My only beef with Epson is in my experience, their printer heads suck! When I lived with my parents, all we bought were Epson printers because thats mostly what they sold where my dad worked. First one, Epson 800 b/w: clogged printer head and broken spring.  Second one, Epson 600 Color: Clogged printer head. Third one: Epson 640 Color: broken nozzle in printer head.  Now, we cleaned the heads regularly whenever the print quaility deteriorated on our end, so it wasn't like we didn't care and maintain it. We even cleaned it like the manual said.

Personally, I prefer HP printers and am currently using the PSC 2110. My friend uses Kodak and hasn't had a problem with it in the ~5 years that she has had it. Just seems to me, Epson and Lexmark are printers with problems.  

[TB613]

I am looking for a dedicated photo printer. What do the august members of the forums suggest.  

[The Postman]

Epson  

[Kmelew]

I am currently using an Epson Stylus Photo 960.  Uses six individual ink tanks instead of one tank for black and one tank for colors.  You should try to look for a photo printer which uses individual color tanks, that way if one color runs low you only have to replace that particular color and not every one (which is very wasteful).

The 960 has been discontinued and it is getting somewhat difficult to find replacement ink locally.  I am thinking about replacing it with and Epson Stylus Photo R800 or a Canon 9900i.

Another important component you should consider for your digital darkroom is a device for monitor calibration.   This is one of the more popular devices.  

[TB613]

Thanks Postman and Kmelew.

Does anyone out there have any experience with the dye-sub printers such as the Sony ones?  

[Kmelew]

I also have a Kodak Printer Dock 6000 dye sub printer for my nephew's camera.  Produces beautiful prints!  However I see two drawbacks to inexpensive dye sub printers: 1. The ribbons can get expensive and 2. You are usually limited 4x6 prints.  Dye sub printers that print larger than 4x6 get expensive.

But with dye sub printers though you get a continuous tone print with no banding (the lines caused by the printhead moving back and forth).  

For reviews you may want to check out:

 Imaging Resouce
 Steve's Digicams
 PC Photo Review

[TB613]

Thanks again Kmelew. The 4x6 limititation on the inexpensive dye-sub printers wouldn't be a problem for me. I can use my HP 970cse for anything larger than 4x6 and although it is somewhat older it does a very good job on pictures and I just wanted something a little better for those photo album pictures.
 

[B2Media]

My only beef with Epson is in my experience, their printer heads suck! When I lived with my parents, all we bought were Epson printers because thats mostly what they sold where my dad worked. First one, Epson 800 b/w: clogged printer head and broken spring.  Second one, Epson 600 Color: Clogged printer head. Third one: Epson 640 Color: broken nozzle in printer head.  Now, we cleaned the heads regularly whenever the print quaility deteriorated on our end, so it wasn't like we didn't care and maintain it. We even cleaned it like the manual said.

Personally, I prefer HP printers and am currently using the PSC 2110. My friend uses Kodak and hasn't had a problem with it in the ~5 years that she has had it. Just seems to me, Epson and Lexmark are printers with problems.  

[TB613]

I am looking for a dedicated photo printer. What do the august members of the forums suggest.  

[The Postman]

Epson  

[Kmelew]

I am currently using an Epson Stylus Photo 960.  Uses six individual ink tanks instead of one tank for black and one tank for colors.  You should try to look for a photo printer which uses individual color tanks, that way if one color runs low you only have to replace that particular color and not every one (which is very wasteful).

The 960 has been discontinued and it is getting somewhat difficult to find replacement ink locally.  I am thinking about replacing it with and Epson Stylus Photo R800 or a Canon 9900i.

Another important component you should consider for your digital darkroom is a device for monitor calibration.   This is one of the more popular devices.  

[TB613]

Thanks Postman and Kmelew.

Does anyone out there have any experience with the dye-sub printers such as the Sony ones?  

[Kmelew]

I also have a Kodak Printer Dock 6000 dye sub printer for my nephew's camera.  Produces beautiful prints!  However I see two drawbacks to inexpensive dye sub printers: 1. The ribbons can get expensive and 2. You are usually limited 4x6 prints.  Dye sub printers that print larger than 4x6 get expensive.

But with dye sub printers though you get a continuous tone print with no banding (the lines caused by the printhead moving back and forth).  

For reviews you may want to check out:

 Imaging Resouce
 Steve's Digicams
 PC Photo Review

[TB613]

Thanks again Kmelew. The 4x6 limititation on the inexpensive dye-sub printers wouldn't be a problem for me. I can use my HP 970cse for anything larger than 4x6 and although it is somewhat older it does a very good job on pictures and I just wanted something a little better for those photo album pictures.
 

[B2Media]

My only beef with Epson is in my experience, their printer heads suck! When I lived with my parents, all we bought were Epson printers because thats mostly what they sold where my dad worked. First one, Epson 800 b/w: clogged printer head and broken spring.  Second one, Epson 600 Color: Clogged printer head. Third one: Epson 640 Color: broken nozzle in printer head.  Now, we cleaned the heads regularly whenever the print quaility deteriorated on our end, so it wasn't like we didn't care and maintain it. We even cleaned it like the manual said.

Personally, I prefer HP printers and am currently using the PSC 2110. My friend uses Kodak and hasn't had a problem with it in the ~5 years that she has had it. Just seems to me, Epson and Lexmark are printers with problems.