# Own T4i. Need a printer



## crotonmark (Dec 12, 2013)

Sorry but I didn't know where to post this. 
I am looking for an ink jet printer to go with my mac and t4i. 
I need it to be versatile to print documents as well as envelopes and photos. 
Price is not a concern. Reliability and photo quality are most important. 

What do people like ?

TIA for replying. 

Mark


----------



## table1349 (Dec 15, 2013)

[h=1]HP Officejet Pro 8600                                          

[/h]


----------



## crotonmark (Dec 15, 2013)

gryphonslair99 said:


> [h=1]HP Officejet Pro 8600  [/h]



Why?


----------



## KmH (Dec 15, 2013)

crotonmark said:


> What do people like ?
> 
> TIA for replying.
> 
> Mark


Because he likes it?

HP kind of gave up on the fine art photo printer market.

Epson and Canon are still fully engaged, and both have a good range of prosumer grade printer models.
Dedicated photo printers are better for printing photographs than multi-use printers.
The type of ink you would want for making high quality prints of photographs would not necessarily be the same kind of ink you would want to print documents and envelops.
There are pigment inks, dye inks, solvent inks, and UV-cured inks.
You will need to consider what carriage width you need - 8.5, 13, or 17 inches wide.

Another advantage of a prosumer grade dedicated photo printer is that they have usually have larger ink cartridges that don't have to be replaces as often. That drops the cost per milliliter of ink considerably.

The Epson Stylus Pro R3000 or the Canon PIXMA Pro9500 Mark II have a 13 inch carriage.
Epson Stylus Photo R3000 Review & Rating | PCMag.com
Canon Pixma Pro9500 Mark II Review & Rating | PCMag.com

Basic resolution for Epson printers is reported as 360 DPI. basic resolution for Canon printers is reported as 300 DPI.
Epson uses piezoelectric print heads. Canon uses thermal print heads.
Piezoelectric print heads are expensive and have no user-serviceable parts. Defective print heads have to be replaced by a service technician.
If an Epson printer isn't used often the print head nozzles clog and you have to use ink to clear them that doesn't get used for making prints.

Thermal print heads get clogged to, but the print head has extras that take the clogged nozzle's place - Until the printer runs out of unused nozzles.
Then the print head has to be replaced, but you can do that yourself if you want to.


----------



## crotonmark (Dec 15, 2013)

KmH said:


> Because he likes it?



Yup. Got it. Just not looking for an all in one. Just a photo printer.


----------



## KmH (Dec 15, 2013)

crotonmark said:


> I need it to be versatile to print documents as well as envelopes and photos.
> Mark


You might want to edit post #1 then.


----------



## crotonmark (Dec 15, 2013)

KmH said:


> You might want to edit post #1 then.



Hmmm what I mean is I don't want a copier or a scanner.


----------



## shovenose (Dec 15, 2013)

Both my Dell Color Laser Printer 1350cnw and my Epson "Small In One" XP-410 do a great job at printing photos. Only bummer is I can't use glossy paper in the Laser printer. 

I would not recommend HP printers. I work at a computer repair shop/e-waste recycler and literally every 19/20 HP printers we see either develop hardware problems or their drivers on the computers get messed up or slow the computer down.

I would stick to Epson or Brother printers for inkjet. They seem to last the longest and are the most reliable. Dell printers are made by Lexmark which I've never been a big fan of and they're not too common, but mine's serving me well.


----------



## crotonmark (Dec 15, 2013)

shovenose said:


> Both my Dell Color Laser Printer 1350cnw and my Epson "Small In One" XP-410 do a great job at printing photos. Only bummer is I can't use glossy paper in the Laser printer.  I would not recommend HP printers. I work at a computer repair shop/e-waste recycler and literally every 19/20 HP printers we see either develop hardware problems or their drivers on the computers get messed up or slow the computer down.  I would stick to Epson or Brother printers for inkjet. They seem to last the longest and are the most reliable. Dell printers are made by Lexmark which I've never been a big fan of and they're not too common, but mine's serving me well.



I would like an Epson. I have one now. Any recommendations?


----------



## table1349 (Dec 15, 2013)

crotonmark said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > Because he likes it?
> ...





crotonmark said:


> KmH said:
> 
> 
> > You might want to edit post #1 then.
> ...



Well you have to make a choice.  Do you want a printer or a photo  printer?  Printers come with scanners, copier, fax functions these days  and work well for all.  Photo printers do one thing very well.  They  print photos.  You need to decide which you want.  I have two printers.   The HP and an Epson 2880 just for photos.


----------



## crotonmark (Dec 15, 2013)

gryphonslair99 said:


> Well you have to make a choice.  Do you want a printer or a photo  printer?  Printers come with scanners, copier, fax functions these days  and work well for all.  Photo printers do one thing very well.  They  print photos.  You need to decide which you want.  I have two printers.   The HP and an Epson 2880 just for photos.



Can't a photo printer do general printing as well?


----------



## table1349 (Dec 15, 2013)

crotonmark said:


> gryphonslair99 said:
> 
> 
> > Well you have to make a choice.  Do you want a printer or a photo  printer?  Printers come with scanners, copier, fax functions these days  and work well for all.  Photo printers do one thing very well.  They  print photos.  You need to decide which you want.  I have two printers.   The HP and an Epson 2880 just for photos.
> ...


No. General use printers use ink that is developed to work with a wide varity of papers, but are not designed to be archival.  A good photo printer on the other hand uses inks that are developed to work specifically with photo papers.  Photo inks do not work with all photo papers either.  That is why a company such as Ilford will state which photo papers are compatible with which ink/printers.  Most good photo printers use pigment ink where as general use printers use dye inks.


----------



## crotonmark (Dec 16, 2013)

thanks


----------



## PseudoPsychosis (Dec 17, 2013)

Hello! I'm new here and didn't want to start a new topic about printers since this one is already going! Sorry for hi-jacking this thread! 
What photo printer would you suggest for larger prints? (Would preferably like to not brake the piggy bank!)


----------



## table1349 (Dec 17, 2013)

How large?


----------



## PseudoPsychosis (Dec 17, 2013)

gryphonslair99 said:


> How large?



I was thinking 24" wide or larger. I guess the largest size I can obtain before reaching the "break the bank" point.


----------



## table1349 (Dec 18, 2013)

Amazon.com : Epson STYLUS PRO 7900 24IN PLOT : Photo Printers : Electronics


----------

