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11/01/2007 07:34:29 PM · #1 |
I'm buying an HP laptop through a discount deal where I work, and have the option to tack on any HP printer for another $50 off. I haven't shopped for printers in YEARS... I mean YEARS.
Since I've been bitten by the photography in the last year, I'd like the option to print something at home from time-to-time, but I'm facing some pretty serious information-overload and analysis-paralasis right now looking at my options.
My immediate decision is pretty simple -- is it even worth picking up an HP printer if I can knock $50 off it?
Does anyone have any models they really love? I just want something to make decent 4x6, 5x7, 8x10... maybe a little larger? I'm not looking to sink another $1,000+ into a printer -- just something middle-of-the-road which will actually provide some decent results for the occasional proofs... and prints for my wife's scrap-booking.
I have to admit I'm pretty attracted to the all-in-one solutions (scanner, printer, fax) -- are any of those worth the plastic and metal they are made of, of do model numbers like C7180 and C5280 make "real" photographers shudder? :P
(I don't consider myself a "real" photographer yet... maybe one day...)
Anyway, any thoughts on HP printers, anyone? Or any links to share with printer reviews that you've found helpful?
- Chuck
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11/01/2007 07:37:51 PM · #2 |
| If you like repairmen, then yes consider one. If not, just do your prints at a cheap lab. |
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11/01/2007 07:40:37 PM · #3 |
| ! i love lexon printers:) my x had one and it was amaizing. best thing for photos is to get the load from the top and come out the front so the paper dont get all bent up when going through the printer. |
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11/01/2007 07:40:50 PM · #4 |
I have a cheap HP Photosmart printer. I can't remember the model number, but I think it was about $200. It feels cheaply made, and drinks ink like it's water, at $10 for a little teeny cartridge. But the prints are actually pretty good, and I use it for printing greeting cards, or for individual prints when I'm too impatient to go to costco.
For real printing, however, I still send everything to Costco. Getting prints done there is cheaper than buying the paper and ink for the printer, and the quality is at least as good. |
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11/01/2007 07:44:16 PM · #5 |
My HP Photosmart 8150 makes great prints.
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11/01/2007 08:44:13 PM · #6 |
I've had my HP Photosmart 3210 All-in-one for about a year and a half and I have easily run a thousand prints out of it plus a fair amount of regular printing duties on regualr printer paper.
It's the lowest end ink-jet that uses separate color cartridges so you repace what you use up and don't throw out tri-color cartridges that are out of one color.
I have some color compensation issues with it from time to time, but for easily 90% of what I do, I get stellar prints for about a dollar apiece and I just love this workhorse.
I print mostly 8½X11 sheets.....that means that I can print anything under that and I do some weird crops that end up getting custom mats.
It was somewhere in the $289.00 when I got it, and it has easily paid for itself a dozen times over by saving me printing costs elsewhere......not to mention the convenience of being able to just do some adjustments to the open picture file right here, right now, if it doesn't print out the way I want.
I have used this for many prints that I have framed and sold. HP claims that properly matted, framed, and not hung in sunlight that their Vivera inks are good for 100 years......I'm not going to be around to check.
It also does copying and scanning, I didn't want Fax, and it has card readers in the front if you want.....I download straight from the camera into my PC.
I have been very, very happy with it and have not had one whit of trouble.....knock wood!
I only go elsewhere when I go big!
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