What should I be looking for in a photo printer?

Question

I am looking to buy a photo printer and don't really know where to begin. What sort of specifications should I be looking for? Also, this may seem like a stupid question, but will any photo printer be compatible with my p.c? I'm not very technically minded, any help much appreciated. Thanks.

Answer 1

For printing pictures resolution is what to look for. Expressed as something like 2400x1200 dpi. At a store you'll see a variety of resolutions available. Also look for a droplet size expressed in picoliters. The smaller the better. You also have to decide on colorfastness, and longevity of your prints. Pigment based inks last longer than dye based inks. Individual cartridges for different colors do help some, but they're still a bit expensive. The more individual cartridges the printer has, the better color renditions, and wider color range you'll have. You'll have to decide how big of a print you want also, so you'll have to find a model that can accommodate your needed print size. Paper also enters into the question. There are quite a number of types and quality's of paper available. All you can do there is experiment and see which one gives you a good result. I've had hp's, cannon's, xerox's, and epson's. Currently I have an Epson Photo r800. So far a pretty good photo printer.

Answer 2

Warning!! A printer may be selling at a very cheap price, and will be a good printer, this goes for the all-in-ones, also. BUT, be on the lookout, for a printer, that you know, should be selling for more money, but seems like a good price to you. The manufacturers do this all the time. That's so if you buy the printer, the ink cartridges will be very expensive. It is a draw, so they sell it cheap, and make up for it, when they sell you the ink, which will be very expensive. Just keep that in mind, when buying a printer. Always check the prices of the ink, before buying a printer. I have 2 all-in-ones, both are very good printers, and put out some nice pictures. One is an epson, the other is a canon..good luck, on your purchase..

Answer 3

My neighbour gets very good results from their HP printer (I don't know the model, it's dark grey and takes separate cartridges for normal and photo printing but to be honest there isn't a lot of difference between the two), but as others have said it's almost certain to be cheaper and better to get your photos printed by a high street photo developer, or you could post them off to someone like TruPrint or DirectFoto (they have minimum orders of about 25).
I can print photos pretty well on my aging HP Deskjet 940c and that doesn't have any special photo printing facilities or inks.

Answer 4

I wish I hadn't bothered. I bought an Epson R300, the cartridges are very expensive and the compatibles aren't as good. They're ok for graphics.
It turns out its a lot cheaper to get my photos printed out at a shop from a cd than it is to print them myself. You can even so all this online and they deliver to your home in 2 days or so. I go to Snappy Snaps because they check every single print and adjust the contrast so it prints ok.
I now use the printer for text. I wish I'd bought a cheaper one that could take cheap compatible cartridges. The Epson C66 would have done me.
Yes, you can plug any printer in to your pc.

Answer 5

Epson Stylus 900

The ink cartridges work out cheaper than some of the opposition.

Connects to PC via USB 2.0

Prints directly onto printable CDs. No need for separate labeller and labels although it will also print these.

Necessary software bundled with the printer.

Colour printout is good.

I would suggest you avoid the all-in-one printer, scanner, fax models. One function goes haywire and you are in lumber.

Answer 6

For the cost factor, at times it is cheaper to have your pictures printed at a digital camer kiosk. They are found in many drugstores or camera shops. These do-it-yourself machines take care of all the steps necessary to print, crop and enlarge your photos. You may find over time that buying and printing photos at home gets expensive (supplies). Buy a camera magazine from a bookstore and look for the ads promoting companies that will receive and print your pictures online. About 20-25 cents per print. Works fine for my freinds.

Answer 7

picoliters! print size! Borderless printing! lifespan of the photo! ink cost! page per min! Computer Interface! System & Software Requirements!

Oh yeah! Buy one that you can replace just one ink! Like the Epson R1800 or R2400! you can just replace the empty one! you dont need to waste any ink!! Canon i9900 is good too!

Answer 8

Printers should only print .... do it all may seem ideal , but they are not . stick to Epson and Cannon , that if you are into printing photos and better quality imagery. Now if , you only need to print documents , any will do...(I myself like Epson R300 , able to print good photos, cd, dvd, on printable discs. Mac user like me will allways prefer Epson or Cannon. ).

Answer 9

Epson, Canon, and HP (my preferance towards former 2)

6 (or more) colors and individual ink bays are also ideal.

you should be able to get Epson/Canon for $150-$200

Answer 10

Look for a Lexmark.. x2350..it scans.. prints.. faxes and photocopies.. mine cost me £40.. but you can get them cheaper.. it takes only one cartridge..£13 each... and mine has lasted since christmas... and it says "low ink" and still going.. superb printer.. Easy to install/set-up/USE!! LEXMARK ARE GOOD.. IGNORE THE OTHER ANSWER...