inkjet printer advice wanted

November 13, 2005, from Lloyd Erlick,

Well, here I am asking the darkroom group
about a computer printer!

Anyway, as many people here know, I use the
computer to catalog and edit my work. Right
now I have no printer at all. In the past
I've always had bottom of the line printers,
like the Epson 800 which I had until just a
couple of years ago.

I'd like to be able to print darkroom notes
forms that include a thumbnail of the image
I'm working on. And I'd like to print the
occasional frame to see how it would look.
Mostly I print text, though. Little prints to
use as cover art for the CD of images I give
clients is another use.

Frankly, color capability is not necessary
for me. But I'm sure all the printers I'd be
likely to buy do color. I'd just like to be
able to use black only and not have to
concern myself about the status of the color
cartridge(s). And I want to be able to print
black whether or not the colors are full,
empty or absent. Also, I'd really like to not
have clogging issues ...

I guess I'm just talking about a basic
consumer printer. I just don't know which one
is considered all around most suitable.

Thanks for the brain picking ...

regards,
--le
________________________________
Lloyd Erlick Portraits, Toronto.
voice: 416-686-0326
email:
net: www.heylloyd.com
________________________________
--

In article ,
Lloyd Erlick Lloyd at @the-wire. dot com wrote:

November 13, 2005, from Lloyd Erlick,

Well, here I am asking the darkroom group
about a computer printer!

Anyway, as many people here know, I use the
computer to catalog and edit my work. Right
now I have no printer at all. In the past
I've always had bottom of the line printers,
like the Epson 800 which I had until just a
couple of years ago.

I'd like to be able to print darkroom notes
forms that include a thumbnail of the image
I'm working on. And I'd like to print the
occasional frame to see how it would look.
Mostly I print text, though. Little prints to
use as cover art for the CD of images I give
clients is another use.

Frankly, color capability is not necessary
for me. But I'm sure all the printers I'd be
likely to buy do color. I'd just like to be
able to use black only and not have to
concern myself about the status of the color
cartridge(s). And I want to be able to print
black whether or not the colors are full,
empty or absent. Also, I'd really like to not
have clogging issues ...

I guess I'm just talking about a basic
consumer printer. I just don't know which one
is considered all around most suitable.

Thanks for the brain picking ...

regards,
--le
________________________________
Lloyd Erlick Portraits, Toronto.
voice: 416-686-0326
email:
net: www.heylloyd.com
________________________________

I bought a BW laser printer last year
and have not used my 1280 more than about 4-5
times since.
--
LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

"Gregory Blank" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Lloyd Erlick Lloyd at @the-wire. dot com wrote:

November 13, 2005, from Lloyd Erlick,

Well, here I am asking the darkroom group
about a computer printer!

Anyway, as many people here know, I use the
computer to catalog and edit my work. Right
now I have no printer at all. In the past
I've always had bottom of the line printers,
like the Epson 800 which I had until just a
couple of years ago.

I'd like to be able to print darkroom notes
forms that include a thumbnail of the image
I'm working on. And I'd like to print the
occasional frame to see how it would look.
Mostly I print text, though. Little prints to
use as cover art for the CD of images I give
clients is another use.

Frankly, color capability is not necessary
for me. But I'm sure all the printers I'd be
likely to buy do color. I'd just like to be
able to use black only and not have to
concern myself about the status of the color
cartridge(s). And I want to be able to print
black whether or not the colors are full,
empty or absent. Also, I'd really like to not
have clogging issues ...

I guess I'm just talking about a basic
consumer printer. I just don't know which one
is considered all around most suitable.

Thanks for the brain picking ...

regards,
--le
________________________________
Lloyd Erlick Portraits, Toronto.
voice: 416-686-0326
email:
net: www.heylloyd.com
________________________________

I bought a BW laser printer last year
and have not used my 1280 more than about 4-5
times since.
--

I would have to concur, given the limited use Mr Erlick has in mind. I
recently got an HP laser printer on eBay. Couple days ago, I put together an
advertisement/order form for a daycare portrait shoot. ("Picture day is
coming...") The ad had some B&W sample portraits and text. I printed it on
my Canon inkjet printer and on the laser printer. The laser printer gave a
much better result.

As for cost of consumables (ink vs toner), I think the laser will be a
cheaper printer. Since I haven't needed to replace the toner cartridge yet,
I don't know how many pages it will print (toner cartridge costs about $70
at Staples). The Canon cartridges; actually ink-tanks; the nozzle section
doesn't get replaced; cost about $12 each (3 colors plus black) and yield
about 30-50 "utility quality" color prints, or about 150-200 pages of text.

The Canon will print black if one or more of the color cartridges are empty,
but it will give an annoying warning display with each page. I suspect that
a missing ("absent") cartridge would cause nozzle problems because it
wouldn't seal up when in the rest position.

The biggest problem I have with the HP laser printer is paper feed, but I
suspect that's why I got it so cheaply (~$30), and it has seen some use.
Better quality/heavier paper feeds OK.


--
Ken Hart

Lloyd Erlick wrote:

Well, here I am asking the darkroom group
about a computer printer!

Frankly, color capability is not necessary
for me. But I'm sure all the printers I'd be
likely to buy do color. I'd just like to be
able to use black only and not have to
concern myself about the status of the color
cartridge(s).
regards, --le
________________________________
Lloyd Erlick Portraits, Toronto.
voice: 416-686-0326
email:
net: www.heylloyd.com
________________________________
--

A real coincidence. I've very likely a Mini Mac to
install by the end of this month and will be shopping
for a printer and scanner. A "basic" model printer may
not be a good investment.
I've not checked out printers for a few years.
I think I would look for one color capability from the
few cartriges used. That may take software cooperation.
IIRC, there are several printers on the market which will take
six or more colors. They are not at all expensive. Of
course thousands can also be spent. One black
out of six though?
My impression: prices are WAY down from
four years ago for same. Dan

In article ,
"Ken Hart" wrote:

I don't know how many pages it will print (toner cartridge costs about $70
at Staples).

1,000's
--
LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

November 13, 2005, from Lloyd Erlick,

Does a laser printer still print decent
looking images? I do have a use for them,
just not as final products.

I can't see myself messing with colored inks
or pigments to achieve some sort of high end
black and white prints, like quad tones or
something. I'd rather learn platinum printing
instead. I can't recall ever having had a use
for color printer output. Most of my prints
get colored with selenium toner.

By the way, I did buy an Epson 4990 scanner
after talking it over with members of this
discussion group. So many thankyous to youse.
(It's working very nicely, too, but I'm
pretty undemanding...).

regards,
--le
________________________________
Lloyd Erlick Portraits, Toronto.
voice: 416-686-0326
email:
net: www.heylloyd.com
________________________________
--

"Lloyd Erlick" Lloyd at @the-wire. dot com wrote

I can't see myself messing with colored inks
or pigments to achieve some sort of high end
black and white prints, like quad tones or
something.

I think you may have to. The standard color
inks do a ****-poor job of black and white. You
will find you tweak things so it looks B&W
under the light at your computer but it
appears split-toned when illuminated with
light of any other spectrum.

There are now 'standard' B&W ink cartridges just
for doing B&W, where the inks have no color
of their own.

If you need to do B&W I would base the printer
choice on it's B&W capability: it suddenly
becomes a small playing field.

On ink costs: I refill cartridges - buying new
h/p or Epson carts involves paying $2,000/gal
for ink that cost h/p $80/gal. Epson and
Canon carts are good forever [almost], h/p
carts wear out because the inkjet nozzles
are part of the cart. OTOH, nozzle clogging
is a problem [and can be a real PITA] with
Epson and Canon if you aren't going to use
the printer [and all it's inks] every day.
OTOF, TTBOMK there is no large B&W ink selection for
h/p.

On Topic: Now with silver, these problems aren't as
one is using a technology that has had 150+ years
of refinement -- but we all know that already.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
To reply, remove spaces: n o lindan at ix . netcom . com
Fstop timer - http://www.nolindan.com/da/fstop/index.htm

In article ,
Lloyd Erlick Lloyd at @the-wire. dot com wrote:

November 13, 2005, from Lloyd Erlick,

Does a laser printer still print decent
looking images? I do have a use for them,
just not as final products.

I can't see myself messing with colored inks
or pigments to achieve some sort of high end
black and white prints, like quad tones or
something. I'd rather learn platinum printing
instead. I can't recall ever having had a use
for color printer output. Most of my prints
get colored with selenium toner.

By the way, I did buy an Epson 4990 scanner
after talking it over with members of this
discussion group. So many thankyous to youse.
(It's working very nicely, too, but I'm
pretty undemanding...).

regards,
--le
________________________________
Lloyd Erlick Portraits, Toronto.
voice: 416-686-0326
email:
net: www.heylloyd.com
________________________________

How soon do you want the printer? send me an address
and I'll send you a file printed out on my fairly new HP 1320
it was about 300 with the rebate.

Of course we are talking prints no bigger than? The printer does
about 8x10 max. Its slow to start though on bigger files, proofing at
say 150 dpi it may be suitable. I think you can buy more ram for it and
it would print faster.
--
LF Website @ http://members.verizon.net/~gregoryblank

"To announce that there must be no criticism of the President,
or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong,
is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable
to the American public."--Theodore Roosevelt, May 7, 1918

spake thus:

My impression: prices are WAY down from
four years ago for same. Dan

Printers, yes, Consumables, no. Check prices of cartridges.

Remember, these guys aren't really selling printers. (Or more
accurately, they're not making money selling printers.)


--
.... asked to comment on Michigan governor George Romney's remark that
the army had "brainwashed" him in Vietnam—-a remark which knocked Romney
out of the running for the Republican nomination—-McCarthy quipped,
"I think in that case a light rinse would have been sufficient."

(Eugene McCarthy, onetime candidate for POTUS)

"Lloyd Erlick" Lloyd at @the-wire. dot com wrote in message
...
November 13, 2005, from Lloyd Erlick,

Well, here I am asking the darkroom group
about a computer printer!


They're giving printers away - literally. I just got this one:
http://tinyurl.com/amlco. An all-in-one no less. I just got it for the fax.
At that price who could refuse? It actually may be cheaper to pay a few
bucks tho and get the printer that's easiest to refill. IIRC that would be
Canon. You might ask a refill company. I refill my now ancient Epson Photo
870 and it works great. Even 4x6 photos look great. Of course I'm not
expecting archival quality but for the price who's complaining.

Do you get Consumer Reports in the Great Frozen North? They do printers once
in a while.


Natural Light Black and White Photography
http://mysite.verizon.net/vze76ane/
-George-