BS: Which multi-purpose printer (UK)?

Subject: BS: Which multi-purpose printer (UK)?
From: Stower
Date: 23 Jan 10 - 06:04 AM

I am looking for a printer and would welcome recommendations based on your experience. It will be for use at home and I am aiming to become self-employed, so the quality needs to match this.

I need it to:
* print on good quality paper
* print onto CD-Rs (I don't understand how this can be done, but I know it can)
* scan

I don't need a fax.

I will be sending out publicity material to schools, folk clubs, festivals. What I don't know is how big a print run I can do at home before it is more cost effective (or time effective) to have it done by a professional printer, or whether, for the sake of looking good, it is always best to go to a professional printer. I have been told that some machines are very ink-thirsty and therefore expensive to run, so this may be a factor in overall long-term costs.

Mudcatters have always come up trumps for me. I'm very grateful, and hope you can do the same again.

Oh yes, and if you know somewhere that sells your recommendation cheaper than anywhere else, I'd be glad to know that, too.

Stower

Subject: RE: BS: Which multi-purpose printer (UK)?
From: s&r
Date: 23 Jan 10 - 07:00 AM

Where are you?

Stu

Subject: RE: BS: Which multi-purpose printer (UK)?
From: s&r
Date: 23 Jan 10 - 07:04 AM

The reason I ask is the local dealer I use was more than helpful: well worth a visit totalk through the options/costs/facilities.

Stu

Subject: RE: BS: Which multi-purpose printer (UK)?
From: Simon G
Date: 23 Jan 10 - 09:11 AM

I use a Canon MP970, about a year old but probably superseded by now. It connects directly to my router so any computer on the local network can use it. It scans, prints on CDs (you need the printable type of CD) and prints duplex (both sides of the page).

When I bought it I tried to do some analysis of the running costs and pretty much failed.

The duplex option is the one I've found most useful, although I didn't buy the printer because it had it.

Subject: RE: BS: Which multi-purpose printer (UK)?
From: Amos
Date: 23 Jan 10 - 09:19 AM

I recommend the HP. In general they are better built and the software support is saner--especially for printing to CD--than Epson.

The way it is done is a CD blank of the right kind is inserted into a thin carrying tray about the size of a piece of paper and this tray is fed into the printer from the front. The printer aligns the tray and passes the CD under the printheads.


A

Subject: RE: BS: Which multi-purpose printer (UK)?
From: Stower
Date: 23 Jan 10 - 10:16 AM

On Amazon, Canon printers seem to get rave reviews and damning ones. They are praised for the quality of their printing, damned for running costs (ink cartridges), a short life-span before they go pffft and some seem to have software problems (is this associated with Vista rather than the printer?).

I have always like HP printers and therefore thought I'd go for HP again, but the multi-function HPs seem to get poor reviews, again it seems to be a software breakdown much of the time.

My puzzlement and lack of experience in this department is my reason for the thread.

Thank you so far.

Any more?

Subject: RE: BS: Which multi-purpose printer (UK)?
From: Anne Lister
Date: 23 Jan 10 - 10:32 AM

We have a Canon MP780, which scans, prints, prints on CDs, photocopies and acts as a fax. It's not too bad on the ink costs (and we like the way Canon printers have separate reservoirs for each colour) especially as it's very tolerant of cheaper non-brand alternatives. No software problems at all.
It's now about four years old and there's a bit of a problem with the print heads, which my husband reckons he can sort out, but it's been very good and the quality of print has been excellent.

Subject: RE: BS: Which multi-purpose printer (UK)?
From: Wolfhound person
Date: 23 Jan 10 - 10:54 AM

I'm currently attached to:

a 4 year old Epson Photo 2100 which does good photo repro at the top settings, takes glossy paper up to A3, and will do banners. Bought for its separate cartridges (I needed more blue than anything else).
A 10 year old duplexing HP5000 whose cartridges cost an arm and a leg but last ages. It's very fast once it's going, or was till the feed went a bit screwy. It will also do up to A3, card, etc etc. (and labels and stamps)
A cheap and cheerful Samsung duplexing B& W laser which is very quick, but whose running costs I am beginning to view with concern. It does up to A4 and is a bit fussy on paper when duplexing. It's fiddly for labels as well. But it was about a fifth the cost of the HP.
A HP Photosmart 7280 which I've just networked into, which seems adequate, can't say no more yet.

All have their good and bad points.

Commercial printing becomes economic at about 500 copies, or less if you want folded things, stapled things, both of which are difficult to DIY.
Digital printing is OK, but litho is better for large volume booklets etc.

Paws

Subject: RE: BS: Which multi-purpose printer (UK)?
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 23 Jan 10 - 02:03 PM

If you are in any serious doubt about needing the sizes of print run that would justify commercial printing, then forget inkjet altogether and look at colour lasers. B&W lasers typically have print costs on under a tenth of printing B&W in inkjets.

The only inkjets that have close to reasonable running costs are the Brothers - nice big separate ink cartridges. But print quality is nowhere near a laser.

The little Samsung lasers are very fine entry level lasers - but the entry level ones do not scan and do not have the "toy" options.

I once bought a Panasonic laser multifunction. I strongly advise not to go there.