best photo quality printer

Sky-Guy · 05-09-2003, 09:29 AM

Hey Guys and Gals-

Looking for input on what you think the best photo quality printer is?? ...going to pick one up tonight and make some great prints for Mothers Day presents.

Looking at the Epson 825, Canon Bubblejet 550, or the HP 130 or 230.

I have a great 4mp camera, now I need a better printer. Cant decide....Please Help!

Herring Impaired · 05-09-2003, 12:55 PM

I've had Epsons, and HP's... And am currently using an HP photosmart 1115, and am very happy with it.

After my bad experience with the Epson, I can't recommend them.

Might check out Epinions and see what they have to say about the particular printers....

The Fishing Geek · 05-09-2003, 01:57 PM

When you replace the cartridge in an Epson printer, it doesn't replace the heads. In time, those heads will clock, and the cleaning utility won't cut the mustard. Trust me, I've been there.

HP printers have good quality, but their cartridges are spendy and unless you spend a few hundred dollars on a printer, the color cartridge is one cartridge, and not one for each color. Spendy.

Canon has the best combination of quality and value. Each color is its own cartridge, so when you run out of red, you replace the red. I believe that you still have to spend another $50 for the "photo cartridge", as the color cartridge is made primarily for non-photo color printing. The quality of photo using the non-photo color is fine, but the photo cartridge makes it better.

You can also buy generic cartridges for Canon printers at a drastic savings. The black is fine, but I wouldn't use the color for photos. Too washed out from my experience.

lost_sailor · 05-09-2003, 02:15 PM

I have a HP OfficejetK80. It surely isn't "the best" (it's an all-in-one printer scanner fax copier) but the photo quality is pretty darn excellent.

That's all I know. Heed the word of the Geek.

H-P stands for "high priced" but I keep buying their stuff (in my professional life) - they keep going and going and going. Office printers take a lot of abuse from (shudder!) "users."

1pump · 05-09-2003, 07:28 PM

I posted a similar thread a few moths ago, and finally settled on a HP Photsmart 7350.
It came with 3 cartridges (black, tri-color, and photo)and they were full-size, not starters, which was nice. The tri-color had a problem right out of the box, so I called HP and 3 days later not one but two new tri-color cartridges showed up via FedEx.

And they are spendy. The black ones are about $50 for a 3-pack at Costco, whcih is about as cheap as they get.

Fish_N_Russ · 05-09-2003, 10:03 PM

Printer is only one key in printing good photo prints........the image quality from the camera is also very important, your photo editing program is going to be important also. I have only had Epson printers and they are much better for 'photo printing' then many other brands. Never had any problems with them so far. I do not know about HP printers but I know their customer service on computers SUCKS. I know of 3 friends and 2 relatives that have had HP problems on their computers and HP would not stand behind their products. Haven't heard anything bad about Canon :smile:
You should try looking at the digi photography review websites, they usually rate printers also.

Herring Impaired · 05-10-2003, 03:13 PM

When I bought my HP Photosmart 1115, I also ordered a cartridge refil kit for $40, about the price of a cartridge. So far it has saved me enough money in cartridges to pay for the printer. The kit fills the color and black cartridges about 6-7 times.

Nice thing about HP, Like the GEEK said, if the heads on the HP get plugged up, a new cartridge and your back in business. So far I have not had to do that.... My Epson would continually clog, and I'd spend hours trying to get one decent photo out of it. The HP is always ready to go....