New Photo Printer Advice
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 23

Thread: New Photo Printer Advice

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    390

    New Photo Printer Advice

    New Photo Printer Advice

    As my photo printer is DOA I need advice in buying a new one and I'm scared. Not of the price, but scared in changes in the home printing market.

    Let me explain. The best photo printer I ever owned was a Canon Pixma IP4200. It cost $175 around 2007. It printed photos better than ANYTHING I've seen at its price point. I'd still be using it if my target shooting hadn't ricocheted.

    When I shopped to replace it I was troubled to see that high quality photo printers had been replaced by all in ones, geared more towards low cost, and faster printing and scanning times. Worse yet, Canon was following the market trend.

    I replaced it with a Canon Pixma MP 560 which I've owned since 2011. What I didn't like was how it was dumbed down. It didn't offer nearly as many printing options as the older 4200. Its scanner did not allow for custom scanning sizes, probably geared towards faster scanning times. It didn't print as well as the 4200.

    Quality seemed to be sacrificed in favor of faster and easier scanning and printing times, cheaper ink cartridges, and less ink use.

    I don't care how long I have to wait for a scan! I want it the way I want it! Likewise with the printing time and cost.

    That said I'd still buy the 560 all over again. It was the best photo printer I could find in a retail store.

    This is why I'm terrified about how the market has changed in the last four years! How much cheater/worse have printers gotten.

    Here's what I want:

    -High quality photo printing for HQ glossy photo paper. For the expensive .90c a sheet Canon paper. Not that cheap generic stuff they sell in the grocery store.
    -Canon brand. It's not a must but I've never seen ANY photo printing (at consumer prices) which even comes remotely close to Canon's.
    -Obviously multiple ink cartilages. Again, going against market trends.
    -A scanner with custom settings! I want to be able to scan files 10G. I don't want to be limited.
    -Price point, $150-$300. I'd be willing to go higher, IF it really really did print photos better. I know with the current price war manufactures are trying to shave even $20 off the price tag as most customers are too cheap to pay a mere $20 for better quality. I haven't seen ANY inkjet in a store under $150 for the past five years.

    Things I don't care about:

    -Pretty much everything else printers these days come with, like wifi, memory card slots, faxing, and automatic feeding. They're not negatives, I just don't care about them.

    The preliminary research I've done has led me to the Canon 7520. It seems to be the highest end printer offered in retail stores. But it scares me for all the reasons I mentioned above. The ergonomics also seem odd.

    I plan on buying SOON so advice please.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    390
    Has anyone heard anything about the Canon 8720?

    $300 it looks like just my thing. While I'd have to buy a separate scanner which will push me over by budget the 8720 can print larger sized borderless photos.

    So I need a good scanner recommendation as well.

  3. #3
    photolady's Avatar
    photolady is offline Lifetime Friend of Site Staff
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    At my computer, cruising VDR and watching your back
    Posts
    23,412
    I don't do Canon, so can't help you there. And you're asking us to help you find a printer but only want Canon brand, that kind of limits what we would suggest to you. My preference for printers, especially, photo printers has always been Epson. IMO, they are the best.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    390
    Hold on, I need time to read through the loads of other responses.

    I'm open to any brands you feel meet my criteria.

    I'm currently torn over price, it looks like I'll have to spend $300 on the Canon 8720 printer + at least $100 for a scanner. Or I can get the all in one Canon 7520 for only $130.

    As I said, I'm looking for feed back on these models but I'm still totally open to any brand or model which meets my criteria. Due to price wars I haven't been able to find a retail store with an ink jet over $200, or one that specializes in photos.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2000
    Location
    Sheboygan, WI
    Posts
    53,392
    My Epson Artisan 730 uses 6 cartridges and does just spiffy.

    Several years old now, but Epson is my my choice.
    Keep the factory box and packing and it has made 3 round trips across the USA for a total distancei n excess of 30,000 miles.

  6. #6
    photolady's Avatar
    photolady is offline Lifetime Friend of Site Staff
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    At my computer, cruising VDR and watching your back
    Posts
    23,412
    All in one are good photo printers too, especially, if they are Epson brand. Here's one that does everything except scan negatives:

    http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/j...sku=C11CC41201

    And as you see above, I'm not the only Epson user here.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2000
    Location
    Sheboygan, WI
    Posts
    53,392
    Here is a picture, yes damaged and not touched up in any manner, taken in 1943, that I scanned and printed with my 730


    Attachment 13065

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    390
    EVERYONE I've talked with both online and in person and in online reviews says that Epson is the new standard in all in ones and (modestly priced) photo printers.

    I read reviews of the Canon 8720 $300 photo printer and they were ALL lukewarm. It only prints as well as the lower priced Pixma series.

    The Canon 7520 all in one all had complaints I was already aware of, mainly that the whole set up is out the stone age. I know from simply trying to do a test print at work that the controls are a mess! The scanner is also small and prevents flat scanning! The lower feed tray system is almost asking for paper jams. All said it printed photos just as well if not better than my Canon 560.

    It appears the Epson XP-850 is the new version of the old 730 all in one. Nice price point and I'm reading positive reviews but here are my main concerns which you may be able to address.

    -Photo print quality? Have you done HQ photo printing on expensive .60c a sheet glossy photo paper?

    -Printing options, are there custom print settings for quality and paper type? I'm sure there are some but I hate how Canon ditched their VERY VERY VERY custom print options.

    -Can the photo paper I use Canon Glossy Photo Plus II work? I've been told by others it can.

    -Paper feed system appears to be the lower cassette type? I hate this because it causes jams and cannot take odd sized paper like circles or triangles or larger sizes. Why was the trational rear feed system phased out? My Pixma printing on anything which could fit in the tray. Is there another way to load the paper? Not a deal killer.

    -Scanning, it appears I can lay scans flat which is great, but how big is the scanning area? No the auto feeding system won't do for my odd sizes? As long as it's 9x12. Not a deal killer.

    -Custom scans, let me be specific, my old flat bed scanner let me scan ANYTHING I put on it up to 1200DPI. That's what I hated about my Canon 560. It would only let me scan up to a certain size. For example a 8.5x11 could only be done up to 500DPI! Too low! Can I scan up to any size doc I want?

    Any advice about the Epson Artisan 1430 $300? It's not an all in one but can print large size photos! It also has the rear feed system I like! The reviews I've read said it prints far better than the Canon 8720. But how does it compare with the Epson XP-850's photo printing quality? If it's only moderately better it's not worth the extra money as I'll also have to spend $100+ on a separate scanner.

    Thanks for the advice.
    Last edited by Dollanganger; April 12th, 2015 at 09:13 PM.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2000
    Location
    Sheboygan, WI
    Posts
    53,392
    I have trouble with the thick HP paper but I have used several brands of photo paper with success.
    Costco has their own brand that I prefer.
    Large format printing sure looks nice but darn expensive. Cost me $10 a print so I quit it and that was about 4 years ago.
    1900 is the highest I have ever used for a 24 MB tif file as 20 MB is my desired archieve size in tif format.

    Use the professional mode and you will pleased with the outcome.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    390
    With the XP850 is there a way to custom scan at 700DPI, 800DPI ect? That's what I hated about the Pixma 560. My options went from 500DPI to 600DPI then jumped to 1200DPI which as I said wouldn't scan at 1200DPI anyway.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2000
    Location
    Sheboygan, WI
    Posts
    53,392
    Here is what I have to work with. The Professional at the top is a drop down where you have to select it when you first use the program.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2000
    Location
    Sheboygan, WI
    Posts
    53,392
    The scan window has the size in the bottom.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2000
    Location
    Sheboygan, WI
    Posts
    53,392
    I over-scan as that gives me a place where I can type in data on the subject in the picture. I just happen to use Jasc Paint Shop Pro Version 7, i got for win 98 and still use it, using compatibility mode.

    A example:
    Attachment 13081

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    390
    Alright, I'm looking more closely at the Epson XP-850 or the older model XP-820 which is on clearance for a lot less. I noticed they use different ink types.

    What are the main differences? How is the XP-820's photo printing?

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Apr 2000
    Location
    Sheboygan, WI
    Posts
    53,392
    XP-850 uses 6-color (C, M, Y, K, LC, LM)
    Which will be a right nice improvement in final looks.

    Epson Expression Photo XP-850
    http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/j...seBVCookie=yes

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •