Quality Photo Printer

[bhults]

Last year, I did a lot of research on digital camera's---I wanted one for Christmas, knew how much I wanted to spend, and what features I wanted. I got the Canon A-70, 3.2 MP's...absolutely fantastic camera, with a million features, but enough simplicity for a dummy to use.

Although most of the pics I take, I use electronically, I'd like to get my hands on a quality photo printer to use with the camera. I don't know a whole lot about photo printers, so I don't know what I should be looking for with regard to DPI, etc.

Canon has these cool little printers, which they claim are "portable"---IE: hook it up to your camera and prints pics where ever you are. That sounds cool. Most of 'em are pretty cheap these days, anyhow.

Suggestions?

[DeRocha]

Well just a few comments on dpi and images from a camera or scanner... You need about 200 dots per inch to print a descent quality pic, any less and the pic will get grainy as the software will interpolate the necessary pixels.. Basically if your camera creates 1600 x 1200 dpi pics then you will be able to create an 8" x 6" photo print. You can certainly use any software to print larger than 8x6, but the larger you print the grainier it will become.

Most of the time it is cheaper and easier to have you digital prints developed at a store with digital processing (Wal-Mart, CVS, Costco etc). They can make great looking, long lasting prints for $ 0.22/ea. I have a HP DeskJet printer and it makes fine photo quality prints, but the ink is non archival (it will break down in 5+ years or upon contact with water). I know Epson makes a line of printers with archival inks. I started off thinking I would be printing a lot from home, but the reality is the ink and paper stock is a lot more expensive than just dropping it off.

[bhults]

Wow...great advice....those are definately some points worth considering.

[Cartman]

I have a HP deskjet 5150 and it does photos really well along with everything else, borderless 4x6 and 8.5x11 prints and easy on ink. I think it is 2400 x 1200 dpi and pictures that i've printed from my digital camera (3.2mp sony) people couldn't beleive weren't professionaly developed.

[410Fortune]

Canon, HP and epson all make great high quality photo printers these days for a good price.
The deciding factor for me was which one had the ink cartridges I could refill with the syringe kit myself because the ink only lasts for so many photo's.......and those little cartridges are pricey!

[Chew_12]

Epson in my opinion is the best for printing photos. It depends on what size you are looking for and if it is just for photos. If want one that will print any size...There is a Epson for about $180 that is the best photo printer, in my opinion.

[dman726749]

i have a hp photosmart 7660 and it rocks.....everything i print comes out great, just like a photolab pritns and my camera is only a 2.1mp

[F14CRAZY]

Get away from Hewlett B!!tard. My Photosmart 1115 took a crap just out or warranty.

[Chew_12]

I used to work for Office Max. I talked to many people that have had thier HP's for many years, and were looking to purchase another one. Each company has thier lemons. HP's are normally reliable.

[JDraper]

We do a LOT of photo printing on our printers and we have had good results with our Epson C-60. However, after several years of hard use, it died yesterday, and we went out and got an HP-7760 from Office Depot for around $145 (sale this weekend down from about $200). Both the C-60 and the HP-7760 do very well for printing photos. The C-60 was slower and noisier, but had very good print quality. The 7760 is fast and quiet, and also has great print quality. It also allows you to hook your camera directly to the printer, or insert your memory card into the printer. It has ports for just about every common memory card. I'd recommend either one of those.

[witchdoctor]

I just bought an epson r-300 photo for $130 at costco. It is an excellent printer. you can plug in the camera memory card directly into the printer. it also comes with a tray for printing on the surface of a cd/dvd.

[bhults]

Thanks guys....I was in Staples tonight and I was checking out what they had in stock. There's one I'm real interested in---It's a Hewlett, but I forget the model #. It's portable, accepts all memory cards, and has a flip up screen on the top that lets you edit and view your pics before you print. It only does 4x6's, but that really all I'm interested in. Anyone see this printer?

[F14CRAZY]

get a Canon yo. I've had a lot of Canon stuff of different vintages and they've always treated me good.

[JDraper]

Originally Posted by bhults

Thanks guys....I was in Staples tonight and I was checking out what they had in stock. There's one I'm real interested in---It's a Hewlett, but I forget the model #. It's portable, accepts all memory cards, and has a flip up screen on the top that lets you edit and view your pics before you print. It only does 4x6's, but that really all I'm interested in. Anyone see this printer?

My HP 7760 is the big brother to that one. It's also got the flip up screen, the memory card slots, etc. Mine does up to 8.5 x11 paper though. Works VERY well!!

[bhults]

Well, I was in Best Buy today doing some Christmas shopping. I saw that HP I was talking about---it's the Photosmart 375. It's an awesome looking little printer. It's supposed to be portable....which I think is pretty hot. I'd like to be able to print people pics in a hurry if I'm at a party or something. JDraper---thanks for the info on the HP's. If you're happy with your 7760, I think I'll be happy with the 375. I've always like HP's peripherals...I just don't think I'd buy one of their comps. F14Crazy, thanks for your confidence in Canon. I'd like to get the Canon Selphy portable printer...but it's only compatible with win XP. I currently run '98, but will be building a new comp in the spring. So, for now, I think I'm going to stick with HP. Any other advice?

[F14CRAZY]

Just a note:

I got a Canon BJC-4100 color "bubblejet" printer on my 8th birthday (I was a pretty high tech kid already). I'm 17 and that printer is still doing as well as it did back then. Just a lot of cartridges and print heads, cuz you needed to replace those (once a year for my usage).

A BJC-70 portable laptop printer I received from my Uncle Jim long ago still is fine also.

My current model stuff is an LIDE 20 scanner and a Powershot A80. My brother is running an S400 and hasn't had problems. We've both had this stuff for about a year. Not printers I know, but just in case...

I've had two out of 4 HPs die on me. My Photosmart 1115 after about a year, just out of warranty, decided to refuse to print and keep saying the black cartridge was low, even after trying out two genuine virgin cartridges. A Deskjet 3320 decided to snap something inside itself and the print head slams to the left really really hard. It can move itself pretty far . Another 3320 has been doing fine, and luckily, my Laserjet 1300 has been great after about 1500 pages.

Like I said, just so y'all know. And remember, my first computer experience was when I was about 7. By 3rd grade I was doing HTML. I'm taking A+ classes now. So I know computers pretty well.

[briwayjones]

Personally I like Epson. And they are reliable as far as that stuff goes. I think they do the best with photos. Also I've had and know a lot of people that have had trouble with HP printers. HPs tend to have more unnecessary moving parts which of course leaves more to go wrong with them.

[JDraper]

I've had both Epson and HP's die on me in the past. First photo printer I bought was an HP, and it lasted a hair over a year. Bought an Epson to replace it, it lasted 2 years, bought another Epson, it lasted 3 years, now have my HP to replace that. We do a LOT of photo printing, so we're hard on printers. I liked my Epson's, but both died the same way. The black print head wore out, and it wasn't worth fixing since the repairs were almost as expensive as the printer...

You're going to find good and bad printers in all of the quality brands. I chose a HP this time because of the price, warranty and features...