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Laser vs. Ink



 
 
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  #1  
Old October 12th 07, 01:11 AM posted to comp.periphs.printers
Rich, N9DKO
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4
Default Laser vs. Ink

greetings. i don't buy a lot of hardware as i tend to keep things
forever. while this works out pretty well in terms of getting my
money's worth it also puts me behind the curve when i do need to buy
new. so i'm seeking advice on a new printer purchase.

i currently use an old HP LJ 4Plus and an old Canon personal copier.
i'd like to replace both with a multi-function (4 in 1) printer that
will also print the occasional photo. i don't print all that much to
begin with so i'm trying to decide between ink and laser. this
printer would be for personal use, not business.


prior to the 4Plus i had an HP DJ500. the main problem was that the
ink nozzles would become clogged or dry out due to infrequent use.
when this happened i was able to occasionally re-hab the cartridge
back into service but more often than not i had to replace the cart.

question: am i going to run into the same sort of problem with
today's inkjets? i sometimes go for weeks without printing anything
__________________________________________________ ______

if i haven't printed in a while my 4Plus will give me a 'toner low'
message . to rectify all i do is remove the cart, shake it up and
replace it. for this reason i'm considering a MF color laser. but
the only thing i'd need color for (ink or laser) is to print the
occasional photo

question: when i print a photo i'd like the quality of the print to
approach commercial photo finishing quality...good enough to frame,
give to family, etc. am i going to get that kind of quality from a
color laser or must i stick with ink to achieve that goal or are they
about equal?
__________________________________________________ ______

the canon personal copier i have is actually pretty good...copies are
crisp and clean. the carts cost a fortune, though and there are no
paper trays. i have to manually place the source document on the
glass and then feed a single sheet. i use the copier a lot more than
the printer.

question: do the MF printers produce good, clean copies? is there a
difference in copy quality between ink and laser?
__________________________________________________ ______

the function i'll end up using most would be the scanner. i have a
lot of personal documents that i'd like to digitize in order to
eliminate paper clutter. most of these documents are text only but
i'd also like to scan in my collection of 2x2 color slides as well as
a lot of color and B&W prints.

question: what sort of resolution minimums should i be looking for in
the scan function? any other things to watch for?
__________________________________________________ ______

appreciate any and all thoughts on this as well as individual MF
printer recommendations.

73,
rich, n9dko


  #2  
Old October 12th 07, 02:42 AM posted to comp.periphs.printers
Michael Johnson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 403
Default Laser vs. Ink

My advice is to get a multifunction device such as a Canon MP830. It
will do everything you need and then some. Photo print quality is
excellent, it has an excellent scanner and the 35 page document feeder
is great for scanning multiple pages. The software that comes with it
allows you to scan large numbers of pages (even two sided pages) and
save them as a single PDF file. I find this one of the most useful
features of my Canon MP780 (the MP830's predecessor). It will also send
and receive faxes make copies in black and white and color. It prints
and copies in duplex (two sided) and has two paper feeds. Also, you can
refill the cartridges in the MP830 with very little effort for about $1
each. Overall, it is one of the best multifunction printers on the
market, IMO.

Rich, N9DKO wrote:
greetings. i don't buy a lot of hardware as i tend to keep things
forever. while this works out pretty well in terms of getting my
money's worth it also puts me behind the curve when i do need to buy
new. so i'm seeking advice on a new printer purchase.

i currently use an old HP LJ 4Plus and an old Canon personal copier.
i'd like to replace both with a multi-function (4 in 1) printer that
will also print the occasional photo. i don't print all that much to
begin with so i'm trying to decide between ink and laser. this
printer would be for personal use, not business.


prior to the 4Plus i had an HP DJ500. the main problem was that the
ink nozzles would become clogged or dry out due to infrequent use.
when this happened i was able to occasionally re-hab the cartridge
back into service but more often than not i had to replace the cart.

question: am i going to run into the same sort of problem with
today's inkjets? i sometimes go for weeks without printing anything
__________________________________________________ ______

if i haven't printed in a while my 4Plus will give me a 'toner low'
message . to rectify all i do is remove the cart, shake it up and
replace it. for this reason i'm considering a MF color laser. but
the only thing i'd need color for (ink or laser) is to print the
occasional photo

question: when i print a photo i'd like the quality of the print to
approach commercial photo finishing quality...good enough to frame,
give to family, etc. am i going to get that kind of quality from a
color laser or must i stick with ink to achieve that goal or are they
about equal?
__________________________________________________ ______

the canon personal copier i have is actually pretty good...copies are
crisp and clean. the carts cost a fortune, though and there are no
paper trays. i have to manually place the source document on the
glass and then feed a single sheet. i use the copier a lot more than
the printer.

question: do the MF printers produce good, clean copies? is there a
difference in copy quality between ink and laser?
__________________________________________________ ______

the function i'll end up using most would be the scanner. i have a
lot of personal documents that i'd like to digitize in order to
eliminate paper clutter. most of these documents are text only but
i'd also like to scan in my collection of 2x2 color slides as well as
a lot of color and B&W prints.

question: what sort of resolution minimums should i be looking for in
the scan function? any other things to watch for?
__________________________________________________ ______

appreciate any and all thoughts on this as well as individual MF
printer recommendations.

73,
rich, n9dko


  #3  
Old October 12th 07, 07:26 AM posted to comp.periphs.printers
Hari Seldon
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 13
Default Laser vs. Ink


"Rich, N9DKO" rk911 at yahoo dot com wrote in message
...
greetings. i don't buy a lot of hardware as i tend to keep things
forever. while this works out pretty well in terms of getting my
money's worth it also puts me behind the curve when i do need to buy
new. so i'm seeking advice on a new printer purchase.

i currently use an old HP LJ 4Plus and an old Canon personal copier.
i'd like to replace both with a multi-function (4 in 1) printer that
will also print the occasional photo. i don't print all that much to
begin with so i'm trying to decide between ink and laser. this
printer would be for personal use, not business.


prior to the 4Plus i had an HP DJ500. the main problem was that the
ink nozzles would become clogged or dry out due to infrequent use.
when this happened i was able to occasionally re-hab the cartridge
back into service but more often than not i had to replace the cart.

question: am i going to run into the same sort of problem with
today's inkjets? i sometimes go for weeks without printing anything
__________________________________________________ ______

if i haven't printed in a while my 4Plus will give me a 'toner low'
message . to rectify all i do is remove the cart, shake it up and
replace it. for this reason i'm considering a MF color laser. but
the only thing i'd need color for (ink or laser) is to print the
occasional photo

question: when i print a photo i'd like the quality of the print to
approach commercial photo finishing quality...good enough to frame,
give to family, etc. am i going to get that kind of quality from a
color laser or must i stick with ink to achieve that goal or are they
about equal?
__________________________________________________ ______

the canon personal copier i have is actually pretty good...copies are
crisp and clean. the carts cost a fortune, though and there are no
paper trays. i have to manually place the source document on the
glass and then feed a single sheet. i use the copier a lot more than
the printer.

question: do the MF printers produce good, clean copies? is there a
difference in copy quality between ink and laser?
__________________________________________________ ______

the function i'll end up using most would be the scanner. i have a
lot of personal documents that i'd like to digitize in order to
eliminate paper clutter. most of these documents are text only but
i'd also like to scan in my collection of 2x2 color slides as well as
a lot of color and B&W prints.

question: what sort of resolution minimums should i be looking for in
the scan function? any other things to watch for?
__________________________________________________ ______

appreciate any and all thoughts on this as well as individual MF
printer recommendations.

73,
rich, n9dko



Keep your HP Lasjer at all costs. Consider buying a cheap inkjet for the
fotos


  #4  
Old October 12th 07, 04:25 PM posted to comp.periphs.printers
Gary Tait
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 127
Default Laser vs. Ink

"Rich, N9DKO" rk911 at yahoo dot com wrote in
:

prior to the 4Plus i had an HP DJ500. the main problem was that the
ink nozzles would become clogged or dry out due to infrequent use.
when this happened i was able to occasionally re-hab the cartridge
back into service but more often than not i had to replace the cart.

question: am i going to run into the same sort of problem with
today's inkjets? i sometimes go for weeks without printing anything


Yes. Moreso likely with the finer nozzels these days.

question: when i print a photo i'd like the quality of the print to
approach commercial photo finishing quality...good enough to frame,
give to family, etc. am i going to get that kind of quality from a
color laser or must i stick with ink to achieve that goal or are they
about equal?


If you aren't printing a lot of photos, and want near commercial
quality, then have them printed by such printing outlets.
I don't think color lasers will approach that, or even inkjet for
photos.


__________________________________________________ ______

question: do the MF printers produce good, clean copies? is there a
difference in copy quality between ink and laser?


The printers/scanners get pretty fine these days. It will be a digital
copy, rather than an optical copy the copier does though.

__________________________________________________ ______



the function i'll end up using most would be the scanner. i have a
lot of personal documents that i'd like to digitize in order to
eliminate paper clutter. most of these documents are text only but
i'd also like to scan in my collection of 2x2 color slides as well as
a lot of color and B&W prints.

question: what sort of resolution minimums should i be looking for in
the scan function? any other things to watch for?


I'd hire that out, perhaps (the slides that is, to somebody that has a
purpose built slide scanner)

__________________________________________________ ______

appreciate any and all thoughts on this as well as individual MF
printer recommendations.

73,
rich, n9dko



  #5  
Old October 12th 07, 06:53 PM posted to comp.periphs.printers
Rich, N9DKO
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4
Default Laser vs. Ink

many thanks for your post, michael. my primary concern with any
inkjet are the nozzles on the print head becoming fouled or clogged
due to infrequent use. when that happened with my ancient DeskJet 500
i was only partially successful in cleaning them...most of the time i
had to toss the cart and replace it with another. being able to
refill the carts for $1 wouldn't seem to matter if the nozzle heads
become clogged. what are your experiences with this?

and many thanks to the other posters for their thoughts as well. it
seems i need to adjust my thinking about a MF printer.

i don't print all that many photos anyway and for those that i do i've
been uploading the digital images to walgreens or CVS or bringing in a
CD-R to them for printing. that's worked out pretty well.

gary, you suggested that i farm out the task of scanning my slides and
negative and maybe that's a good thought. i have a ton of old slides
but i rarely shoot film of any sort these days. barry, you suggested
a stand-alone scanner such as the SJ5490C and i see your point but i'm
trying to reduce the amount of hardware i have, not add to it.

so if i take photo printing and slide/negative scanning off the table
i'd still be looking for a multi-function device for scanning
documents and copying. and since i'm still concerned with ink nozzles
drying up and clogging maybe a B&W MF laser would be a better choice.
any thoughts along those lines?

73,
rich, n9dko

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 21:42:06 -0400, Michael Johnson
wrote:

My advice is to get a multifunction device such as a Canon MP830. It
will do everything you need and then some. Photo print quality is
excellent, it has an excellent scanner and the 35 page document feeder
is great for scanning multiple pages. The software that comes with it
allows you to scan large numbers of pages (even two sided pages) and
save them as a single PDF file. I find this one of the most useful
features of my Canon MP780 (the MP830's predecessor). It will also send
and receive faxes make copies in black and white and color. It prints
and copies in duplex (two sided) and has two paper feeds. Also, you can
refill the cartridges in the MP830 with very little effort for about $1
each. Overall, it is one of the best multifunction printers on the
market, IMO.


  #6  
Old October 12th 07, 09:46 PM posted to comp.periphs.printers
ggreekx[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 34
Default Laser vs. Ink

Keep your laser printer and buy a cheap dye-sub printer for your
photos.No printhead,No cloggs,same $/photo,excellent quality and
resolution.

  #7  
Old October 12th 07, 11:34 PM posted to comp.periphs.printers
Michael Johnson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 403
Default Laser vs. Ink

Rich, N9DKO wrote:
many thanks for your post, michael. my primary concern with any
inkjet are the nozzles on the print head becoming fouled or clogged
due to infrequent use. when that happened with my ancient DeskJet 500
i was only partially successful in cleaning them...most of the time i
had to toss the cart and replace it with another. being able to
refill the carts for $1 wouldn't seem to matter if the nozzle heads
become clogged. what are your experiences with this?


I haven't had many issues with the head clogging on any of our Canon
inkjet printers. Just making a color print once a week should keep it
running fine. Also, the Canon printers don't have a head in the print
cartridge like many HP printers. The head is separate and easily
replaced by the user.

and many thanks to the other posters for their thoughts as well. it
seems i need to adjust my thinking about a MF printer.

i don't print all that many photos anyway and for those that i do i've
been uploading the digital images to walgreens or CVS or bringing in a
CD-R to them for printing. that's worked out pretty well.

gary, you suggested that i farm out the task of scanning my slides and
negative and maybe that's a good thought. i have a ton of old slides
but i rarely shoot film of any sort these days. barry, you suggested
a stand-alone scanner such as the SJ5490C and i see your point but i'm
trying to reduce the amount of hardware i have, not add to it.

so if i take photo printing and slide/negative scanning off the table
i'd still be looking for a multi-function device for scanning
documents and copying. and since i'm still concerned with ink nozzles
drying up and clogging maybe a B&W MF laser would be a better choice.
any thoughts along those lines?

73,
rich, n9dko

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 21:42:06 -0400, Michael Johnson
wrote:

My advice is to get a multifunction device such as a Canon MP830. It
will do everything you need and then some. Photo print quality is
excellent, it has an excellent scanner and the 35 page document feeder
is great for scanning multiple pages. The software that comes with it
allows you to scan large numbers of pages (even two sided pages) and
save them as a single PDF file. I find this one of the most useful
features of my Canon MP780 (the MP830's predecessor). It will also send
and receive faxes make copies in black and white and color. It prints
and copies in duplex (two sided) and has two paper feeds. Also, you can
refill the cartridges in the MP830 with very little effort for about $1
each. Overall, it is one of the best multifunction printers on the
market, IMO.


  #8  
Old October 13th 07, 12:10 AM posted to comp.periphs.printers
Tony[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 600
Default Laser vs. Ink

Michael Johnson wrote:
Rich, N9DKO wrote:
many thanks for your post, michael. my primary concern with any
inkjet are the nozzles on the print head becoming fouled or clogged
due to infrequent use. when that happened with my ancient DeskJet 500
i was only partially successful in cleaning them...most of the time i
had to toss the cart and replace it with another. being able to
refill the carts for $1 wouldn't seem to matter if the nozzle heads
become clogged. what are your experiences with this?


I haven't had many issues with the head clogging on any of our Canon
inkjet printers. Just making a color print once a week should keep it
running fine. Also, the Canon printers don't have a head in the print
cartridge like many HP printers. The head is separate and easily
replaced by the user.

and many thanks to the other posters for their thoughts as well. it
seems i need to adjust my thinking about a MF printer.

i don't print all that many photos anyway and for those that i do i've
been uploading the digital images to walgreens or CVS or bringing in a
CD-R to them for printing. that's worked out pretty well.

gary, you suggested that i farm out the task of scanning my slides and
negative and maybe that's a good thought. i have a ton of old slides
but i rarely shoot film of any sort these days. barry, you suggested
a stand-alone scanner such as the SJ5490C and i see your point but i'm
trying to reduce the amount of hardware i have, not add to it.

so if i take photo printing and slide/negative scanning off the table
i'd still be looking for a multi-function device for scanning
documents and copying. and since i'm still concerned with ink nozzles
drying up and clogging maybe a B&W MF laser would be a better choice.
any thoughts along those lines?

73,
rich, n9dko

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 21:42:06 -0400, Michael Johnson
wrote:

My advice is to get a multifunction device such as a Canon MP830. It
will do everything you need and then some. Photo print quality is
excellent, it has an excellent scanner and the 35 page document feeder
is great for scanning multiple pages. The software that comes with it
allows you to scan large numbers of pages (even two sided pages) and
save them as a single PDF file. I find this one of the most useful
features of my Canon MP780 (the MP830's predecessor). It will also send
and receive faxes make copies in black and white and color. It prints
and copies in duplex (two sided) and has two paper feeds. Also, you can
refill the cartridges in the MP830 with very little effort for about $1
each. Overall, it is one of the best multifunction printers on the
market, IMO.



For clarification, some Canon printers do have the printhead built into the
cartridge. Best to check before you buy, depending on your preferences.

Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging

  #9  
Old October 13th 07, 03:38 AM posted to comp.periphs.printers
Michael Johnson
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 403
Default Laser vs. Ink

Tony wrote:
Michael Johnson wrote:
Rich, N9DKO wrote:
many thanks for your post, michael. my primary concern with any
inkjet are the nozzles on the print head becoming fouled or clogged
due to infrequent use. when that happened with my ancient DeskJet 500
i was only partially successful in cleaning them...most of the time i
had to toss the cart and replace it with another. being able to
refill the carts for $1 wouldn't seem to matter if the nozzle heads
become clogged. what are your experiences with this?

I haven't had many issues with the head clogging on any of our Canon
inkjet printers. Just making a color print once a week should keep it
running fine. Also, the Canon printers don't have a head in the print
cartridge like many HP printers. The head is separate and easily
replaced by the user.

and many thanks to the other posters for their thoughts as well. it
seems i need to adjust my thinking about a MF printer.

i don't print all that many photos anyway and for those that i do i've
been uploading the digital images to walgreens or CVS or bringing in a
CD-R to them for printing. that's worked out pretty well.

gary, you suggested that i farm out the task of scanning my slides and
negative and maybe that's a good thought. i have a ton of old slides
but i rarely shoot film of any sort these days. barry, you suggested
a stand-alone scanner such as the SJ5490C and i see your point but i'm
trying to reduce the amount of hardware i have, not add to it.

so if i take photo printing and slide/negative scanning off the table
i'd still be looking for a multi-function device for scanning
documents and copying. and since i'm still concerned with ink nozzles
drying up and clogging maybe a B&W MF laser would be a better choice.
any thoughts along those lines?

73,
rich, n9dko

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 21:42:06 -0400, Michael Johnson
wrote:

My advice is to get a multifunction device such as a Canon MP830. It
will do everything you need and then some. Photo print quality is
excellent, it has an excellent scanner and the 35 page document feeder
is great for scanning multiple pages. The software that comes with it
allows you to scan large numbers of pages (even two sided pages) and
save them as a single PDF file. I find this one of the most useful
features of my Canon MP780 (the MP830's predecessor). It will also send
and receive faxes make copies in black and white and color. It prints
and copies in duplex (two sided) and has two paper feeds. Also, you can
refill the cartridges in the MP830 with very little effort for about $1
each. Overall, it is one of the best multifunction printers on the
market, IMO.


For clarification, some Canon printers do have the printhead built into the
cartridge. Best to check before you buy, depending on your preferences.


Not the one I recommended.
  #10  
Old October 13th 07, 03:39 AM posted to comp.periphs.printers
Bob Headrick
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 535
Default Laser vs. Ink

"Gary Tait" wrote in message
...
"Rich, N9DKO" rk911 at yahoo dot com wrote in
:

prior to the 4Plus i had an HP DJ500. the main problem was that the
ink nozzles would become clogged or dry out due to infrequent use.
when this happened i was able to occasionally re-hab the cartridge
back into service but more often than not i had to replace the cart.

question: am i going to run into the same sort of problem with
today's inkjets? i sometimes go for weeks without printing anything


Yes. Moreso likely with the finer nozzels these days.


I would disagree with this. Today's DeskJet printers are expected to (and
do) survive the "Arizona schoolhouse in summertime" test, where printers in
schools are expected to start up without issues after the three month summer
vacation. A few weeks at a time should not be any problem for a printer
such as the DeskJet 6940, see
http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/p...C8970A%2523B1H.
This printer uses the relatively large 96 & 97 cartridges which provide
reasonable cost per page.

For all-in-one printers my favorites are not longer offered. I own three
Photosmart 2610 AIO's I picked up on eBay. They have a printer section very
similar to the 6940 and a reasonable scanner and fax. I do not think they
would do a reasonable job of scanning slides, for that I think a dedicated
slide scanner would be better. The Officejet 7410 is like the Photosmart
2610 but it has an automatic document feeder. It is capable of scanning and
copying double sided automatically.

- Bob Headrick, W7OV


 




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