SB, printer, scanner

I am also looking for a new printer. Mainly so I can print onto cardstock so I need it to have acid free ink. If any of you have links please post. I had the research on a different computer and I lost it. Darn.

If I find any valuable info in my search I will post.

Thanks!

--Tammy

Hi.

My mom has an HP all in one and swears by it.

I on the other hand am leary about all-in-ones because if one part of it breaks the whole thing is a waste.

I have a Canoscan FB620U which I bought at Staples many many years ago. I also own a HP Photosmart 7260 which I can't live without (it prints

4x6, 5x7, 8x10, and wallets) and I purchased it on eBay.

Hope this helps, Kate

I am not sure of the quality of printers where you are, but I wouldn't imagine we aren't too far behind here - I agree with a great printer for scanning and printing on cardstock (good colour options available with acid free ink), but I am so hesitant about printing photos for scrapping with them - fine if the photo is for a frame and probably won't be on display that long, but in my experience I have never found a printer whose photos don't start to fade - something about the fixitives they use in proper photographic developing that they just can't imitate in the ink yet. I have spent many hours trawling the photographic groups for answers and it seems unanimous if you want the best colour, quality and lastability (is there such a word) the answer is proper developing rather than DIY.

Just a thought.

I have been very happy with my HP photosmart with the photo quality cartridge (#57/#58). I have learned, the hard way, that it is VERY important to match your printer, your paper and your ink in order to have the highest quality photos. The HP website looks like they are running a sale on printers & all-in-one units. I found several options within your budget. I bought mine at the local office store.

I thought I read and article in Creating Keepsakes

back in 2004 that had a chart that compared the fade-resistance "life" of inks. If I remember correctly, most inks tested about 75 or 100 years before noticeable fading occurred. One thing to remember, technology is out dated the second your credit card clears. The printer you buy today is going to be 10 steps up from your neighbor's printer they bought last summer. The resolution of the digital photo and the size of the photo when printed also have a factor in picture clarity.

Good luck!!

-- Amy L.

Tammy...a pigment ink printer seems to be what is required for acid free printing and this one seems to be favoured by photographers

In the US it is 2200 and is pretty pricey from what I can find online.

I would advise against any Lexmark all in one printers. I had two of them, the paper jammed all the time and their customer service is very poor.

I'm with Kate - I have a HP Photosmart 7150 and love it. Though it is older I print on cardstock, vellum, ribbon, pattern paper, canvas, counted cross stitch material, etc..... I would worry about the all-in-one because if it goes everything goes. Though my oldest DD and DS each have the all-in-one and love it. When I scrap my digital photos I send them off to CVS for developing as I can pick them up a couple of days later at the local store. I wait until they have a special and them send off pictures. Sandy

Thanks for the warning!

--Tammy

I have an Epson Scanner, and an Epson Stylus printer - both fairly inexpensive - the scanner was $50, the printer $200, and I love them both!!! AND, Epson has pretty good customer service, where is in my experience, both Lexmark and HP are pretty hard to oirk with.

my 2 cents. Welcome Lady Mo! Good luck!

Jessica

Hi ALL and thanks for your opinions of a printer. I bought a new HP computer package today with a cd burner, it also came with a very basic HP printer. I upgraded to a HP Photosmart 2575. I explained to the salesperson the main uses I wanted it for and thats what he recommended for just $50 more on the package and it came with 4x6 photo paper and ink cartridgs. I hope it'll be a decent quality long lasting one. As far as printing out photos on it, even if it does eventually fade, my candid wedding photos from 30+ yrs. ago, and 99% of the candid photos taken of my children when they were babys were taken with a Polaroid and have begun to discolor and fade. So, I'm hoping to scan them and give them a little color manipulation then print them as well as put them on a disk for saving. I'll have to wait until DD comes into town to get me all setup and teach me the new fangled stuff I've never worked with, I'm not very computer literate. Now if it was my webtv I could do most anything but computer "speak" in instruction booklets look like a foreign language most of the time. I'll write back again in a couple of weeks when I've the hang of the new computer and printer and let you all know what I think. Thanks so much again. LM

Hi Lady Mo! Good to see you again ! Just wanted to say Hi! I don't have clue about computers LOL

Hugs, Sabrina

Tammy ,I have an HP Deskjet that I have had for about five years and I like mine. Never had a problem with it.

Hugs, Sabrina

Andrea, I agree with you. I've got a Lexmark printer/scanner and although I do use the scanner to scan old faded photo's and make the quality a bit better, I save the digi images on a cd and have it printed at the Kodak Kiosks. The end result somehow just looks clearer, even if you print the exact same image at home on your printer. Also I've found that the cost of printing your own pictures at home, are MUCH more expensive! Don't know if it's just a South African thing.

Judy, SA

I got my Lexmark X75 Printrio for Christmas last year from DH. He picked it out, and it was a total surprise. I think it was under $100. I don't print a lot of photos. I just use it for scanning and basic printing., and so far it is fine. The ink is way too expensive in my opinion for printing photos, and then there is the cost of the paper, and the time it takes to print them! I just upload my digital pics, or saved scans of old pics to CVS.com and pick my pictures up at the local store, in the next two days.

As far as acid free ink in printers, I thought all inkjet printer ink is already acid free? I could be wrong here, but I would like to know for sure. Anybody?

Linda C