Inkjet Printers - The bane of my life...

[David]

OK, so you have a very important document to print and only have access to your personal inkjet printer. The ink is running low so you re-fill your cartridges or buy third-party to save yourself being ripped off left, right and center! Your printer then decides that despite using the "cleaning" process to un-clog printer heads and numerous "alignment" checks that it does not want to print clear text without lines or other problems. You buy genuine ink and the problems still persist. During this process you receive hundreds of "warning" and "error" messages that you are not using genuine ink and that your one day old cartridge is running half empty already.

The point of this thread?
There isn't really one, merely to let out some of the frustration I have with these devices! I miss the days (not so long ago) of cartridges without "chips" and before the time business and marketing types decided that they weren't making enough money out of us. I don't think I would ever work for a printer company if I was asked to write code to annoy the user every 2 seconds reminding them with pointless information and with psuedo-random ink level statuses!

Rant over!

Dave

[charliex]

yeah they suck it takes about $300 to fill my wide format HP that i don't use often, then the inks dry up. I did pull the watch battery out of it so it'd stop whining. The cost is high because it has seperate heads and ink tanks, but its almost cheaper to buy a new printer instead of refilling it, i just like its 17x19 and double sided, great for schematics etc.

i tried cleaning the heads with all sorts of cleaners, but it never works. the clean print head is a joke, i'm fairly sure all it does is use up ink. I miss working in the xerox printing division where i had access to all sorts of printers all day

i decided to switch to a samsung colour laser for regular size, single sided stuff, much better.

[Simon]

gentlemen the solution comes in the form of the Ricoh Gel printers, now i know the critics and "reviewers" slated them but that was because they a bunch of ignorant journalists that think they know too much to actually figure out how something works. I have the Gelsprinter 2500 and would never look back, costs £ 120 to fill but the ink lasts for 1000 sheets so really ok its not cheaper than a traditional ink-jet as they claimed but in fairness it is no more expensive and is far superior quality (when used correctly) and quick. it is not designed to conk out after a set time like my epson did and is a very rugged printer, it is good for quickly printing documents as it is for top notch photographic prints delivered faster than your average ink-jet.

[Kiriakos-GR]

I do not print allot , but I have the prefect printer since 2001,  HP 970CXi with Duplexer. ( 400EUR at that time )

He loves printing users manuals , by doing alone all the job.
Plus when it cames to photographic detail , just impress me since the day one.

Always using genuine print supplies , and use the large ml cartridges.
I need new supplies every two years or so.. and I am more than happy.   

[A-sic Enginerd]

Yeah, I still kick myself for the day I gave away my DeskJet 500.
Sure it was slow, but it sipped the ink, print quality was just fine and the thing just simply always worked.

Gave it up because of wanting to go to color and photo printing, and because it was slower than new stuff.

Now, because of the cost of ink I find myself doing the extra clicks to force it to black and white (or greyscale at least), and by the time the damned thing gets done chewing on the data and trying decide what to do with it, the old school 500 would have had it printed already.

Oh, and before anyone runs out to just buy a new printer because it's cheaper than new cartridges - well, those new printers don't have full cartridges. I know, I used to work for one of those companies that "float on a sea of ink." Even worked for Printing and Imaging department, just not on printers themselves (so don't blame me).

[xani]

Tbh don't buy ink printer if u dont print much. In most towns u can find places u can print stuff and that's usually cheaper than owning a printer, and if u need to rint stuff like manuals, datasheets just buy cheap laser printer (which u can also use for makin PCBs ;] )

[charliex]

takes time to go to a place to get printouts when you need them, so it always costs something.

A colour laser is like $150, so i can buy two of them for every one complete refill of my HP , but its not 17x19 double sided.

[EEVblog]

Yup, they suck.
I got so fed up of inkjets I went and got a $200 Samsung colour laser printer.

Dave.

[Simon]

I'm thinking of getting a cheap BW laser for documents and saving my gel printer for colour stuff.

[saturation]

I got a Samsung LP for $60 after rebates, and just refill the original cartridge for $4, toner sets are on eBay.  The printer works today, still on its original cartridge since 2004.  BTW, I did the same with my original HP Personal LP that last 20 years, and died when a drive gear tooth broke, I repaired it, but then another gear broke.  I only bought 1-2 toner cartridges in its lifetime.  

It cost more to buy these gears than get the Samsung replacement.

Color is helpful, but I never find it absolutely necessary.  Also, if you plan in color, it makes it more difficult to photocopy, if ever needed.

Until the late 2000s, color ink in inkjets was not archival quality, meaning it fades with UV and time.  Laser print is carbon impregnation, it is archival quality if you use acid free archive paper.  More importantly, liquid ink dries out if unused, which is the worst item, and with use inevitably clogs the jets.  LP are maintenance free.

I'm thinking of getting a cheap BW laser for documents and saving my gel printer for colour stuff.

[Simon]

I got a Samsung LP for $60 after rebates, and just refill the original cartridge for $4, toner sets are on eBay.  The printer works today, still on its original cartridge since 2004.  BTW, I did the same with my original HP Personal LP that last 20 years, and died when a drive gear tooth broke, I repaired it, but then another gear broke.  I only bought 1-2 toner cartridges in its lifetime.  

It cost more to buy these gears than get the Samsung replacement.

Color is helpful, but I never find it absolutely necessary.  Also, if you plan in color, it makes it more difficult to photocopy, if ever needed.

Until the late 2000s, color ink in inkjets was not archival quality, meaning it fades with UV and time.  Laser print is carbon impregnation, it is archival quality if you use acid free archive paper.  More importantly, liquid ink dries out if unused, which is the worst item, and with use inevitably clogs the jets.  LP are maintenance free.

I'm thinking of getting a cheap BW laser for documents and saving my gel printer for colour stuff.

And all you mention is the reason I use the Gel sprinter GX2500, UV and water resistant and far superior photo quality to laser even wax laser, you will always be able to tell the difference from Laser colour it stands out a mile, I can print gel on standard photo paper and you would not know the difference from the lab.

[Kiriakos-GR]

Well repairing Printers and copiers , are one of my main "talents" ,
And I am also specialized to the large HP Plotters.

In long term , any printer has an extreme cost :

The " laser "  ones will need " Drum " .

The the good Ink-jets (HP) an new print head ..

The Epson - Canon  classic Ink-jets , thy will clog , and be trashed.

Any Brand - model  with "special type "  inks , will had its own issues.  

Generally speaking  ,  the keyword are  " Production rate " at printing aka "volume" .
Thats why its the most important than all to select the printer who will be able to produce " the volume of  pages that you need ".

One low priced inject who are poor made , that dances in the table when prints, by causing lots of noise,
its like  like telling you .... " I am not made to last more than 2 years .."  

I truly still enjoy my old Desk-jet 970CXi , as it was build by having in mind , that it will produce an mid volume of prints , in a professional environment .
So its totally silent - fast - and it can be trusted ..

Few days back I install for a friend one " Multi machine "  ( I do all type ) ,
was made by HP too..   at printing it was so noisy ..  full of very strong vibrations ..  that gave's you the feeling , that you must use ropes to keep it stably in place ..

I always calculate and other factors , in the printers selection, other than ink.    

  

  

[Simon]

the GX2500 was made to print 100'000 pages or 1'700 pages a month for 5 year I think. now you won't get such a claim from any other manufacturer on a lowish cost printer

[saturation]

This gel technology is interesting if I were to buy a color printer, its the cost of the cartridges that remain high and need justification.

With a laser, refill a cartridge is about $4-6, and for me it lasts for many years.
Currently, Brother sells a laser for $70 US.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16828113290&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Printer+-+Laser+Printers-_-Brother-_-28113290



Also UV and water 'resistant' does not mean proof.  Carbon impregnation has been proven to last for hundred of years, per the US National Archives.  This means if you print something for whatever reason on an LP with the intention of keeping it, there is no fear of it losing its qualities; alas its only grey scales.  I have color printouts using dye sublimation that are dull in only 5 years, but that was old tech dyes.

Technology marches on, so if you need it it may be there, again at what cost and effectiveness?

http://www.digicamera.com/features/goinggoinggone/

the GX2500 was made to print 100'000 pages or 1'700 pages a month for 5 year I think. now you won't get such a claim from any other manufacturer on a lowish cost printer

[charliex]

yep i got the samsung too a cheapie $150 one (550 i think), and 3175FW for the office. I've found the B&W ones for $80 USD, had it for a few years, changed toner cart once.

Now if i could find a double sided 17x19 colour laser for that, i'd be well happy.

[Ferroto]

I find it's often cheeper to just replace the printer. You'll save money, plus you get free stepper motors 

Hell one time I spotted an ARM processor, but couldn't use it due to it being a BGA package.

[Simon]

and such an environmental wastage, equipment should be made to last

[saturation]

Yes, like old high end test equipment, made to last and revitalized by amateurs.  Consider amateur atomic clock groups:

http://leapsecond.com/hpclocks/

and such an environmental wastage, equipment should be made to last