Tuesday, December 1, 2009

AAAAAaaaaaarrrrrgggghhhhh

All indications to the contrary notwithstanding, I am a pretty good photographer. I also love to print my own work. Which leads me to great frustration.

Over the past ten years, ever since I got my first digital camera, I've been trying to find an inkjet printer (laser printers that I can afford simply don't print photos very well) that at least rises to the level of "piece of crap."

I've had Canon Bubble Jets, and three Canon 9000s, and three or four HPs, and an Epson R2400 (which produces the best prints I've seen in a consumer-level printer).

The R2400 cost me $600. I printed maybe 400 prints with it, using around $200 in ink; then I had to get the "pads" replaced. That cost $230. I just got it back in service when it started displaying an "error--needs service" message when I tried to print. There's one place in Rapid City that fixes Epson printers, and it charges $119 just to tell you what's wrong. Then, they might or might not be able to fix it for less than the price of a new printer. See where I'm heading with this?

Now, Walmart Photo Center does an excellent job printing, at a price less than I can print at home. But Walmart is 20 miles from me, so there's an obvious rub. It sure takes the fun out of printing when I have to contend with going to Walmart.

The amazing thing is that I was able to write this post without using profanity to an extent heretofore unknown in a blog post. Does anyone have any suggestions as to a printer that will print acceptable color prints without using two or three $25 ink cartridges every 10 or 12 8x10s?
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2 comments:

  1. PPDecember 1, 2009 at 1:58 PM

    http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=182&modelid=18122

    The Canon Pixma printers produce phenomenal quality. And the individual color print cartridges are inexpensive ($15)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bob NewlandDecember 2, 2009 at 8:42 AM

    Send me one, Pat. I'll drop my lawsuit then.

    ReplyDelete

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