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I need a primer on modern ink jet photo printers for home use. I've had an Epson 600, Epson 740 and now an Epson 42UX which isn't working with generic ink. I'm all about saving money, though, and I don't like spending ridiculous amounts on ink cartridges. The cheap printers and generic ink have done me just fine for years, but I'm hearing that times have changed and this isn't necessarily the cheapest way to go anymore. I need to be convinced, however.

If I could get the current Epson 42UX to work (see issue thread here), I'd probably be happy. But I'm guessing that the 42UX is silently rejecting the non-Epson cartridge. If I can't use generic inks in this thing, it's worthless to me.

I need a printer for every day B&W docs, web pages, and occasional photo prints. However, when I do a photo print, I want it to (a) look decent and (b) last more than a few years. I don't need perfect prints (can't afford the printer, ink or paper for that) and I don't need archival quality (again, too expensive - I'll just reprint it if it fades in 5 years). I need to print some digital photos to put in frames around the house or send to grandma.

Speed would be nice, too, but I'm not sure how much I'm willing to pay for that.

Basically, I like the idea of cheap cartridges. I'd be willing to pay more for a printer if I knew that good, working cartridges were cheap (under $3 each, let's say).

I've seen the Canon i550 and i850 printers mentioned a lot. They run about $115 and $140, respectively. The inks (according to dealink.com) are very cheap, if you use generic (like $2 each). Canon cartridges are $12 each on Amazon.

Has anyone used generic inks in these printers? If so, can you tell me how well they worked and which ones you used?

What is the difference between generic inks and brand name inks, anyway? Don't last as long? Aren't as bright? Clog up the printer more? Why should I pay for brand name inks? (I haven't done that for years and I would REALLY need to be convinced it's worth it.)

What are some other ink jet printers to consider for OS X?

If you know of any good printer reviews on the web or sites that deal (objectively) with printers, please point me to them.

Thanks in advance.

[Severed Hand of Skywalker]

Epsons are terrible for getting clogged and wasting ink.

Get a Canon.

[OreoCookie]

Ditto. The Epson 42UX is total crap (a friend of mine has one). Epsons ink (``smart ink'') concept is a rip-off.

[JLFanboy]

I honestly can't count how many times I've talked about the Canon i850 on these board, but here goes anyway...

The Canon i850 is the best printer I have ever purchased. It prints amazing photos. It's quiet. It prints borderless. Great support for X. And best of all, this thing's ink just won't run dry. I've been printing a shitload of stuff since I got it and it's barely put a dent in the ink cartridges. Best of all, the cartridges are only $10 a pop.

Best. Printer. Ever.

Get one.

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Originally posted by JLFanboy:
I honestly can't count how many times I've talked about the Canon i850 on these board, but here goes anyway...

The Canon i850 is the best printer I have ever purchased. It prints amazing photos. It's quiet. It prints borderless. Great support for X. And best of all, this thing's ink just won't run dry. I've been printing a shitload of stuff since I got it and it's barely put a dent in the ink cartridges. Best of all, the cartridges are only $10 a pop.

Best. Printer. Ever.

Get one.

How does the i550 compare to the i850?

And has anyone used generic inks in the i550 or i850 successfully? If so, where did you get them? $10 isn't bad for name brand, but $2-3 for generic is much better if they work.

[JLFanboy]

The i550 is probably fine for what you want to do except print photos. If you want photos of decent quality that will last you don't want to skimp. That means getting an i850 at the least, using Canon ink, and printing on Canon photo paper.

Really, it's worth it in the long run. I'd say find some other place in your life to pinch some pennies. $10 for an ink cartridge is pretty great and your photos will love you for it.

Skimping is good for some things and not good for others. Getting cheap RAM is fine cause your computer won't know the difference. But digital photos are something else. You'd hardly be splurging on the i850. I'd say go for it.

And no, I don't work for Canon.

[X-Ray]

From what you are saying it sounds to me like what you need is not a photo printer but an all purpose printer - there is a difference. If you do mostly text an all purpose will generally print it better. Also, dedicated modern photo printers are made to work specifically with the manufacturer's ink and paper. You're just asking for trouble using generic ink in a photo printer. However, a lot of general or all purpose printers work fine with cheap off brand ink. Also, you can use cheaper photo paper (Kodak, for example) which will work fine in general purpose but not in photo printers. As a general rule the cheaper the printer the more ink it uses. You can pick up a decent all purpose printer from Canon or HP for under a $100. Also you might want to check one of the generic ink suppliers to find out what models they support. Personally I have a photo printer and that's all it's used for. Laser for all B&W work - cheaper than an inkjet!

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Originally posted by X-Ray:
From what you are saying it sounds to me like what you need is not a photo printer but an all purpose printer - there is a difference. If you do mostly text an all purpose will generally print it better. Also, dedicated modern photo printers are made to work specifically with the manufacturer's ink and paper. You're just asking for trouble using generic ink in a photo printer. However, a lot of general or all purpose printers work fine with cheap off brand ink. Also, you can use cheaper photo paper (Kodak, for example) which will work fine in general purpose but not in photo printers. As a general rule the cheaper the printer the more ink it uses. You can pick up a decent all purpose printer from Canon or HP for under a $100. Also you might want to check one of the generic ink suppliers to find out what models they support. Personally I have a photo printer and that's all it's used for. Laser for all B&W work - cheaper than an inkjet!

Okay, that's interesting. How is laser cheaper? I haven't shopped at all for a laser printer because it's so expensive... right? I thought toner and all that was expensive, not to mention the printer itself. Help me understand that better.

And maybe I do want a "general purpose" printer. Honestly, I've never seen the output of a true photo printer using matching inks and papers. Maybe that would convince me. But I've been happy with what my Epson 740 gave me on Kodak paper with generic ink for pictures. The 42UX looks crappy, but I'm wondering if I don't have some settings wrong (like color matching or something).

Can you then suggest to me some specific models for general purpose printing?

Are there web sites for this stuff that cover lower end printers? Anyone know of a good, comprehensive recent review on the web (for free) of printers in this range?

Please keep the advice coming! I want to learn more and hear more opinions.

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Let me ask this, too. Give me some specific prices and cost of ownership numbers for these things. You say a laser is cheaper, or that more expensive printers are cheaper in the long run. Show me the math on that. I want to understand the reasoning.

So, let's use my Epson 740 as a starting point. I could use generic inks which were maybe $5 each and glossy photo paper that cost maybe $0.50 a sheet at regular price. The printer probably cost me $60 new, when I got it. That's pretty cheap and it did fine, though it was slow. If I could repeat all that with a new printer that was faster, I'd be very happy.

What am I getting for a $150 printer with $10 cartridges (four of them) and (presumably) more expensive paper?

And how do you price out laser printers to be cheaper for B&W?

I'm not a cheapskate - I'll pay if I think it's worth it. I just want to understand why it's worth it, or even to understand where my cost/value ratio is the best for what I want to do. Sure, I'd love to have beautiful, borderless, quick color photo printouts, but I'm not really sure what I'd be willing to pay for that. And I don't need laser-quality B&W, either - I can always print that stuff at work on the rare occasion where I need it. I mainly print stuff so it's portable, like printing a web map to find a store in town or a document that I need to read where I don't have a computer.

[X-Ray]

As far as laser printers go - I get between 3 and 4 thousand pages per $80 toner cartridge. A good ink jet might give you 500 pages per $30 cartridge - you do the math. As far as specific models of ink jets (I'd look for one that has a large capacity black cartridge available) are concerned you'll need to do your own research: go to manufacturer's and magazine review sites. I use the laser since I have to print out 3 copies of 10 page documents on NCR paper all the time and I don't have to worry about smudging. Also you might want to consider short term versus long term cost savings. Lots of luck finding what you need.