[bwahahax]

I'd like a printer that's not too expensive and can print decent (not uber-photo realistic) colour images for my own personal use. It seems that inkjet printers are the best bet, BUT there is one major issue I'd like some input on.

Currently, I am using my partner's Lexmark Z52 colour printer, and although I am hoping to get something better, it produces decent enough images, when the ink is flowing.

The problem seems to be that we don't print often enough. According to the guy at the ink store, if you aren't using an inkjet printer regularly the nozzles often become blocked, and other than running the nozzle cleaning routine a couple of times (which hasn't worked in the past), there is not much you can do.

This is the only reason I would consider buying a laser printer, because as far as I know, they don't have this problem. Given our how rarely we print, it would probably last us a very long time.

Question: Are there any folks out there who are familiar with this problem and can recommend a brand of inkjet, or a specific printer that does not have this problem?

Is there a way of storing the inkjet cartridges when they are not being used to make sure their nozzles don't become blocked?

Should I just go with a laser?

Thanks in advance.

[tooki]

Well, lasers are very good for both occasional printing (because it makes no difference how long it sits idle) and frequent printing (because toner is cheap).

But there are inkjets that meet your needs: get a Canon. The ink is cheap, they're extremely fast, and the heads don't tend to clog.

Lexmark printers have never been that great -- don't base your impression of inkjets on them alone.

Epson makes printers with great print quality, but they are slower than comparable-quality Canons, use expensive ink, and they are REALLY likely to clog if not used frequently.

HP's printers don't seem to have clogging troubles, but their ink is very expensive, and color output is slow. But they do have the hands-down best-looking black-and-white text on plain paper of any inkjet.

I have a Canon i850 (since replaced by the i860) and I love it. Search this forum for i850 or i860... there are tons of stories of very happy owners of them.

A laser is a good choice if you're willing to sacrifice color. To get good color from a laser, you're probably going to go outside your budget.

tooki