Choice of printer - with affordable ink refills

I am looking for a printer for near photo quality and I came a cross a Canon
iP4200. However I can't seem to find any compatible refills for this
printer which surprised me considering availability for previous Canon
printers. I now understand this is down to Canon's change in stance with
moving away from having simple tanks and some having some IP or patent
preventing 3rd party sourcing of tanks.

I would like a printer to be near photo quality, and ideally be able to
print direct onto CDs. Also availability of cheap or compatible ink
cartridges would be desirable.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Fred wrote:

> I am looking for a printer for near photo quality and I came a cross a
> Canon
> iP4200. However I can't seem to find any compatible refills for this
> printer which surprised me considering availability for previous Canon
> printers. I now understand this is down to Canon's change in stance with
> moving away from having simple tanks and some having some IP or patent
> preventing 3rd party sourcing of tanks.
>
> I would like a printer to be near photo quality, and ideally be able to
> print direct onto CDs. Also availability of cheap or compatible ink
> cartridges would be desirable.
>
> Any suggestions would be appreciated.

If you want to get the best print quality, only use original cartridges.
It's as simple as that.

I've used a number of Canon printers over the last 10 years or so and still
think they offer the best results overall for my needs. I've tried
refilling, and any number of compatibles. It is always obvious which prints
came from the originals!

If you need cheap photos your best bet is the High street. 6x4's can be had
for 10 pence. You won't get near that by printing at home.

Chris

--
Remove prejudice to reply.

Fred on the Fri, 21 Jul 2006 11:44:18 +0100 posted a message to which I
wish to reply with...

[...]

> I am looking for a printer...

What does this have to do with "home-networking"?
Try comp.periphs.printers, or uk.comp.vendors

"Tx2" <this.is.an.inv@lid_email_address.com> wrote in
message news:(E-Mail Removed)
> Fred on the Fri, 21 Jul 2006 11:44:18 +0100 posted a
> message to which I wish to reply with...
>
> [...]
>
> > I am looking for a printer...
>
> What does this have to do with "home-networking"?
> Try comp.periphs.printers, or uk.comp.vendors

Maybe he wants a printer that is easily networkable..? Some of the newer
ones come with built in print servers for connection to Ethernet
hubs/switches.

Ivor

Ivor Jones on the Sat, 22 Jul 2006 17:37:50 +0100 posted a message to
which I wish to reply with...

> Maybe he wants a printer that is easily networkable..? Some of the newer
> ones come with built in print servers for connection to Ethernet
> hubs/switches.

I suggest you re-read his post then - he is more concerned with the
consumables than he is anything else.

"Tx2" <this.is.an.inv@lid_email_address.com> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ...
> Fred on the Fri, 21 Jul 2006 11:44:18 +0100 posted a message to which I
> wish to reply with...
>
> [...]
>
>> I am looking for a printer...
>
> What does this have to do with "home-networking"?
> Try comp.periphs.printers, or uk.comp.vendors

Thanks for the steer. "home-networking" is a group where I occasionally
post and lurk. In the past I have found "uk.comp.vendors" tends to be more
a complaints forum so I'm wasn't sure if it was any more relevant than
"home-networking".

"Ivor Jones" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> "Tx2" <this.is.an.inv@lid_email_address.com> wrote in
> message news:(E-Mail Removed)
>> Fred on the Fri, 21 Jul 2006 11:44:18 +0100 posted a
>> message to which I wish to reply with...
>>
>> [...]
>>
>> > I am looking for a printer...
>>
>> What does this have to do with "home-networking"?
>> Try comp.periphs.printers, or uk.comp.vendors
>
> Maybe he wants a printer that is easily networkable..? Some of the newer
> ones come with built in print servers for connection to Ethernet
> hubs/switches.
>
> Ivor
>

Thanks for your support. Perhaps "home-networking" wasn't the most ideal
group. Having said that I'm not sure of a group where I might get some
sensible suggestions!

Fred wrote:
> I am looking for a printer for near photo quality and I came a cross a Canon
> iP4200. However I can't seem to find any compatible refills for this
> printer which surprised me considering availability for previous Canon
> printers. I now understand this is down to Canon's change in stance with
> moving away from having simple tanks and some having some IP or patent
> preventing 3rd party sourcing of tanks.

Not quite, pritner manufacture make 70 percent of their profit selling
"ink" not the hardware -- printer is the bait -- ink is the web.

> I would like a printer to be near photo quality, and ideally be able to
> print direct onto CDs. Also availability of cheap or compatible ink
> cartridges would be desirable.

I would try a color laser printer, bit expensive, however can be
"refilled" through 3rd party. Although, you need to check which model
is "refill" free. Laser printer will give you more options then "ink"
printer. Also laser printers have been around since early 70s, another
word, technology is very mature, and near perfect.


> Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I would say don't waste your money on dvds, and cds. In future dvds,
blue-ray, and hd-dvd recorder will be come with some printing features
- using laser. Why bother with anything more? Buy a marker, and label
the media urself

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ups.com...
>
> Fred wrote:
>> I am looking for a printer for near photo quality and I came a cross a
>> Canon
>> iP4200. However I can't seem to find any compatible refills for this
>> printer which surprised me considering availability for previous Canon
>> printers. I now understand this is down to Canon's change in stance with
>> moving away from having simple tanks and some having some IP or patent
>> preventing 3rd party sourcing of tanks.
>
> Not quite, pritner manufacture make 70 percent of their profit selling
> "ink" not the hardware -- printer is the bait -- ink is the web.

I was sort of aware of that, but also that there are printers that can take
compatible cartidges. It's more a question of finding out which ones!

>
>> I would like a printer to be near photo quality, and ideally be able to
>> print direct onto CDs. Also availability of cheap or compatible ink
>> cartridges would be desirable.
>
> I would try a color laser printer, bit expensive, however can be
> "refilled" through 3rd party. Although, you need to check which model
> is "refill" free. Laser printer will give you more options then "ink"
> printer. Also laser printers have been around since early 70s, another
> word, technology is very mature, and near perfect.
>

I'm not so aware of the quality from colour laser printers. They are
affordable being around the £150-200. I see the toner cartidges are about
10 times the price of equivalent ink cartidges and seem to last 10 times as
long so presume the running costs are going to be similar.

Fred wrote:


> I was sort of aware of that, but also that there are printers that can
> take
> compatible cartidges. It's more a question of finding out which ones!

Pretty much all currently made, and most older printers will be able to use
compatible cartridges. You will *not* get "near photo quality" when using
them however. Believe me - I've tried!

The only way of determining which printer works best with which brand of
compatible is trial and error. Even then quality differences between
different batches from the same supplier are enormous.

>>
>>> I would like a printer to be near photo quality, and ideally be able to
>>> print direct onto CDs. Also availability of cheap or compatible ink
>>> cartridges would be desirable.
>>
>> I would try a color laser printer, bit expensive, however can be
>> "refilled" through 3rd party. Although, you need to check which model
>> is "refill" free. Laser printer will give you more options then "ink"
>> printer. Also laser printers have been around since early 70s, another
>> word, technology is very mature, and near perfect.
>>
>
> I'm not so aware of the quality from colour laser printers. They are
> affordable being around the £150-200. I see the toner cartidges are about
> 10 times the price of equivalent ink cartidges and seem to last 10 times
> as long so presume the running costs are going to be similar.

Colour lasers are great for business graphics. Even multi-thousand pound
ones are hopeless for photo printing.

If cost rather than convenience is important to you, it is better to get
your photos printed on the high street.

Chris

--
Remove prejudice to reply.