Looking for photo printer. Need one that can do varied sizes. Also want one that prints with this “hundred-year ink” that i keep hearing about, to prevent pics from fading after a few years like normal inkjet ink. Highest resolution and quality I can get, I’d call my price limit $200 maybe 300 at the outside. Thanks.
I can’t recommend a particular printer, but these two links might be good starting places if nobody else comes up with something more informative:
Color injkets, sorted by rating
Color lasers, sorted by rating
Inkjets are initially cheaper, but the supplies (ink catridges) quickly add up if you do a lot of printing. Look for cost per page numbers if you can find them. Lasers are more expensive to begin with, but the toner catridges should be cheaper and last longer.
Most printers should be able to support a variety of paper sizes. Just make sure you don’t get something that only supports 4x6 sizes and not bigger (that is, if you do care about printing bigger things). Also, if you want 8.5x11 photo printouts, you might want to look for something that supports “borderless printing” of that size so you don’t get a white edge around your pictures.
As for the ink, I think the 100-year thing is an Epson invention. Other companies call theirs “archival inks”, but I don’t know how long they last (one site said all HP inks are considered archival, with a lifespan of 60-70 years on good paper). Seems like having good-quality paper is just as important as the ink itself.
Hope someone else can give you more info.
I have a Canon that prints quite nicely (I forget the model). The prints on glossy paper look just like a photo. Sadly, the ink sucks.
After three months, the picture I stuck on the fridge faded so much you could tell where the magnet held it in place.
I hear Epson has the best ink of all.