Hello! I used to hang around SD a lot. Still a great place to learn (and un-learn!) stuff.
This has probably been asked before (many times!) I need a new all-in-one inkjet printer/scanner. I can’t spend much, so cheap is good…and cheap ink refills would be nice…
What I most want is one that comes with good scanning software, the kind that corrects for “patterned” originals, like comic books or Sunday newspaper comics. I don’t want to get moire patterns. I know there’s a technical term – anti-biasing? – for this feature.
I have an Epson Workforce eco-tank all-in-one. It has its issues, but after five years of hard use, it’s still plugging along; and perhaps the newer ones are better. I like the large refillable ink tanks.
Nice to see someone say that - my old printer gave up the ghost yesterday, and now I have an EcoTank on order, after spending some time on consumer sites researching the best alternatives. So in about a week, I’ll be able to give some feedback about whether the current models are any good, out of the box
I just bought a Brother MFC-J995DW, which arrived today. I haven’t unpacked it yet. Will let you know in a few days… (Before that I had an HP OfficeJet Pro 6978, which I HATED.)
Main problem I had was with the wireless setup; never did get it to work properly. Also, make sure you keep the software up to date, especially if you’re using it with an Apple.
We have a Canon Pixma that’s been decent. Wife’s laptop doesn’t want to connect though. It’ll scan docs, copy if you want to. Found inexpensive cartridges, too.
I Currently have a Hp Envy 5546 - very happy with it for domestic use. The main thing when considering your budget would be to look at the price of replacement ink; many printers seem to be quite cheap because once you buy the hardware, you’re pretty much tied in to buying the associated consumables
Are upfront costs more of a factor than ongoing costs? I have a Brother mfc-9130cw laser printer (it seems they have a newer version now). IME, though the initial cost of going with a laser printer was higher, the printing cost per page is far less than with our old inkjet because the toner cartridges last so much longer that it more than makes up the difference.
Anyway, I’ve been happy with it, though I don’t know how it compares to Brother’s inkjet offerings. I’ve had far less trouble with it than with the old Epson inkjet it replaced. I have not tried to scan newspaper clippings, so I don’t know how well it handles that.
We have an HP Officejet Pro 8600 (they have newer model number now).
It’s been dead-nuts reliable since 2012, just have to put ink in it when it runs out. Supposed to be pretty economical on ink, too, though I have never taken the time to calculate how many pages we can print before I have to refill. Costco has the inks, and I only ever buy genuine ones.
It has an automatic feeder and wireless connectivity as well.
I came here to mention this very printer. I’ve had the same experience as crazyjoe. Great printer, never has problems. I print, scan (flatbed and feeder), fax and copy. Not a TON but I use it regularly enough. Lately I’ve been printing a lot of shipping labels.
It also will collate and print double sided, easier than any printer I’ve owned before.
Only issue is…and I think a lot of printers have this issue…is when one color goes out you can’t print anything, not even B&W, until you fix it. Ugh. I just buy the 4-color packs and keep them around. Just bought some on sale from Amazon. Always HP branded, never off-brand.
Oddly enough, a friend’s HP Pro 8600 has been slowly dying. They may be reliable, but eventually they will give up.
If you can afford the up-front purchase price, I always STRONGLY recommend going with a laser, either black and white, or color. Toner does’t dry out and clog, the printer doesn’t blow out four dollars worth of ink on a cleaning cycle, and the thing doesn’t gum up internally if you don’t print a color page at least every three to four days. The toner cartridges last seemingly forever. The “starter” set that came with mine lasted me a year. I scrapped a clogged Epson three years ago and was happy to get a $50 trade in on the wretched thing against a Canon color all-in-one.
I would also strongly recommend laser, as I do not always print regularly enough to avoid the ink drying up.
On a similar topic, only bigger: does anybody have experience with A3 printers/scanners?
I went through years and years and YEARS of a succession of Epson printers falling apart, before switching to a Brother which has performed flawlessly for the past 3 years.
Lamoral: I have an Epson, and I’m really happy with the physical machine…but the Epson Scan software is clunky, often hangs, often times out, and has “features” I don’t like.
Is there any way to buy a third party scanning software package that will talk to the Epson scanner?
I have a standalone Epson scanner that I’ve been using to scan documents and film, using the Epson Scan software, and have never had a problem with it. I’ve been using it for many years.
It’s the Epson PRINTERS that have consistently failed me. Either the ink cartridge mechanism stops working, or the rollers or belts or gears or whatever the hell else is inside the printer to feed the paper, fails, or the plastic components that make up the feeding tray simply fall apart…nothing but problems.
I know the consensus seems to be laser, but since I said I’d get back on this, I’ve set up and used the Brother and I really like it. Of course it’s been only a couple of days.