Best "cheap" printer?

Well, I tried searching the fourm but didn't have any luck--I guess I'm not searching correctly (searched for $100 and "best printer for" and "for about $100" and got a bunch of unrelated results)

But anyway, my question is what do you all think is the best printer for about $100? I'm getting a printer for my in-laws so that they can print out pictures. I currently have the Canon i860, but I think that they would need to have as high image quality. They probably will have somewhat long periods between printing, so would HP be the better way to go?

Thanks for the help!

--
Chewie

Chewie said:

Well, I tried searching the fourm but didn't have any luck--I guess
I'm not searching correctly (searched for $100 and "best printer
for" and "for about $100" and got a bunch of unrelated results)

But anyway, my question is what do you all think is the best
printer for about $100? I'm getting a printer for my in-laws so
that they can print out pictures. I currently have the Canon i860,
but I think that they would need to have as high image quality.
They probably will have somewhat long periods between printing, so
would HP be the better way to go?

Thanks for the help!

--
Chewie

Click to expand...

In my opinion, the first requirement to print your own photos is to be able to do basic research and purchase a printer that meets your needs. If your in-laws are not able to do this by themselves do you think they will be able to use the printer and produce good output?

Why not just teach your in-laws how to burn the pictures on a CD and print them at Costco or Wallmart? My friends who have followed this advice are happy.

--
G. Shashte

Chewie said:

Well, I tried searching the fourm but didn't have any luck--I guess
I'm not searching correctly (searched for $100 and "best printer
for" and "for about $100" and got a bunch of unrelated results)

But anyway, my question is what do you all think is the best
printer for about $100? I'm getting a printer for my in-laws so
that they can print out pictures. I currently have the Canon i860,
but I think that they would need to have as high image quality.
They probably will have somewhat long periods between printing, so
would HP be the better way to go?

Thanks for the help!

--
Chewie

Click to expand...

Go for the HP 5150. After having had to junk a Canon S800 and Epson 785EPX because of clogging problems, I decided to go back to HP...and the prints are great.

While the ink may cost a bit more, it's sort of like "pay me now or pay me later".
best, i.j.

Chewie said:

Well, I tried searching the fourm but didn't have any luck--I guess
I'm not searching correctly (searched for $100 and "best printer
for" and "for about $100" and got a bunch of unrelated results)

But anyway, my question is what do you all think is the best
printer for about $100? I'm getting a printer for my in-laws so
that they can print out pictures. I currently have the Canon i860,
but I think that they would need to have as high image quality.
They probably will have somewhat long periods between printing, so
would HP be the better way to go?

Thanks for the help!

--
Chewie

Click to expand...

If you consider the i860 to be a good quality reference for you, consider the i560 for your inlaws. It's essentially the same as the the i850, which was the i860's predecessor. Compared with the i860, it has only a pigment ink for black, which means that it doesn't use the black cartridge for photos, just text. However, this makes only a slight difference to the density of the darkest shadows.

David

R200 from Epson offers 6 individual ink cartridges,cd/dvd printing and printing on a wide variety of paper without ink pooling for $99 or less.

The C84 is a 4 cartridge printer that uses pigment ink and now has a B&W 4 cartridge ink set available from MIS to do B&W printing only.Again $99 or less.

All brands of ink will dry in and on printheads when inactive for long periods of time.Learning some preventive maintainance is crucial to owership of any printer.

DRG said:

Chewie said:

Well, I tried searching the fourm but didn't have any luck--I guess
I'm not searching correctly (searched for $100 and "best printer
for" and "for about $100" and got a bunch of unrelated results)

But anyway, my question is what do you all think is the best
printer for about $100? I'm getting a printer for my in-laws so
that they can print out pictures. I currently have the Canon i860,
but I think that they would need to have as high image quality.
They probably will have somewhat long periods between printing, so
would HP be the better way to go?

Thanks for the help!

--
Chewie

Click to expand...

If you consider the i860 to be a good quality reference for you,
consider the i560 for your inlaws. It's essentially the same as the
the i850, which was the i860's predecessor. Compared with the i860,
it has only a pigment ink for black, which means that it doesn't
use the black cartridge for photos, just text. However, this makes
only a slight difference to the density of the darkest shadows.

David

Click to expand...

DRG said:

Chewie said:

Well, I tried searching the fourm but didn't have any luck--I guess
I'm not searching correctly (searched for $100 and "best printer
for" and "for about $100" and got a bunch of unrelated results)

But anyway, my question is what do you all think is the best
printer for about $100? I'm getting a printer for my in-laws so
that they can print out pictures. I currently have the Canon i860,
but I think that they would need to have as high image quality.
They probably will have somewhat long periods between printing, so
would HP be the better way to go?

Thanks for the help!

--
Chewie

Click to expand...

If you consider the i860 to be a good quality reference for you,
consider the i560 for your inlaws. It's essentially the same as the
the i850, which was the i860's predecessor. Compared with the i860,
it has only a pigment ink for black, which means that it doesn't
use the black cartridge for photos, just text. However, this makes
only a slight difference to the density of the darkest shadows.

David

Click to expand...

As far as canons go, the i560 is your best bet. It is the cheapest canon (unless you can find some of the discontinued models cheap) that can do a decent job with photographs. I would think that if they do not print a lot, I would recomend the same thing that I recomended to my father with his canon. He doesn't print color much (mostlly text). On canons, all you have to do is push the left buton to turn the printer on, Then press and hold the right button. The light will go out and then start to blink. As soon as the light blinks twice, imediatlly release the button (have plain paper in the tray). That will cause it to print a test page that uses all colors (to keep wet ink in the head). It only takes about a minute. Do this once a week and you have less chances of problems. Futhermore, spend 30 seconds looking at the test page it prints. If any of the lines on the grids are broken, you need to do a head cleaning. The computer doesn't have to be on to do this (in fact it doesn't even have to be conected to a computer, except for the head cleaning part).

Chewie said:

Well, I tried searching the fourm but didn't have any luck--I guess
I'm not searching correctly (searched for $100 and "best printer
for" and "for about $100" and got a bunch of unrelated results)

But anyway, my question is what do you all think is the best
printer for about $100? I'm getting a printer for my in-laws so
that they can print out pictures. I currently have the Canon i860,
but I think that they would need to have as high image quality.
They probably will have somewhat long periods between printing, so
would HP be the better way to go?

Thanks for the help!

--
Chewie

Click to expand...

Chewie-

I would believe that at this time, the Epson R200 would be your best bet. It is under $100, it is a real 6 ink/individual well printer unlike the Canon i560, and Epson has made strides in the speed department now rivalling the Canons.

--
George Tseng
Serious Amateur Photographer/Nikon and Epson User, Saint Louis, MO
Equipment on Profile

Chewie said:

Well, I tried searching the fourm but didn't have any luck--I guess
I'm not searching correctly (searched for $100 and "best printer
for" and "for about $100" and got a bunch of unrelated results)

But anyway, my question is what do you all think is the best
printer for about $100? I'm getting a printer for my in-laws so
that they can print out pictures. I currently have the Canon i860,
but I think that they would need to have as high image quality.
They probably will have somewhat long periods between printing, so
would HP be the better way to go?

Thanks for the help!

--
Chewie

Click to expand...

I just bought an HP Photosmart 7260, already used it enough to refill both cartridges, it is doing a super job, less than $100.00 at Walmart. I am really happy to find it works great with refill ink, had a lot of bad results with another brand.
I am way more than happy with the print quality.

--
tsiya

Chewie said:

Well, I tried searching the fourm but didn't have any luck--I guess
I'm not searching correctly (searched for $100 and "best printer
for" and "for about $100" and got a bunch of unrelated results)

But anyway, my question is what do you all think is the best
printer for about $100? I'm getting a printer for my in-laws so
that they can print out pictures. I currently have the Canon i860,
but I think that they would need to have as high image quality.
They probably will have somewhat long periods between printing, so
would HP be the better way to go?

Thanks for the help!

--
Chewie

Click to expand...

--
Chewie

deal of the day is the S820 shipped for $50 at Staples.com.

Chewie said:

Well, I tried searching the fourm but didn't have any luck--I guess
I'm not searching correctly (searched for $100 and "best printer
for" and "for about $100" and got a bunch of unrelated results)

But anyway, my question is what do you all think is the best
printer for about $100? I'm getting a printer for my in-laws so
that they can print out pictures. I currently have the Canon i860,
but I think that they would need to have as high image quality.
They probably will have somewhat long periods between printing, so
would HP be the better way to go?

Thanks for the help!

--
Chewie

Click to expand...