Laser Printer vs Inkjet...

[itsallgood]

Hi All,

I'm really thinking about buying a colour laser printer - the canon LBP5050n.

I want this - because the last 4 inkjets i've had have fooked up within a year. Our computer desk is next to a radiator, so the inks dry, and the printer somtimes goes a month without use - also clogging and killing it.

So, i thought a laser would solve that problem.

However, toner is like £50 per colour.

1. Is a laser any cheaper then an inkjet running compatibles?

2. Can a laser print "photos". I know they wont be as good as an inkjet photo printer - but is any sort of "OK" photo printing possible.

3. Last inkjet i had was a canon ip4000 -- what printer would you recommend now, inkjet or laser??


Cheers for the help :tup:

:cheers:

[andyhello23]

I would stay with inkjet for photos. Cost in laser would be expensive if you print alot. But i would stay with inkjet, and get one of those kits that supply the ink.

[Akira181]

If cost is no issue, I would say a laser printer is better than an inkjet in nearly every way. It's faster, the paper doesn't go all wavy from saturation if there's a lot going on, you don't see streaks between the colours if the nozzle is dirty or you use cheap ink, less maintenance required, and quality is usually pretty high. Very expensive if you print a lot though.

What you could do consider is getting a CIS system and locate the ink tanks further away from the radiator. You would still need to clean the nozzles after long periods of inactivity though.

[Van Nugent]

IMO, unless you spent almost half a grand or more for a laser printer, your IP4000's still the photo printing winner. However, you can only print out about 30 to 50 high res photos at best resolution before the inks run out. So I agree with Andy, keep your Canon and get the injet refill kits. Surprisingly, many refill kits provide excellent colors just like the original inks from Canon, Lexmark, Epson at a fraction of the cost. You need to read the reviews before buying. :)

If you don't use the printer much, remember to run a couple of test pages every month to keep the nozzles from clogging.

[itsallgood]

Cheers guys.

I just wished my fooking ip4000 still worked :(

It was a good printer until suddenly it just stopped working. Tried everything - new print head, stripped down to base, cleaned, never could get it working again :t_down:

I'm still not sure what to do.

I dont print that many photos - just the odd one, but will mainly be printing reports.

Is there any place that sells printers where you can see previews of what they are like before you buy?

:beer:

[Van Nugent]

Try Amazon UK (http://www.amazon.co.uk/).

[itsallgood]

Check this site i found! :)

Really lets you see what a printer is like before you buy it...


http://www.digitalversus.com/duels.php?ty=2&ma1=1&mo1=156&p1=3768&ma2=1&mo2=17&p2=131&ph=4


:cheers:

[Van Nugent]

You will also need to check the reviews from the consumers for pros and cons of the printer.