Printer Recommendations

blinky

I don't think there are really compatibles for Lexmarks just recycled ones

Have fun with you new printer. :j

Loobeylou

Spottybotty - I got the Epson Stylus Photo R300 a few months ago but have not had the full potential out of it, as I have yet to get a digital camera. However, so far I love it, and have had one complete set of compatibles from PDK Ink - https://www.pdkink.co.uk - they have been really helpful with advice also.

spottybotty

I've read lots of fab reviews on the R300, thta's what pushed me in the end - can't wait for it to get here, roll on Wednesday :beer:

trumpet_2

I picked up an epson r300 last year, the inks are just getting low and to fit 6 genuine epson cartridges is silly money a guy i work with uses copies from ukdvdr i got 2 sets of datawrite titanium brand for less than a fiver a set including an extra black in each set . Hopefully they will be ok when i get around to fitting them.

spottybotty

Anyone know of a supplier of photo paper/all types of paper that would be suitable for my printer - which arrives tomorrow

paul_h

spottybotty wrote:

Well have much deliberation, I eventually ordered a printer from comet.... it's the Epson R300 and it arrives Wednesday of next week

You will be pleased with the R300, it's an excellent printer.

The Canon printers, though cheap to buy and run, are not the most reliable. Doing some googling will reveal that some of their print engines are prone to common failures - and speaking from personal experience Canon aren't too interested when they do go wrong.

Good, cheap inks for the Epson too - I also get mine from UKDVDR when I buy discs and they work great -

http://www.ukdvdr.co.uk/shop/product.php?productid=17644&cat=269&page=1

Same place also sell papers, I use the cheapest which give excellent results with the R300, really nice colours -

http://www.ukdvdr.co.uk/shop/home.php?cat=4

Scroll down and look for the 'Pack of 50 Photocards Pre Cut' in 6x4, 7x5, matt & gloss. The matt ones are OK to put in a frame as they don't stand up to handling well, but are really very cheap. The 'gloss' are more like a satin finish, but they both work well in my R300 and work out very cheap, especially the matt.

If you buy 5 packs of 50, they are even cheaper.

blinky

I've seen more about failures with the Epsons than the Canon's, particularly their tendancy to empty the contents of the cartridges into the printer innards.

Good look with the printer anyway.

chunter

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.html?f=43

spottybotty, this forum has everything you'll ever need to know about where to get paper & cartridges.

As a personal recommendation, try the Jersey shops. They are good value.
https://www.mx2.com & https://www.7dayshop.com
No vat payable so prices are 20% cheaper.
Try TescoJersey as well (though not the same value for money).

Malestrom

blinky wrote:

I've seen more about failures with the Epsons than the Canon's, particularly their tendancy to empty the contents of the cartridges into the printer innards.

From personal experience I agree that Epson's printers aren't very good. My Stylus Photo 750 cost me nearly £200 yet I had to call an engineer out 3 times in the first 6 months and EACH TIME he changed the printer completely. So I basically bought three printers before having one that worked. If it wasn't used on at least a weekly basis then the print head would dry up meaning lots of wasted ink running print head cleans. This ink would end up all over the inside of the printer making any paper going through it a complete mess. After battling with it for a number of years I gave up and bought my Canon and it doesn't suffer from any of the above problems and has only needed head cleaning once in over 12 months.

Obviously everyone has their own story to tell and I hope the OP's R300 is a lot more reliable than my 750.

paul_h

I'm sure you are right about everyone having a story to tell, and I'm sorry to hear about the problems with the Epsons. I used to really like Canon, but the last three Canon products I have purchased have all failed prematurely. This R300 is my first Epson printer, and it has been a pleasure to own so far, no blockages, ink loss or any problem whatsoever.

I had a £350 Canon BJC-6500 A3 printer, used for light business use - only when an A3 print was required. It lasted just over a year before it failed, producing a error light sequence which did not conform to any of the listed errors. It turned out that it was a common processor failure on the print engine fitted, and there were many people with similarly afflicted printers - As the printer was out of warranty, Canon would not even look at the printer without a 'service' payment, and could not even guarantee repair.

A lide50 scanner worked for 2 months before failure, software kept saying 'unlock scanner'. More research revealed this was yet another common failure, Canon replaced this with a secondhand unit under warranty, but it cost me £10 to send it to the service centre - they did not even have the courtesy to reply to my request for a postal refund.

Then a 350i printer failed after 3 months use - it appeared that nozzles were blocked, but a nozzle check showed that all the nozzles were firing, but not in the correct order - some were firing together. Canon said I could send it for repair, but if the fault was in the print head I would have to pay as it's not covered under warranty. I gave in and binned it.

Now I may have been really unlucky, but it was Canon's attitude more than anything that lost me as a customer...