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Is there a printer which does not lock you in to the maker's ink?

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  • Printers
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May 10, 2013 3:49:54 AM

Is there a printer which does not have some method of making you buy their own expensive ink Cartridge?

More about : printer lock maker ink

May 11, 2013 5:09:31 PM

Epsons are generally the best all around for using cheaper aftermarket ink. I get into that quite a bit in this thread: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/18650-3-compatible-re... Also read the tutorial I wrote on this exact subject below.

Aftermarket Inkjet Ink Supplies
I often see people asking about cheaper alternatives to buying OEM ink supplies and just as often they get incorrect responses, So hopefully I can clear a few thing up here. THE INKJET PRINTER MANUFACTURERS The makers of inkjet printers are... See full content
May 12, 2013 7:03:25 AM

Consider a laser instead. Even the color lasers are pretty inexpensive now.

I have a 6(?) year old Dell color laser, and just recently had to replace a toner cart for the first time, the black. About 4500 pages through it (many full page photos), and the other 3 carts are reporting 60-70% remaining.

Except for paper and electricity, total operating costs over the 6 years have been $45 (for that 1 new black toner cart).
How many inkjet sets would I have gone through printing 4500 pages? Way more than $45 worth.

Granted, when printing photos, the image quality is not quite as good as a good photo inkjet. But the cost tradeoff is completely worth it.
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May 12, 2013 7:58:01 AM

USAFRet said:
Granted, when printing photos, the image quality is not quite as good as a good photo inkjet. But the cost tradeoff is completely worth it.
Yea, but can it print directly to CD/DVD like most cheap Epson's can. Many of us Epson owners use that feature quite extensively.
Don't get me wrong color lasers definitely have their place especially in a business that's not directly related to something like photography but an inkjet can also be very cheap to run if aftermarket ink supplies are used and the original cash layout is usually less.

My $150 (actually $10 at a garage sale, Brand new, unused, without any ink) Epson R280 is connected to a $60 continuous ink supply system that came filled with the equivalent of approximately $1,000 of Epson OEM ink cartridges. I can refill this entire 6 color system with equal (to Epson OEM ink) quality for about $40 and even better ink for $60 and both of these inks don't tend to clog as easily as Epson ink does when not used often.

My next printer will most likely be a photo quality Pigment inkjet printer which will be comparable in cost to a color laser to buy. Which I will then outfit with a continuous ink supply system with quality ink.

The overall result is extremely low operating costs similar to a color laser printer. Extremely high quality Photo reproduction. Very long lasting prints and the ability to print directly to CD/DVD.

In my opinion that is the best of both worlds.



May 12, 2013 8:05:24 AM

I also have an Epson (R300) that does CD/DVD. The only reason I keep it around is for that capability.

Tried a CIS system with it, with less than stellar results. It worked, but keeping the ink in the tubes is a hassle.
May 12, 2013 11:47:12 AM

USAFRet said:
I also have an Epson (R300) that does CD/DVD. The only reason I keep it around is for that capability.
Well that shouldn't be the only reason, the R300 will give you very nice photographic reproductions however even the original Epson ink left a little to be desired when it came to longevity.

I've had about 3 Epson R200's, 2-R220's, 1-R300, 1-R320 and a R280 of those I still have an R200, an R220 and the recently purchased R280. I've had a few other printers as well but, those are the Epson's I've owned.

I used to buy the 200's and 220's for about $75 a pop on sale or refurbished from Epson. I really like the detail these printers can produce for such a cheap printer however at first, before knowing what I know today I basically considered these disposable printers. I guess I still do just not to the same degree that I used too since I've found that it's not all that hard to remove and clean the printhead to like-new condition, if needed.

One thing that I've noticed over the years is that the availability of high quality after market inks for these printers has gone from almost nonexistent to really good. If you want the best inks though, you have to either refill your ink carts (preferably refillable carts w/auto reset chips) or use a CIS system. I frequent photography forums to keep up on the best inks and other supply's.

USAFRet said:
Tried a CIS system with it, with less than stellar results. It worked, but keeping the ink in the tubes is a hassle.
I don't doubt you at all, 4 or 5yrs ago their weren't as many manufacturers of quality aftermarket supply's. The key word here of course is quality. Seven years ago a $100 (or more) CIS system was no better than what is found in a cheap $30 CISS today.

The ink tubes on a CISS work on a simple siphon principal so as long as everything is properly sealed air can't enter and this won't be a problem. So, this was most likely a quality issue in the design or manufacturing process.

I bought my latest CIS system on sale ($60), fairly cheap but, I see many CISS selling for half of what I payed. I guess the moral here is that some times you really do get what you payed for (both the good and the bad). And again just like with the ink, I've found that photography forums are the best place to keep up on which ink delivery systems are the best.

So while I do acknowledge that laser printers have earned there place in today's printer market, so have inkjets for many good reasons and if you buy Quality aftermarket inks, like laser printers cost per page can be one of those reasons. :benetton: 

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