- Acid free for great quality that doesn''t deteriorate
- Inkjet and laser guaranteed
- Perfect for brochures, covers, tabs, file folders and business forms
- Has a uniform, smooth surface that enhances ink holdout and printability
- 250 Sheets
Showing posts with label letterhead printing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label letterhead printing. Show all posts
Wausau Exact 110 (49591)
Canon Pixma PRO9500MkII Inkjet Photo Printer (3298B002) Save $0.99 off
- 10-color pigment ink system for professional image performance up to 13"x19"
- Maximum 4800x2400 dpi FINE printhead technology
- Professional quality B&W photos with matte black, photo black and gray inks included
- Professional printer features using Easy-PhotoPrint Pro plug-in software
- Ambient Light Correction feature; optimizes color output to match the specified lighting condition
- Ambient Light Correction feature optimizes color output to match the specified lighting condition
- Professional printer features using Easy-PhotoPrint Pro plug-in software
- Maximum 4800x2400 dpi FINE printhead technology
- 10-color pigment ink system for professional image performance up to 13"x19"
- Professional quality B&W photos with matte black, photo black and gray inks included
Who should NOT buy this printer?
Don''t buy this if you want an everyday printer to print out email, Google maps, web pages, etc. The LUCIA inks that this printer uses are designed to produce beautiful photographs that last 100 years. It''s a complete waste of money to use them for everyday trivial prints. Buy a cheap inkjet for $100 if that''s what you want to do.
Don''t buy this printer and attempt to feed it cheap 3rd party inks. The whole reason this printer exists is to delivery highly stable LUCIA inks to fine photography papers. Cheap inks defeat the purpose of owning this printer, and won''t give the same results. The LUCIA inks for this printer run about $120 for a set. I go through several sets a year, so the expendables for this printer are not insignificant.
If you want to print 500 photos in ten minutes, please go to a photo printing service. This printer is designed to produce spectacularly beautiful high resolution fine art prints one print at a time. It takes 5-10 mins to produce a single 13x19 photo, but it''s worth the wait. It''s not designed for super high volume speedy printing.
Don''t buy this printer if you are not willing to devote the time to master ICC color profiles and professional level photo applications such as Lightroom, Photoshop, or Aperture. Sure the 9500 can print from any photo program, but if you want to realize the highest quality fine art prints that you can produce, then you''ll have to use professional tools. This means having a proper workflow, a calibrated monitor, and the willingness to learn how to get better at producing fine art prints.
Don''t buy this printer if you plan to purchase cheap paper in bulk at Staples. You are wasting your time and money. Buy quality fine art papers and this printer will reward you every time. My favorite papers to use with the 9500 are:
Ilford Gold Fibre Silk one of the best all around Baryta coated papers. Absolutely beautiful
Canson Infinity Baryta another great Baryta paper
Hahnemühle fine art papers such as Museum Etching, William Turner, and Bamboo wonderful heavy matte papers
Red River Polar Pearl Metallic a stunning paper that makes photos punchier and dramatic
Ilford Premium Photo Glossy a resin coated paper that I use for high gloss photos or for printing proof sheets
-Don''t buy this printer if you plan to leave it unused for six months at a time. You are just asking for a head clog. I sometimes go a month without using it, and have never had a problem, but I wouldn''t push it much longer than that. If you don''t need to print anything, then run a test print through every three or four weeks to keep the inks flowing and the head from clogging with dried ink. You don''t want a stubborn head clog when you are under deadline.
How to get the most out of this printer.
Download and use the specific ICC color profiles for each paper for which you intend to print. Most fine art paper companies provide downloadable profiles for this printer.
Calibrate your monitor.
Work in a high gamut colorspace such as ProRGB or Adobe RGB. If you are shooting and working in sRGB, you simply won''t realize the full potential of this printer.
Know how to use your photo application software specifically for printing. Look into getting pro-level software if you don''t have it. These applications will allow the computer to do the color management instead of the printer, and you will get much finer control. Plus the editing capabilities of these programs will allow you to make very fine adjustments and tweaks.
By using the paper manufacturers ICC profiles, you won''t be limited to the wide borders that this printer imposes on prints done with the built in profiles
Make sure you have up-to-date drivers.
Keep the printer doors closed up when you are not using it to keep the dust out.
Alway keep an spare set of inks handy so that you can replace a cartridge that runs out in the middle of a print. If you replace the ink promptly, the 9500 will continue the print without a hiccup.
If you want to print on heavyweight (or thick) papers, learn to use the front feed feature. This printer has a fantastic straight paper path for thick or heavyweight media.
If you do all of these things, I hope you will find this printer as enjoyable as I have over the last two and half years.
Buy Canon Pixma PRO9500MkII Inkjet Photo Printer (3298B002) Now
I''d say this printer is currently the best in it''s class for print quality. Not by a lot, but it''s noticeable if you look. I don''t think you''d go wrong with a competing Epson, or the Canon 9000. The Canon is built a little better, and the [9500] prints are the best you can get this side of a larger printer (the Image ProGraphs are occasionally better, but not by much).Addressing some of the "issues":
This is a professional/prosumer photo printer. Use decent paper, use profiles, and expect it to use a lot of ink. That''s what it does. That''s what they all do. ''Art'' paper delivers fabulous results. If you''re using Costco glossy paper, this isn''t the printer for you. Don''t use cheapo refill cartridges either-you''re wasting your time and money if you do. If you''re not [mostly] printing photos, this isn''t the printer for you. Remember, the printer is just an ink delivery device. It''s the ink and paper that you''re looking at in the end-and that''s what you''re paying for in the end as well. ie: good paper and good ink are worthwhile.
Ink tanks are all similar size in this printer size range. Sort of imposed by the size of the printer. Higher capacity would probably add six or eight inches to the width of the printer. They have to fit somewhere. If you print a lot of larger format prints, it''s probably worthwhile to move up to a 17" or 24" printer (which are much bigger, but also have larger ink tanks. Canon IPF 5100 is a fabulous printer).
Print speed isn''t very fast. It''s precise and slow, and it prints really well. Faster prints would require reduction in quality or bigger printheads (and a bigger printer).
Print quality is NOT dull. It''s vibrant if you use compatible papers with ICC profiles, and print accordingly.
Yes, there''s a 35mm border imposed on Fine Art Photo Rag. My understanding is that it''s there so that the print heads and paper rollers can guarantee flatness and optimum head speed and things like that when it''s laying down ink. You can get satisfactory results on it without the border if you profile it using a different paper setting. It''s thick stuff though, so you need to make sure that the head height is appropriate as well.
The Canon 9000 is dye ink, the 9500 pigment ink. The 9500 has gray and matte black ink. The pigment ink is more archival. Dye inks do pretty well these days though. The 9000 is a lot cheaper. I figure because it has smaller heads, fewer ink tanks, and because it doesn''t need to add in a ''mixer'' for the ink (the 9500 shakes the ink to keep the pigment in suspension). The Epson purges ink like mad. One of the main reasons I moved to the Canon. The 9500 makes better prints too.
For most people''s prints that I''ve seen, a $99 printer is all they need. Four to six colors seem to do it. Those are made of plastic, and are disposable after a couple of years. They do great prints for what they are. If you want mechanical and image quality, the 9500 is great printer. A few dollars a print in the end. Maybe 50-60 8x10''s to break even over pro lab print costs?
If it sounds like you''re the sort of person who''s willing to pay for this quality, the 9500 mkII is certainly worth checking out. If you''re not, try looking at the Canon ip4820 or the Epson Artisan-they''re both nice enough printers, and they''re a lot cheaper (and only letter size prints). Epson R3000, 2880, or 1900 are all worth a look if the Canon doesn''t thrill you. (3000 has bigger ink tanks). Or, move up to a better printer. Canon IPF printers have a 12 color system, and they print really well. The HP Z3200 is a nice 24" printer too. Epson''s print well, but do seem to waste a lot of ink in cleaning. Really, almost any photo printer made these days does a pretty good job. I find the Canon worthwhile to own, and I''m very happy with what it prints.
Read Best Reviews of Canon Pixma PRO9500MkII Inkjet Photo Printer (3298B002) Here
I have used the Epson R1800 (and the smaller R800) for several years and when it wasn''t clogged it printed beautiful prints. The heads finally just clogged up and I was forced to get another printer. I have used other Canon products for decades so biased toward their products. I thought the Canon would be better on the clogging, and I haven''t had it long enough to judge that yet. So far I am somewhat disappointed with the printer. There are two limitations so far that are signficant for my use.I''m more interested in matte papers and fine art papers, and really don''t print glossy. Getting used to this printer has been somewhat frustrating. I had been using Epson Presentation Matte and getting really nice prints from a relatively inexpensive paper with good dark blacks and good shadow detail. Duplicating that with Canon has been a challenge. I haven''t been able to determine yet if it''s the profiles or the printer. My next step is to try custom profiles. I have tried several brands (Ilford, Moab, Harmon) and their suppled profiles and for some of them the blues have a purple cast, and the blacks and shadow detail are muddy. The Canon fine art paper is very nice and matches well with color, good deep blacks and shadow detail(see limitation in next paragraph). So I have yet to find an acceptable photo matte combination.
This printer has a maddening limiation for fine art papers. Canon has decide to disable the ability to print on either end of the paper (requires a 35mm margin on each of the long ends, about 1.3 inches) so you can''t even print an 8x10 out of an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper. When I called Canon I got a run around and no sensible explanation except the engineers decided to disable the function of the printer and no workarounds. So while the image quality of the Canon fine art rag is very good, it is very expensive to use because of this limitation (which requires you to use a much large piece of paper to get the size print you expect because of all the wasted paper, 13x19 piece of paper to get an 8x10 ). I have since found other reviews mentioning this limitation, and I sure wish I had seen it before purchasing. I don''t know if you can fool it with custom profiles.
In general it has required far more work to try to find paper combinations than I ever experienced with Epson where the profiles and papers just seemed to work. I''m still hopeful that I can find the right combination with some customer profiles, but right now the jury is out.
Want Canon Pixma PRO9500MkII Inkjet Photo Printer (3298B002) Discount?
My last *5!* printers were all Epson printers. I always purchased the top of the line models. I always felt they had the best overall image quality, which was of paramount importance to me. The last two I had had amazing image quality, but I got so tired of constantly wasting ink to clean the print heads so I could get a decent print. Even still, I would print 5 or 6 pages, and then it would clog again, but printing 20 pages unattended, I''d come back to 15 ruined prints, on expensive paper no less. I wasted so much money on ink and paper for that darn Epson printer, I probably could''ve bought 2 of these Canon printers. Well, I''ve made the switch now, and after one month, I have to say I''m so happy I did. The color gamut of the Canon is obviously much better, and even prints on crappy paper look better than the Epson ever did. I don''t suspect my printer will work error free over its life, but after the first month, its been flawless. The one thing I''m missing though is after some 15 years with Epson printers, i knew all the setting I could use to get a certain look, now I''m back at square one, but even with defaults, I get pretty amazing color fidelity. I''ve always trusted Canon to make my cameras (since my original EOS film camera in college), now they are winning me over to their printers as well. Thanks!(edit 7-25-11) I''m editing this review (going from 5 stars to 4) as I''ve had this printer now for a couple years and I have some additional perspective I can add. I still love the quality of this printer, and after 2+ years of operation I can say I have never even once had to run a head cleaning utility to remove streaks in my prints. Still has amazing color gamut and resolution. My *only* gripe with this printer (and its a big one) is the ink usage. It''s a 10 color printer, and I can pretty much ensure now that every time I turn it on, it will need a cartridge replacement. At $120 for a full set of cartridges, that''s a pretty hefty sum to keep backups around. I always do, but its gets tiresome. It also feels like it "replenishes" ALL the ink cartridges when replacing even just one. I have instances where I have one cartridge I replace and then during the "replenishing" stage, another cartridge mysteriously runs out of ink. I only use the printer a few times a month, so it seems like I''m not getting the maximum usage from the ink because of that. I purchased a much lower cost ink-jet now for day to day printing, but even that one, also a Canon, sucks up the ink like its free, though at a MUCH reduced cost compared to this one. So Canon, if you are listening, please ease up on the ink usage, or I might have to look elsewhere for my next model.
Save $0.99 off
I have been looking at large photo printers for a while, and I heard that the 9500 mark II was due out in May. So, I decided to save my penies. I have had this printer for about 2 weeks or so. I cannot complaine at all!!I did a decent amount of research on this product before I decided to drop the cash for it. Unfortunatly, reviews are few and far between. Everything I heard and saw about the printer was from Canon press releases or the Web site. Not exactly a non-biased pool of information. But non the less, I took the plunge and got it. I have not regreated it one bit!
It offers large 13x19 borderless printing, amazing color reproduction, and it can even adjust the color for the type of light the photo will be viewed under. Canon also offers a full range of fantastic photo paper. I enjoy the look and feel of the Canon Photo Rag. This paper though, does not support boarderless printing. Make sure you read the print on the paper. Ink does not seem to fly out of the tanks. I have printed about 20 or so prints, and I have only had to replace the matte black tank (I do a lot of night shooting and had a bit of a learning curve to understand my new printer. It might last longer depending on your style and experience).
Since this is my first real photo printer, I had a bit of learning to do when I first plugged it in. However, the included "electronic manuel" had all the information that I needed. I was soon printing fantastic large color and B&W prints.
The construction is solid. It is not a flimsy bit of plastic that will fall apart! Opperation is quiet and fast. I have not exactly timed how long it takes to print, but it is done with a 13x19 print in just a few min. It does have a large footprint. So be ready to have some desk space! Some papers are too thick to use the top loader, ie museum etching, so you will have to front feed them. The prints will come out the back of the printer. So depending on what you print on, you will need to have the back of your printer open and free of clutter.
Over all, this printer is amazing! I know Canon has gotten some heat over its performance on glossy paper. I do not normaly print on glossy paper and have not yet done so with this printer. But on the Photo Rag Paper the prints are amazing. And the print is the important thing. Photos are ment to be seen, and this printer does an amazing job creating a print. I would definatly recomend this printer!!
Xerox Phaser 3500DN - printer - B/W - laser ( 3500/DN )
- Model Name/Number: Phaser® 3500/DN
- Network Capable: Yes
- PC Free Printing: No
- Operating System Compatibility: Novell, UNIX®: Sun Microsystems Solaris™, Windows® 98, 2000, Me, XP, Server 2003, NT 4.0, Linux®: Mac® OS 9.x, OS X 10.2 and Later
- Paper Input Capacity (Sheets) : 600
Avery Easy Peel Permanent Print-To-The-Edge Round Labels (22807) Save 32% off
- Ideal for branding your products, brochures and mail pieces
- Print-to-the-edge feature lets you add a full-color background to your brand logo, product name, address or message
- Use the Pop-up Edge for fast peeling--just bend the patented Easy Peel label sheet to expose the label edge, peel, then fold the sheet back to flat in a jiffy
- Permanent adhesive works on glass, plastic, paper and more
- Compatible with both laser and inkjet printers
Buy Avery Easy Peel Permanent Print-To-The-Edge Round Labels (22807) Now
These labels are of good quality, with the right amount of gloss, to produce labels with a professional appearance. Nothing about these labels will have a homemade look, unless of course you want it that way. Avery offers dozens of templates on their website, allowing you to chose from a multitude of designs.In recent years, Avery has introduced a line of labels with a unique twist. The backing paper can be bent in such a way that peeling off a label is far easier than with traditional labels. That can be a big advantage, especially with mailing labels, but is also handy for labels such as these that you might not remove from the sheet all at once.
Although I am very pleased with the product and its outcome, there are certain areas that could be improved. Avery''s website now requires registration in order to download patterns. I think that''s unnecessary. The patterns are Microsoft Word compatible and allow users to change the text fields. Yet unlike the software that they offer for mailing labels, which allows you to repeat the information for all labels on a page, come up with individual ones, or import data from a file, these patterns require you to update each of the twelve labels separately. If you are making many of the same label, that seems like an unnecessary task. If you are producing more than one design, it still assumes that you are producing a fixed number of any particular design on each page, each time you use a pattern.
With their mailing label software, it''s easy to make a "one off" label. That''s not the case with these, because it would require deleting each field and background in each of the eleven other labels, and assuring that you have filled in the correct label, in order to do so. I could understand a pattern that gets filled in for an entire page, so you can print a large run of them. I could understand the flexibility of allowing each of the labels to be different. But I don''t think they came up with a good compromise.
Ten sheets is not a lot, but 120 labels is a considerable number. Make sure you test your printing on standard paper to assure that your results are what you want them to be. One nice thing about the label stock is that the sheets are symmetrical so you don''t have to worry about which direction is the top or bottom when you feed the paper.
All in all, I can''t complain about the labels themselves, but Avery has spoiled me with better software in the past. Depending on how you plan to use them, the software may fit your needs well, or may require more work than should be necessary. Or you may see fit to use them by hand when needed.
Read Best Reviews of Avery Easy Peel Permanent Print-To-The-Edge Round Labels (22807) Here
These are good quality glossy labels, so you should be able to get sharp color images with a good ink jet printer. The package contains 10 sheets of labels with 12 labels on each sheet (120 total labels).My only concern with this product is the templates. Avery has web-based software to create and print your labels, but that is very clunky if you are printing several different designs.
Avery also has a Microsoft Word template that you can download, which is great if you are using Microsoft Word (or a compatible word processor) to create your labels. These round labels encourage you to create labels that are not text-based, however, so Microsoft Word may not be your first choice of editor. If you''re using a graphics editor, you may have to export your graphics to JPEG files, then import those into Microsoft Word, then print them. This can be a big hassle and you may lose image quality if you''re not careful.
It would be nice if Avery provided templates for popular graphics editors, but I could not find any. Avery apparently does have Adobe-compatible templates for some of their labels, but not for these round ones.
Rating: 5 stars if you use Microsoft Word, 3 stars if you use Adobe
Want Avery Easy Peel Permanent Print-To-The-Edge Round Labels (22807) Discount?
I love these labels! Avery has a wonderful feature on their site called design and print, which I always use. It will save all of your labels on their site, and I never have problems getting things to line up correctly, or the labels catching, and jamming up my printer. I also love that I can buy these labels at a better price here on Amazon!Save 32% off
I bought these to use as labels for my daughter''s valentines day gifts. Well, while printing my labels a label ripped off the sheet and stuck and jammed my printer. Needless to say at this point my printer that was working totally fine before is now in the garbage. We were unable to get to the area where the stickers peeled up and jammed the printer and what we could get of the sticker was so stuck on we have cuts on our hands. So, for $13 something......They''re okay. But, be careful with your printer.....
Epson Stylus NX100 All-In-One
- All-in-One Inkjet Printer Also Functions as Copier, Scanner, Printer
- Paper Capacity: 80 Sheets
- Supports 8x10, Letter, Envelopes, A4, 4x6, 3.5x5, 8.5x11, 8.5x14, Legal, A6, 5x7 Print Sizes , Prints on Envelopes
- PC, Mac Hardware Platform , Compatible with Windows XP/2000/98SE/ME, PictBridge-Enabled Digital Cameras
- Features Adjustable Resolution for Personalized Prints, Laser-Quality Black and White Printing, Easy-to-Install
- Photo Print Features Fade-Resistant Printing, Direct Printing from Memory Cards, Direct Printing from Digital Camera
- USB 2.0 Interface
- Additional Features: Job Cancel Button, DURABrite Ink, USB Connectivity, Easy to Use, 4-Cartridge System, Sleek Design
- Includes Setup Guide, Power Cord, Operating Instructions, Support Software, Black Cartridge, Cyan Ink Cartridge
- Mfr. Claims Color Print Speed Up to 14 Pages Per Minute, Mfr. Claims B&W Print Speed Up to 26PPM, Print speeds will vary with use
Every time you print with an Epson NX100, you will see an ad to "buy more ink" from the Epson website (where ink is overpriced). This is annoying, but does not kill the product.
What kills the product is that the ink cartridges contain a chip that tells the printer when you should buy more ink (this is 175 pages). While my cartridge has plenty of ink, the chip tells my computer I need to buy a new cartridge. I cannot print again until I buy a new cartridge or hack a way to reset the chip (checking now for software online).
Since a new set of cartridges costs more than the price of the printer, and refilling the cartridges manually is not an option, I may very well end up buying a new printer now that the ink has run out in my Epson NX100. What a scam. What a crap product. 175 pages is all you get?
If there are any positive review for this product, they are from people who have not yet printed 175 pages.
Worst printer I''ve ever used.
Buy Epson Stylus NX100 All-In-One Now
Maybe Epson has found a way to make money in the extremely competitive printer market, but their approach is offensive. The printer comes with extremely short lived cartridges. Replacing the set with decent ink one time can match the price of the printer. Once the your color cartridges are done, which happened very quickly with little to no actual use, the printer does not work at all (even for black printing only). AND Epson has added additional sensors so that electronically resetting the color cartridges, which works for early Epsons, does not allow you to print in black ink only.The printer/scanner combination, on the other hand, seems solid, if slow. But it costs much too much to keep running. I have decided that it is cheaper to junk this new 2-month old printer and start over.
Read Best Reviews of Epson Stylus NX100 All-In-One Here
Epson has made their ink proprietary, which means your only option is to buy and rebuy ink every month or two in tiny, wafer thin cartridges designed to expire quickly. And they''ve rigged the cartridges so that you can''t buy refilled ink cartridges cheaply online; it has to be the Epson brand. Utter anti-consumer waste.Want Epson Stylus NX100 All-In-One Discount?
I picked up this printer on sale at a store, because of its extremely low price. Buyer beware. If you visit Epson''s own site, the FAQs acknowledge that the printer will not print at all if any one of the colors of ink is expended. So, you can''t print in black ink if you''re all out of blue, even if your document is all black text. No way to print your document in another color the printer shuts down completely and cannot be used until you replace the depleted cartridge. And I''d say that 175 pages is extraordinarily optimistic. I doubt you get 100 pages before a cartridge is depleted, and then the printer is UNUSABLE until you replace that color cartridge. Total ripoff.
Rotatrim RC RCMON18 18-inch Rotatrim Monorail Save 10% off
- Single Chrome Rail - provides accurate cuts and years of service.
- Cut Control Plate - eliminates any possibility of overloading the cutter.
The cutter I purchased via Amazon is very precise and smooth. while they don''t say so, the blade is self-sharpening and makes razor smooth cuts. However, it is difficult to see exactly where the cut is going to be. Drawback. I purchased a long under-cabinet battery powered light to place under the paper/picture/cardstock to be cut so that I can see exactly where the razor edge is going to land. Works very well.
This cutter says it handles 10 sheets of paper at once. That is a severe overstatement. One piece fits tightly. That works well for my needs. However, if you want to do multiples, I recommend you purchase an upgraded model (i.e., more expensive) over this one.
The help/guide ruler at the top is not exact to the nth degree, so don''t trust that, if you butt your paper up against it and then cut that you will have a straight document. Pull it down and eyeball it on the grid lines. The black paper holder screws down to hold any paper where you want it. It doesn''t help much when you cut at the lower end of the cutter which is nearest to the operator.
All that said, it makes beautiful cuts and is fun to use. I think, if I had to do it over again, I would buy an upgrade. An extra 50$ would have been worth it.
Buy Rotatrim RC RCMON18 18-inch Rotatrim Monorail Now
This is an awesome trimmer. Works just as well as the Rotatrim professional. It is very precise.Read Best Reviews of Rotatrim RC RCMON18 18-inch Rotatrim Monorail Here
I am extremely satisfied with my rototrim. I couldn''t understand why I didn''t get one of these to begin with. I should have gone with the best originally.
Canon IS-32 Color Image Scanner Cartridge
- Color scanner cartridge
- Turns Canon BJC-3000 color Bubble Jet printers into sheet-fed color scanners
- Scans at 720 dpi resolution
- Drop-in loading
- Add photos and images to your business and personal documents
Buy Canon IS-32 Color Image Scanner Cartridge Now
Whoever uses Canon printer BJC6500 and also wants use it for simple scanning of larger sheets (e.g. A3), can''t do without IS-32. Excellent product.Read Best Reviews of Canon IS-32 Color Image Scanner Cartridge Here
The Canon IS-32 works great on Canon BJC-85. Need to Download Windows XP Driver from Canon website if using Windows XP. Canon IS-32 Color Image Scanner Cartridge
Epson Artisan 730 Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer (C11CB18201) Save 27% off
- Rated No1 in photo quality by consumers photographers
- World''s Fastest 4 x 6 inch photo printer 10 seconds
- Epson Connect to print from mobile devices
- Touch panel with 2.5 inch LCD
This thing is huge. It takes up almost twice as much real estate as my Brother 2270 laser. The duplexer hanging off the back adds about 4 inches to the depth.
It has lots of surprising bells and whistles. Whether you need all that is up to you. More on that later.
The wireless setup was the best I''ve seen. Turn it on, it detects the network. Enter your SSID right on the panel, and your done. After that, setup on both XP and W7 machines went without a hitch.
The color printing by Epson is excellent. It makes Dye Sub printers just about obsolete. These''Claria'' inks are dye based, but are supposed to have great UV resistance. I''ll leave a photo in the Sun and let you know in 20 years.
Initial tests on photo printing are astounding. I use Kirkland Glossy Photo paper, best photo print mode, high-speed turned off. I compared it with a print (same photo) from Winkflash on Fuji paper. It was as sharp, or sharper. The blacks are blacker with more pop. It could use a little more saturation in the yellow and magenta. But without any tweaking, the profile is pretty much dead on.
I haven''t said anything bad yet. What''s not to like?
The only negative specific to this printer so far is the paper tray. It seems flimsy and complex. There appears to be no way to manually feed paper, so card stock probably won''t work. Also, if you want to run a couple of sheets of full size photo paper, you have to replace all the paper. Or, put in 1 more sheet than you need on top of your regular stock. Otherwise it will snag on the last one and double feed, with disastrous results.
My general beef with Epson is their notorious ink costs. Epson has spent a lot of time and money in courts trying to make sure you can only buy their ink cartridges, with limited success. Instead of selling at competitive prices, they would rather sue. To me that''s like Ford saying you can only buy Ford gasoline.
If you do a lot of printing, you can spend a lot on ink. However, I''ve found inksupply.com to be a great source to ease that pain.
If you don''t use the colors regularly, the head can clog. They don''t make cleaning the print head easy for you. They could make it pop out for easy cleaning and replacement, if they wanted to. A basic head cleaning cycle wastes a lot of ink and doesn''t always work. That''s when you start looking for the 2 lb sledge. I''m hoping these dye based inks are less likely to clog due to their smaller particle size.
Now for all those features. They really designed this printer as ''family-friendly''. They don''t seem to be marketing it that way, though.
Duplex: Pretty handy if you do a lot of plain text printing. It is cool the way it prints the top side, then slurps the page back in to do the other side.
Scanner: The scanner is very accurate, and I''ve always liked the EpsonScan software. It''s powerful, yet simple. You can mess with the settings, or just pop it in and do a quick scan to your desktop.
Copier: Really impressive copies. I couldn''t distinguish between a print and a copy of the print. Try copying something with colored tape or similar on the original. You''ll think you can peel the tape off the copy!
SD card slot: Print without the computer. I would never want to do that, but you can.
Print from your smart phone: There''s an app for that. Reviews on the Android app are mixed so far. I haven''t tried it yet, but it will useful, I''m sure.
Now for the family stuff:
CD printing: That could come in handy if your distributing wedding photos or something. You can also print a jewel case for your bootleg REM CD.
Coloring Book: Strange thing to build into a printer, instead of the software. You can only do it from an SD card or the scanner. But it will be fun for the kiddies.
Lines and Graphs: Make your own notebook paper and graph paper. Why no built in 3 hole punch?
Greeting card: Again, it seems this would be a software feature, but it''s firmware on the printer.
I''m sure there''s more features too numerous to tell.
I can''t give it 5 stars yet until we see how it fares over time. But the engineering and design seem solid (if a little weird as noted). This printer does a lot, and it does it extremely well.
I will post some photos, and if I can find a way to make this review even longer, I will at a later date.
Edit 10/22/11: I''ve done a couple more full size photo prints. I''m almost out of 2 colors. But ohhh the sweet reproduction of color. I did a collage of some old photos using the copier function. One photo has a red ink mark. Another has a pushpin hole. For a second I thought the copy had a hole in it! The red ink mark looks like someone just swiped a pen across it. Also, I did borderless 8.5 x 11 and there was no smearing at the edges. Amazing reproduction. I was also pleased at the speed increase over the old EpsonScan software. Everything worked flawlessly.
Gotta go buy some ink...
EDIT 4/10/12: Apparently Epson did a firmware update that totally prevents you from using 3rd party ink cartridges. The error message says: "Cartridge not Recognized". It''s hard to imagine that that''s legal. It''s also just rude. So although Epson says they recommend using only their own ink, what they really mean is the printer will only work with their own ink now.
I''ll be looking for a Canon before Epson gets any more of my money. I can''t believe their arrogance.
Buy Epson Artisan 730 Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer (C11CB18201) Now
TRUE AIRPRINT COMPATIBILITY:Bought this printer today. So far so GREAT! Opened the box to find a yellow sheet titled: "Attention AirPrint Users". It then explains that to enable AirPrint capability install the latest firmware available from Epson''s website. My first though was "WOW", I thought only HP printers had this capability. So OK, I''ll bite. I installed the printer on MAC OSX Lion without any problems at all. Flawless. So then the firmware upgrade. This part always makes me a little nervous but the Epson step-by-step instructions were very clear. Firmware upgrade take about 10-15 minutes and remember DON''T turn it off or unplug it during this process. Once the firmware was upgraded I went to an email on my iPhone, clicked the AirPrint button, then Print, and EPSON Airtisan 730 shows up, along with a selector for the number of copies, and single/double sided (on/off). I hit Print and sure enough out comes my complete email. I then check Safari and iBooks and yes, it will print from those natively as well. No EPSON or third party app required. So, you ask what''s the big deal? Well the deal is that nowhere on the Epson website or on the box does it mention printing compatibility with AirPrint. I even went to Apple''s official list of AirPrint printers and it''s not yet listed there either, just HP.
Artisan 725 VS 730
I had been looking at the Artisan 725 and couldn''t find much product information on the differences on this newer model. Here''s what I''ve come up with so far:
1. Very slightly high print speeds, but not enough for anyone to notice.
2. Difference in droplet size. Fixed size on the 725, 5 sizes on the 730.
3. Front panel. 725 has a bit of a clunky button arrangement to hold/release the front panel up at an angle. The 730 does away with that and replaces it with a nice, smooth friction-type design.
4. Appearance. 725 is all black. 730 has some dark blue accents around the top.
Printing
I''ve printed a few pages and a few photos. So far, faster than my old HP C6380 and better quality.
Scanning
Nice, high resolution at much higher speeds than my old HP as well.
I''ll update this review as I get more time on this printer. But until then it gets two thumbs up.
Read Best Reviews of Epson Artisan 730 Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer (C11CB18201) Here
Advisory: I did not test every feature of this printer. I will update review when I have tested printing from an SD card and a USB drive. I do not have Smart Phone so will not be testing Airprint feature. Not sure if I will be testing the CD printing feature.Pros:
*Set-up was a piece of cake. I had to use the printer''s interface to set up the wireless as I did not have the right size USB cable, but printer found my network without a problem. I have a Netgear router & Dell Inspiron Laptop running Vista.) Entering the password was somewhat like texting on my mobile phone but I had no issues. I was printing within 30 minutes after I began opening the box.
*Black text printing looks good. Very fast.
*Scanner worked fine; no problem.
*Photos were astounding!!! Printer uses 6 ink cartridges which probably accounts for the vivid colors. I printed 3 photos right after set-up using glossy photo paper. One photo was from a low-resolution file. All came out great.
*Paper tray holds both regular paper & photo paper. You don''t have to change the paper out.
Cons:
*Depending on your needs, this printer might be a bit bulky. It weighs more than 20 lbs. so will not fit where my other printer was. However, it is geared for light commercial usage such as a home business so bulk/wgt. is probably appropriate for that class.
*Will not print at all if any one of the ink cartridges is empty. This, for me, is one of the serious drawbacks to Epson printers. My other Epson is the same way & it''s really inconvenient as I do a lot more text printing than color printing.
*Unless you need high-quality color prints or other color materials like brochures, six ink cartridges is hard on the budget. But, if money is not a concern and you want to be able to print your photos when you want, then this printer is top-drawer.
*Paper tray is light-weight plastic that feels flimsy. You have to be very careful when pulling it out or in.
*No fax capability. Not a problem for me but might be for some.
I will update this review when I have had the printer a few more months and have tested the SD & USB features.
Want Epson Artisan 730 Wireless All-in-One Color Inkjet Printer (C11CB18201) Discount?
I started off by loving this printer. It prints fast and the colors look good on high quality paper.... Then I let Epson "Upgrade" the firmware ...
Now I constantly get "Cannot recognize the following cartridge(s). Try installing them again.". Everytime I get this error the page that is printing gets ejected and the next page gets the second half of the picture printed at the top of the page wasting two sheets.
I am using a CISS system and can''t imagine using an inkjet printer without one. It turns out the only reason for the firmware update is to disable CISS systems and prevent anyone from using competitors ink cartridges.
I contacted Epson and got this reply back. "Thank you for contacting Epson regarding your Epson Artisan 730. It is my pleasure to respond to your inquiry. However, there is no option to put the printer back to it''s original firmware."
Now I have to decide between Canon and HP. Can anyone recommend a good Canon and matching CISS?
Save 27% off
I love Epson products, and have owned Epson printers for many years. My last Epson printer worked for me for at least five years, but lately began to have color and streaking issues, so I was in need of a replacement. I''m so glad I did replace it because the Epson Artisan 730 is literally the best printer I''ve ever owned!First, the setup. It was really very easy. I took the Epson Artisan 730 out of the box, installed it''s software on my computer, then plugged the printer in. Because of the printer''s Wi-Fi capabilities, it recognized my home network right away. The handy color touch screen lifts up to allow you to see it more easily, and seems very responsive. Using the touch screen, I entered in the password for my home network, and the printer was connected! I sent a test print from my computer to the printer, and it not only printed right away, it was freaking fast!
One of the features I was most excited about trying out was the Epson Artisan 730''s ability to use Apple''s AirPrint technology. We have a two-story house, and the printer is on the second floor. So, for my next test, I went downstairs to another part of the house and pulled out my iPhone. One review I read here said that they needed to upgrade the firmware for the printer in order to use Apple''s AirPrint technology, but that problem must have already been solved in later models, because without any firmware upgrade, my iPhone recognized the Epson Artisan 730 right away. I pulled up an email on my iPhone, pushed the print button, selected Epson Artisan 730 and pushed print. By the time I made my way upstairs to where the printer was, the email was printed. I tried the same thing with a photo. I had no problems whatsoever. Plus, the printer knew I was printing a photo, so therefore automatically chose photo paper! I even tried walking out to the very back corner of my back yard, taking a picture of a flower with my iPhone, and printing it. Again, by the time I reached the printer, I had a gorgeous print! The Wi-Fi technology is one of my favorite aspects of this printer!
In the time we''ve had it, we''ve printed all kinds of things from 8x10 color photos to simple black and white copies to printable CDs. The printer is fast, and the quality is excellent. Photos are amazing, and you would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between an Epson print and a print from a photo developer. Dot pattern is practically non existent. Everyone I showed my photo prints to was amazed.
As far as ink usage goes, after about a month of slightly above normal usage, I got a message on my computer that some of my inks were running low. So, it does seem like this printer uses ink quickly. It could become expensive if I have to replace inks every month. But like I said, we''ve been using it more than normal this month so, hopefully, with normal usage, the ink won''t run out so fast.
Bottom line is: as I said previously, the Epson Artisan 730 is the best ink jet printer I''ve owned to date, and I would have no problem recommending it.
EPSS041302 - Premium Glossy Photo Paper for Ink Jet Printers
- Catalog Publishing Type - Photo Paper-Rolls
- Global Product Type - Roll Paper-Wide Format Rolls
- Machine Compatibility - Inkjet Printers
- Packaging - Roll
- Paper Color(s) - White
I will not do 4X6 prints after all of this stock is gone.
Brother Printer HL6180DW Wireless Monochrome Printer Save 26% off
- Prints up to 42ppm
- Built-in wireless 802.11b/g/n and Gigabit Ethernet network interfaces
- 550-Sheet standard paper capacity, expandable
- Automatic duplex (two-sided) printing
- Super high-yield replacement toner cartridge available, TN-780 Super High-Yield Toner (approx. 12,000 pages)
My experience with this printer has been different than his. No problems with breakers, at all. Although, I admit to holding my breath when I first turned on the machine after having read his review -wondering if the room would go dark. I have this plugged into one of many power strips on a 15A circuit, and like many people, I''m probably plugging too many devices into that circuit through the use of power strips. When I first turned it on, running in room were three mac mini''s, an iMac, a router, two 8-port ethernet switches, two UPS battery backups, an HP inkjet printer, and three LCD monitors (along with random smaller things like external hard drives and AA and AAA battery chargers.) I''ve heard the Mac Mini''s don''t draw much power, but was still relieved. I don''t know if my lack of circuit breaker problems means that he has a normal system, and mine is robust. Or, there may be all sorts of other possible explanations, but I just wanted to share my experience, in case it''s helpful. My house was built and wired in 1969, but that room was an addition to the house from around 1996.
That said, I really like this laser printer. Here are some of the reasons:
A big factor in the purchase was the relatively low operating cost of this unit when it comes to toner. Lots and lots of pages from the large toner cartridges, which are also more reasonably priced than the other laser printer I have, an HP P2055dn (which is very similar in size to the Brother HL6180DW);
Easy Double sided printing;
Easily printed to it from my iPhone and iPad once it was on my network;
Print quality is professional. We did a side by side comparison of letters to a client that we printed on 24lb, 25% cotton business paper from the HP laserjet and the Brother. We thought they were both superb quality. Very clear and pleasant to read.
Fast printing. it''s plenty fast for our small office, as a shared printer.
Wifi and Ethernet. I''ve always preferred Ethernet connections to WiFi, but set this on WiFi. Easily joined my WPA2 Personal password protected network and still prints fast. It''s located just about 10 feet from the WiFi router, so the connection is probably excellent. Every computer on the network sees the Brother and can print to it.
Again, I really found Dirk J. Krouskop''s review useful. My experience with this printer, however, has been excellent. At this price, it''s such a great printer for a small business. Really can''t believe this quality is available without gouging us on toner replacement costs. Had I seen his review before I purchased, I probably would have missed out, so I''m just adding this review / experience and hope it''s also useful.
Buy Brother Printer HL6180DW Wireless Monochrome Printer Now
: 4:22 MinsI love this printer so far! It''s smallish, economical, pretty quiet, and prints well. Watch my video if you want, but I''m not very good at video reviews yet... :)
The video just goes through the first time setup. I''m a computer tech who usually doesn''t need a lot of hand-holding. If you want all the help you can get, using the disk to install a printer will usually give you step by step instructions (but I never tried with this printer).
Setup:
-easy to setup: I followed the menus on the printer itself and setup the wireless connection.
-easy to install on the computer: I searched for a network printer, it found it, and it searched the internet for the driver--no need to install other bloated software (I''ve only installed it in windows 7).
Economical:
--economical: The TN780 Super-duper high yield is for up to 12,000 pages at just over $100 currently. (You''ll never get 12,000 since printer cartridges are rated for 5% coverage. If I just do general stuff without a lot of pictures, I would expect to get around 10,000 pages--20 reams of paper!)
--other consumables seem ok too--drum is just over $100 too and good for up to 30,000 pages--some printers have the drum built into the cartridge, but usually more economical printers have it separate.
--There are other parts listed, like the fuser and rollers, but I haven''t seen them for sale and I''m too lazy to call Brother. It''s good to know that Brother doesn''t consider the printer kaput when a roller wears out, but these things usually last pretty long--I''ve had printers that I''ve never changed anything other than toner and drums.
--duplexer built in! Print on both sides to save paper!
--there is a toner saver mode that prints just a little lighter. I''m leaving it on because I''m cheap. Doesn''t seem to effect quality. If you don''t want to install all the extra software from disk, you can set things like toner saver and quite mode by browsing to the printer''s ip address.
other:
--500 sheet paper tray! Oh yeah! I stuck a whole ream of paper, and I''m going to let it run out every time so I can just stick another ream of paper in it.
--upgradable memory... who cares, but you can!
cons: (none of these matter to me, but in case you need to know)
--you can use the multi-purpose for envelopes, but the books says it will only hold 3 at a time. May not be good for printing a stack of envelopes.
--Doesn''t seem to support anything other than "thick paper". Seems to be no support for even thinner card stock. (does support laser labels).
--can only do legal in the multi-purpose tray so this wouldn''t be good if you need lots of legal (who does these days?).
power issues:
--I see one review says it keeps throwing his breaker. I have it plugged into a wall outlet with my AMD performance desktop, bose ipod dock, 27" monitor, HP wireless speaker thingie, computer speakers, happy light, desk lamp, and sometimes laptop. It''s never caused electrical issues--no breaking tripping, no dimming, no nothing. I plug it directly into the wall and I plug everything else into a ups.
Read Best Reviews of Brother Printer HL6180DW Wireless Monochrome Printer Here
Over the last few years, we''ve been using Brother printers in our home office and have had excellent results. Our previous printer, the Brother HL-5370DW, definitely got the most use since our business is now to a point where we easily print a full ream of paper every few days.The HL-5370DW actually worked fairly well; but, it did have some issues that were always a pain:
1) It was horrible at printing envelopes. As a result, we would always print envelopes on an HP Color LaserJet even though it isn''t as convenient.
2) The lights would dim every time the HL-5370DW would start up.
3) The input paper capacity wasn''t that great.
Regardless of those issues we went through multiple toner cartridges and a couple of drums before the printer finally just fell apart.
With that background, I''ve found the HL6180DW to be a very impressive model! It still fits in the same footprint as the older laser but does sit a bit taller because of the larger input tray.
Here are the things I like about the HL6180DW:
1) This is the first Brother laser printer I''ve owned that actually does a good job at printing envelopes! No more wrinkled envelopes, and no more trips up to the color LaserJet. :)
2) It starts up without dimming the lights. On top of that, the first page out is still a couple of seconds faster than the HL-5370DW.
3) Because of the little LCD screen, the wireless setup was a breeze. I did have to download drivers on each PC to get the network setup working; but, that isn''t a huge deal.
4) I like that Brother doesn''t bundle a lot of garbage with their network drivers but I wonder why the download package was so large since there aren''t really any apps included...
5) The print speed is excellent! Honestly, we''re on the verge of needing a truly professional-level printer; but, this will hold us over for the next few months until we get into a larger office.
6) I love having the option for a super high-yield print cartridge. That will definitely save both money and hassle.
7) The duplex feature works great although I''ve come to expect that from Brother printers in general.
8) I like that the paper tray will hold a full ream of paper.
Honestly, there isn''t much bad that I can say about this little printer. If you''re looking for a great laser printer in a compact package, then I would highly recommend this Brother HL6180DW!
Want Brother Printer HL6180DW Wireless Monochrome Printer Discount?
I''ve had a HL-5250DN since 2006, and it has been a great printer with hardly any problems and still going strong. Out of the box, the HL-5250DN was almost perfect in features and performance with less than 10 paper jams in the course of six years of use.So I expected the same problem-free printer out of the box with the HL-6180DW, but there were a few snags.
First, I read another review saying this product does not dim the lights. Since the 5250DN did, I was hoping the 6180DW would be different. However, in my house, when the printer starts up, the lights in two rooms dim a bit. Apparently, this is enough to trip circuit breakers in some houses. My concern is how it affects other devices. With the 5250DN, one modem gave out in my house, but I can''t tell for sure whether the 5250DN had anything to do with it. Still, I wish the lights wouldn''t dim so harshly. I''d be willing to have the machine start up a bit more slowly in exchange for less dimming.
Second, I got the 6180DW over the 5470DW specifically for the super high yield 12,000 page TN780 toner option. I read one review saying that particular toner spews particles everywhere at around 7000 pages. Will be keeping my eye out on whether this is to be expected for the TN780. If there are problems with the TN780, this will cloud my 6180DW experience since the extra cost to get this printer over the 5470DW will no longer be justified.
Third, there is no simple way to switch from ethernet to wireless and vice versa. The printer actually has a software setting that allows switching from one mode to another, but it doesn''t work. I currently have wireless, but if I want ethernet, I have to uninstall the driver and reinstall the driver by connecting via USB. This isn''t a huge problem, but why not allow simple switching by a software setting, or even dual simultaneous mode since there is no hardware limitation on such settings?
Fourth, this is the reason why I returned the first 6180DW. Every once in a while, the printed paper would have specks and hollowed out areas. It turns out this is because not enough heat from the fuser was being applied to it to have the toner stick permanently to the paper, so the ink was smudging on the paper. Because I didn''t have such problems with the HL-5250DN, I thought this was a defect with the HL-6180DW since the papers that worked just fine with the 5250DN should work with the newer model. Fortunately, after some research, there was a setting via the driver software that allows you to turn the heat setting higher so that the ink doesn''t smudge. But it comes at a trade-off where the paper is more likely to curl. Likely, Brother wanted a setting that had less curling by default because of so many complaints of paper curling. However, the smudge was an issue on both typical 20lb and 22lb paper, so I find that the 6180DW''s default setting is not optimal. I''d rather have the paper curl slightly than to have ink that easily smudges on the paper.
Those are the snags. With the smudging issue out of the way, I''m satisfied with the product considering its features and price. The envelope printing is much better than the 5250DN. The 500 paper tray capacity allows me to put a full ream of paper in there, and if the TN780 is decently priced and works well, then for about the price of the HL-5250DN when it first came out, I have a printer that has more features and requires less maintenance. I''m hoping that the negative review on the TN780 about toner ink spewing out is an isolated defect rather than some design defect either in the printer or the toner.
***2/14/2013 UPDATE***
The printer still has some toner fixing issues. I hadn''t been using the printer for a few weeks. When I started it back up, the first page had smudges on it, and when I scratch the ink with my fingernails, the ink smudges. I had already had it on "Improve Toner Fixing" setting, so it looks like in some situations, the HL-6180DW has an ink smudge problem that the HL-5250DN never had. For this reason, I need to downgrade the stars to 3. It seems like once the printer heats up and gets a few pages going, then the smudge problem disappears, but where it starts cold, it smudges unpredictably. Many people probably use this for their business, and in those situations where the printer gets used very frequently, you may never notice it.
I have already done one exchange for this product, so I''ve seen this problem occur on 2 separate HL-6180DW machines.
Save 26% off
I have two Brother HL-5370DW printers. I believe that the subject of this review is the replacement for the HL-5370DW.I set up this printer for wireless (WiFi) use. First, I attempted to set it up from an Apple Macintosh computer. I was prompted to enter my WiFi password directly into the printer, using its single line LED display and four pushbuttons. My password is long, so FAIL. Fortunately, I have a Microsoft Windows computer available, so I used it to set up the Brother printer. I have to say, this was excellent. I connected the printer and the Windows computer using a standard USB cable. The installer software was dead simple to use. I did not have to type in my WiFi password! Somehow, the password oozed out of the Windows computer and into the printer. Magic. Next, I removed the USB cable, and I installed the printer driver software onto my Apple Macintosh computer. Because the printer was already "talking" WiFi, this install was also dead simple.
I did have to download this driver from the Brother web site, because my version of Apple OSX (operating system) is too new. The install CD shipped with the printer couldn''t handle the Mountain Lion. By the time you get your hands on a Brother printer, I would expect that the included install CD from Brother will be updated, so you won''t have to do the download. If you use a Microsoft Windows computer, this is not an issue. In any case, downloading software from Brother was no big deal.
In actual use, the printer is completely trouble free. It stays (wirelessly) connected to my computer. It does double-sided printing without jamming. It prints envelopes without curling them. The printer can only hold four envelopes at a time; I suppose that this might be an issue for some folks.
I am completely satisfied with the speed and print quality of the printer. Software seems to default to 600 DPI density. This is great for speed, but I prefer print quality, so I changed that to the 1200 "HQ" density.
One improvement over the HL-5370DW model: you no longer have to change the roller tension when printing envelopes. On the older printer, you have to open the back door of the printer and flip a pair of blue plastic levers before printing on envelopes. No longer! A small annoyance is gone from my life.
After you remove all of the colorful paper labels, the printer looks quite nice, being almost entirely black. When handling the printer, you will notice a certain flimsiness, and this is the only real complaint I have to make. A printer needs to have several access doors, and the Brother parts feel thin, cheap, and wobbly. Will the printer stand the test of time?
Obviously I can''t answer that question at this time. I can share my experience with the old HL-5370DW printer. It is very similar to the printer under review, and that includes the flimsy plastic bits. I have two, one from May 2010 and the other from June 2011. Both of them are still going strong, and never call attention to themselves.
I don''t know of a better black and white printer. If you do, please post!