Colour printer recommendation

bazzabear

bazzabear

bazzabear

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2 Nov 2013
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I posted a while ago about a colour laser printer, capable of doing reasonable photos.

I bought such a thing 13 years ago, and it's starting to get a bit flaky - I thought things must have moved on by now. In fact, I posted about it a while back:

Laser printer for photos?

I was converted to using a laser printer for all but top quality photo printing a good few years back. As a very occasional printer, I finally got too fed up with inkjet printers being clogged every time I returned to them. And on the rare occasion I needed something to be display quality, I...
forums.overclockers.co.uk forums.overclockers.co.uk

But - from the results of that thread, and from what research I've done myself - it seems that the industry has moved away from the idea of laser photo printing. I don't see any laser printers with better resolution specs than the one I have, and I don't see any particular recommendations which mention their image quality.

So, taking a different approach - is it possible that things have moved on in the world of inkjets? Have the issues which put me off them changed? Largely - their habit of clogging up, and using £££s worth of ink to unclog (usually unsuccessfully)?

Do these new 'ecotank' things have a design which avoids blockages? Does anyone have any decent recommendations?

Cheers in advance!
 
bazzabear said:
So, taking a different approach - is it possible that things have moved on in the world of inkjets? Have the issues which put me off them changed? Largely - their habit of clogging up, and using £££s worth of ink to unclog (usually unsuccessfully)?
Click to expand...

If you aren't using an inkjet pretty regularly, it will clog up, it's inevitable. It's caused by evaporation and that won't change.
 
My Epson Ecotank ink lasts for years and it is very cheap to refill. It has an auto clean function so it doesn’t clog up.
 
spile said:
My Epson Ecotank ink lasts for years and it is very cheap to refill. It has an auto clean function so it doesn’t clog up.
Click to expand...
Same here. Went from colour laser to Ecotank, dirt cheap to print, I run a print every month or so if not using regularly.

Family all love Airprint, they can just print from their iPads for school stuff.
 
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Cheers. My wife does actually print more regularly than we used to, so I am tempted by the Ecotank. Wondering whether the extra cost for one of the 6-colour ones is worth it. Seems like a great ability to have - the top notch photos - but I wonder how much we would genuinely use it?
 
Anyone recommend an eco tank printer? Need something wireless model number would be good.
How are photo prints on it?
 
Ecotank (specifically epson)
Still actually have cartridges so still suffer
Clogging if not used often enough
The cartridges are moved to after the tanks
So are harder to get to should they clog

Traditional (epson again) cartridge ink jets
Are pretty simple to unclog normally
Don't waste ink doing it
I remove the cartridges then wet kitchen roll
With glass cleaner
Put the kitchen roll around the spikes that puncture
The cartridges
Usually that's where they clog up
Leave for 5 to 10 minutes
Remove kitchen roll which will have load of ink on it
Add more kitchen roll that's been sprayed with
Glass cleaner wait 5 to 10 minutes and remove
repeat as many times as you want
Until either no or very little ink is on the kitchen roll

Lost track of how many epson printers
I have sorted for friends and family doing this

@Cyber-Mav
Got an older ecotank here ET-2720
Photos print fine
As long as use half decent photo paper
 
Mcnumpty2323 said:
Ecotank (specifically epson)
Still actually have cartridges so still suffer
Clogging if not used often enough
The cartridges are moved to after the tanks
So are harder to get to should they clog
Click to expand...
The above is definitely not my experience of the Ecotank and five years of use. It uses large bottles not cartridges and does not clog up if left on and allowed to go through its self maintenance procedure. Line 4 I don’t understand.
 
spile said:
The above is definitely not my experience of the Ecotank and five years of use. It uses large bottles not cartridges and does not clog up if left on and allowed to go through its self maintenance procedure. Line 4 I don’t understand.
Click to expand...
Still got cartridges
You pour the ink bottles into the ink tanks
The tanks have a little tube that comes off them
That little tube then goes into cartridges
Those cartridges feed the print head
Same as non ecotank epson printers do
It's just the cartridges aren't visible without some
Dismantling of the printer first

Don't think mine has automatic maintenance
If it does and I haven't noticed
I assume that will use ink when it runs

When I remember to
I just print off a page with some circles of each colour
To prevent clogging
Which probably uses less ink than automatic maintenance
Which i assume runs head cleaning
 
Mcnumpty2323 said:
Still got cartridges
You pour the ink bottles into the ink tanks
The tanks have a little tube that comes off them
That little tube then goes into cartridges
Those cartridges feed the print head
Same as non ecotank epson printers do
It's just the cartridges aren't visible without some
Dismantling of the printer first

Don't think mine has automatic maintenance
If it does and I haven't noticed
I assume that will use ink when it runs

When I remember to
I just print off a page with some circles of each colour
To prevent clogging
Which probably uses less ink than automatic maintenance
Which i assume runs head cleaning
Click to expand...
Your experience is clearly different to mine.
 
spile said:
Your experience is clearly different to mine.
Click to expand...
Not sure what part of the experience you mean

Regarding the cartridges part
These aren't the sort of replacable ink cartridges
Non tank printers use
Where you buy new ones when ink runs out
If that's causing some confusion

Technically they may even be called something different
But theu look similar to cartridges
And serve the same function So I call them cartridges anyway
Ink from the tank goes to them via a little tube
Then the bottom of the cartridges have the spike thing
Inserted into them
With little holes in it to feed the print head
Same as standard cartridge printers from Epson do

So if ecotank printer gets blocked
It's either
The little tube connecting tanks to cartridges
Less likely unless not used for a very long time
Or the spikes that are between bottom of cartridges
And the print head
This is the usual place for Epson printers to get clogged

If you buy one of these kits they sell
In various places to fix clogged Epson printers (including ecotank)
Removing these cartridges let's you then
Attach the tube included to the spikes/nozzles
To flush cleaning fluid through using a syringe
Though my method of paper towel and glass cleaner
Basically does the same thing for free
Since everyone has paper towels and glass cleaner
In their house anyway

If that still doesn't make it clear
Have a look here
Shows you how to reach the cartridges for ecotank 4750 and 4850
Though not how to reach the end of the tube attached
To the tank if more drastic repairs needed
If a tube is blocked and want to replace it

 
Mcnumpty2323 said:
Not sure what part of the experience you mean

Regarding the cartridges part
These aren't the sort of replacable ink cartridges
Non tank printers use
Where you buy new ones when ink runs out
If that's causing some confusion

Technically they may even be called something different
But theu look similar to cartridges
And serve the same function So I call them cartridges anyway
Ink from the tank goes to them via a little tube
Then the bottom of the cartridges have the spike thing
Inserted into them
With little holes in it to feed the print head
Same as standard cartridge printers from Epson do

So if ecotank printer gets blocked
It's either
The little tube connecting tanks to cartridges
Less likely unless not used for a very long time
Or the spikes that are between bottom of cartridges
And the print head
This is the usual place for Epson printers to get clogged

If you buy one of these kits they sell
In various places to fix clogged Epson printers (including ecotank)
Removing these cartridges let's you then
Attach the tube included to the spikes/nozzles
To flush cleaning fluid through using a syringe
Though my method of paper towel and glass cleaner
Basically does the same thing for free
Since everyone has paper towels and glass cleaner
In their house anyway

If that still doesn't make it clear
Have a look here
Shows you how to reach the cartridges for ecotank 4750 and 4850
Though not how to reach the end of the tube attached
To the tank if more drastic repairs needed
If a tube is blocked and want to replace it

Click to expand...

Mcnumpty2323 said:
Not sure what part of the experience you mean

Regarding the cartridges part
These aren't the sort of replacable ink cartridges
Non tank printers use
Where you buy new ones when ink runs out
If that's causing some confusion

Technically they may even be called something different
But theu look similar to cartridges
And serve the same function So I call them cartridges anyway
Ink from the tank goes to them via a little tube
Then the bottom of the cartridges have the spike thing
Inserted into them
With little holes in it to feed the print head
Same as standard cartridge printers from Epson do

So if ecotank printer gets blocked
It's either
The little tube connecting tanks to cartridges
Less likely unless not used for a very long time
Or the spikes that are between bottom of cartridges
And the print head
This is the usual place for Epson printers to get clogged

If you buy one of these kits they sell
In various places to fix clogged Epson printers (including ecotank)
Removing these cartridges let's you then
Attach the tube included to the spikes/nozzles
To flush cleaning fluid through using a syringe
Though my method of paper towel and glass cleaner
Basically does the same thing for free
Since everyone has paper towels and glass cleaner
In their house anyway

If that still doesn't make it clear
Have a look here
Shows you how to reach the cartridges for ecotank 4750 and 4850
Though not how to reach the end of the tube attached
To the tank if more drastic repairs needed
If a tube is blocked and want to replace it

Click to expand...
 
As I said above, in my experience and after 5 years of use with the Ecotank
Mcnumpty2323 said:
Not sure what part of the experience you mean

Regarding the cartridges part
These aren't the sort of replacable ink cartridges
Non tank printers use
Where you buy new ones when ink runs out
If that's causing some confusion

Technically they may even be called something different
But theu look similar to cartridges
And serve the same function So I call them cartridges anyway
Ink from the tank goes to them via a little tube
Then the bottom of the cartridges have the spike thing
Inserted into them
With little holes in it to feed the print head
Same as standard cartridge printers from Epson do

So if ecotank printer gets blocked
It's either
The little tube connecting tanks to cartridges
Less likely unless not used for a very long time
Or the spikes that are between bottom of cartridges
And the print head
This is the usual place for Epson printers to get clogged

If you buy one of these kits they sell
In various places to fix clogged Epson printers (including ecotank)
Removing these cartridges let's you then
Attach the tube included to the spikes/nozzles
To flush cleaning fluid through using a syringe
Though my method of paper towel and glass cleaner
Basically does the same thing for free
Since everyone has paper towels and glass cleaner
In their house anyway

If that still doesn't make it clear
Have a look here
Shows you how to reach the cartridges for ecotank 4750 and 4850
Though not how to reach the end of the tube attached
To the tank if more drastic repairs needed
If a tube is blocked and want to replace it

Click to expand...

So YMMV and that is great.
We clearly have different experiences of using the Ecotank.
My experience is very different to yours and after five years of using my Ecotank ET-4750 for home and business use, I have never needed to go through an unblocking procedure other than an occasional head clean.

You do not recommend the Ecotank and I do - nothing else to be said.
 
spile said:
As I said above, in my experience and after 5 years of use with the Ecotank


So YMMV and that is great.
We clearly have different experiences of using the Ecotank.
My experience is very different to yours and after five years of using my Ecotank ET-4750 for home and business use, I have never needed to go through an unblocking procedure other than an occasional head clean.

You do not recommend the Ecotank and I do - nothing else to be said.
Click to expand...

I don't get that @Mcnumpty2323 is not recommending the Eco tank type printers, but to just be aware that they have the potential to clog in ways where clearing that blockage could be more challenging.

My occasional use Epson XP760, bought 2017, will clog if not used that often or the cleaning process not done. Once a month or so use is ok. Prefer to print a single page as it uses less ink than the cleaning process.
I do use third party inks carts.

I am looking at a Eco tank type myself, if you were buying a replacement today which would you go for, for general print use.?
That is of you have kept informed of the technology.

Same question really for anyone else with Eco tank experience.

I have just changed the ink pads for my daughters Epson and reset the warning message. Epson don't seem to want to make this easy, as such.

Maybe I was unlucky but when I owned a Canon photo printer it was pretty bad at clogging up much more often that our Epson. At one point it was determined the ink heads had clogged, that seemed to be too much to resolve successfully.
 
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@Vimes
You're correct
Don't think i said don't get one
Was explaining that contrary to what most people
Think or assume
Epson Tank printers still have these cartridges
And are prone to clogging just the same as
The non tank printers from Epson
If left unused for a long time
So thinking that buying an ecotank will stop those issues
Is a false assumption

That may be why
Spile has a newer model than mine and the cartridges end of the tube
Is at least pretty easily accessible
On my older model both the end of the tube
That's on the tank and on the cartridges require partial disassembly
Of the printer chassis to get to
So may be Epson has had to make that part more accessible
Due to customer feedback/complaints

If he's using it for both home and business (spile)
Then pretty obviously Not very likely
That he's leaving it extended periods of time without printing anything
So yes your mileage may vary obviously

At vimes
Canon used to have a different system than Epson
From memory at least which is admittedly dodgy sometimes
Think their cartridges had the print head inside them
They also do tank printers
But no idea or experience with theirs
So if clogging occurs I have no idea how difficult it would be
To unclog a canon tank printer

Contrary to what he believes
I would actually recommend an Epson ecotank to you
Now you're aware of how they work

Would just recommend you download a file/picture
That contains circles/shapes that are in all the individual colours
And either manually print it every so often
Or set up a windows schedule task to do it at a set period
Once a month or something
If you aren't printing regularly on it
 
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