Spec me a photo printer

[Scuzi]

The wife has tasked me within finding a good photo printer. Having been out of this game for the best part of a decade, the printer business seems a lot more disorganised than it used to be and I’m struggling with the various lineups.

Requirements:
- This printer will be solely used for photos. All other printer tasks will go via the home office AIO.
- A4 size inkjet. A3 is too big.
- 5/6 ink setup for photos preferred.
- Reasonable ink refill costs. One of the Epson printers I looked at cost the best part of £120 to refill. That’s too high. Something closer to half that would be ideal.
- Good iPhone based app support would be ideal for printing straight from phone.
- Budget <£200. Ideally around £150.

My favourite thus far is the Canon Pixma TS8350. It seems to strike a decent balance between cost and quality.

Am I missing any obvious contenders?

Thanks.

 

[Deleted member 77746]

I didn’t think anyone printed photos any more, it’s cheaper to get them printed out at a store or an online digital store where you use an app to upload and they send you them out in post.

You are in for a very some very expensive photo printing treat.

 

[Scuzi]

I didn’t think anyone printed photos any more, it’s cheaper to get them printed out at a store or an online digital store where you use an app to upload and they send you them out in post.

You are in for a very some very expensive photo printing treat.

Don’t bring logic and financial savvy into this. The good lady has asked for a printer and to hell with the pounds and pennies!

I have had this discussion with her but I’m wrong and she’s right.

 

[Deleted member 77746]

Don’t bring logic and financial savvy into this. The good lady has asked for a printer and to hell with the pounds and pennies!

I have had this discussion with her but I’m wrong and she’s right.

I hope she’s paying! Dear me lol.

Just get the most expensive one. lol tell her it’s £500 for the printer and £100 for the print cartridges n she has to pay ha ha.

I like that printer you mentioned.

if money isn’t a problem just get her an industrial color photo laser jet.

 

[Holst1981]

Don’t bring logic and financial savvy into this. The good lady has asked for a printer and to hell with the pounds and pennies!

I have had this discussion with her but I’m wrong and she’s right.

It's not about the money it's the hassle.

I work as a printer (large format) and still get my prints done online.

Getting good results from a home printer and keeping it fed with ink just isn't worth the trouble unless you are printing very regularly or have specific requirements.
You might get ok results when it's new but once it's sat unused for a few months you will be disappointed.

 

[Scuzi]

It's not about the money it's the hassle.

I work as a printer (large format) and still get my prints done online.

Getting good results from a home printer and keeping it fed with ink just isn't worth the trouble unless you are printing very regularly or have specific requirements.
You might get ok results when it's new but once it's sat unused for a few months you will be disappointed.

Is dormancy a problem? It is quite likely it will sit for weeks or months doing nothing in between uses.

In that case could one of those thermal printers be better?

 

[Holst1981]

Is dormancy a problem? It is quite likely it will sit for weeks or months doing nothing in between uses.

In that case could one of those thermal printers be better?

Inkjet printers will dry up if you don't use them.

Most of them will use some ink to clean themselves every day when not in use.
But then your expensive ink is being wasted.

Thermal printer is likely to be poor quality.

A decent colour laser printer might be passable but not at your £200 budget.

If your printing from a phone you are much better off uploading any nice pics directly to an online printers and have them delivered next day, or batch them up into a fortnightly delivery or photobook.

 

[Rimsy]

Some excellent advice here. Home photo printing via inkjet printers is an utter money sink as you literally have to feed them ink even when not using them. I have a PIXMA TS8351 and it has cost me a fortune just to keep it alive and not clogged up. I've given up on it now and it's awaiting a trip to the local tip.
Don't do it! They are a con!

 

[Scuzi]

Thanks for the advice chaps.

 

[Phil2008]

I have the brother mfc-5730DW, and it prints out great photo's if you use decent paper, inks lasts 6months of heavy printing and the printer checks the nozzles only when its not in use or turned off, so no clogging up from not using the printer and its always ready to print after a few secs of switching on.