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My Epson WF 3620 just died on me. I liked it because it could print, copy & scan, could handle my digital card making needs and was the right size. i print a lot of digital paper/stamps and like to use 110# card stock. When I bought this printer several years ago and described my printing needs to the sales clerk he recommended the WF 3620 because it had a rear manual feed which he said was the best for card stock. I did a quick browse for new printers at Office Depot the other day, but did not see any printers that seemed to meet my needs as well as the WF 3620 did. Any recommendations/insights would be greatly appreciated.
I have an ancient Canon PIXMA that is finally getting close to the end, and I’ll stick with Canon. In the past, telephone Customer Support has been outstanding, and is still located in the U.S. One rep spent about hour on the phone trying to get a new version of Windows to play nice with the ancient printer, figuring out that a driver that should not have worked was worth a shot for me to install - and it did. Thinking outside the box is what gave me extra years.
BTW, some office supply stores give a store credit for each empty ink cartridge that’s returned - I think we get $2.00 for each one up to a certain limit.
Brand new crafter here...also need to buy a printer. Am a hardcore geek with a lot of experience with small, medium and large (think corporate) printers.
Been doing a TON of research on printers, as I have some other peoples templates that I'll be needing to print, and I will be making my own templates to print.
Need a color laserwriter with scanner (scanner for work reasons, plus I want to scan desiger paper I get, etc.
After a month of looking at HP's (who charge you through the nose for toner), I've almost settled on this Canon Laserwriter with scanner.
BTW, Canon will provide free shipping and a small discount if the buyer already has a Canon - just call and talk to a rep. Some of their prices by phone or on-line are competitive.
Indigo Blue, how will you be using scanned DSP (double sided paper or designer series paper if Stampin’ Up)? Since you’re a new crafter - welcome! - you might want to become familiar with how designs are copyrighted/trademarked, including some designer paper. “Angel policies” that spell out what is allowed to be used and how are generally on companies’ website in case you’re looking to sell.
BTW, Canon will provide free shipping and a small discount if the buyer already has a Canon - just call and talk to a rep. Some of their prices by phone or on-line are competitive.
Indigo Blue, how will you be using scanned DSP (double sided paper or designer series paper if Stampin’ Up)? Since you’re a new crafter - welcome! - you might want to become familiar with how designs are copyrighted/trademarked, including some designer paper. “Angel policies” that spell out what is allowed to be used and how are generally on companies’ website in case you’re looking to sell.
Alas, I do not have a printer right now. In fact, even before I decided to get back into crafting, I was planning on buying a laserwriter, though not a color one.
Thank you for the welcome!
I'm not looking to sell AT ALL. I'm might GIFT on very rare instances. I got into this not for money, but to solve an acquisitions problem that arose when my new furniture arrived. You can see a photo of my office / craft space for an example of what I mean, in my gallery here.
Problem being that I can't acquire the containers, organization support items, etc at a cost-effect price point. So I decided to make em instead. More fun that way! And even more important, a year from now when the bulk of the work is done, my personal spaces are going to look mega awesome. And I'll have seasonal stuff to rotate in/out too! (It helps I am a bit OCD and want things a very certain way). If I actually could stand to sew, I would have gone that route, but for some reason, sewing drives me nuts.
Now that I have more or less confirmed I'm buying a Canon, how do people feel about their Canon printers? I've used some mega huge Canon's in corporate offices, but never had one at home.
Also curious if the wireless functions in the newer ones works, as the printer will not be near enough to my desk to print via cable.
The wireless function in my ancient and much used and loved Canon still works fine, from both my iPad from anywhere in the house, and my PC in the same room.
The wireless function in my ancient and much used and loved Canon still works fine, from both my iPad from anywhere in the house, and my PC in the same room.
LOL while they don't make em like they used to...that's good to hear. At this point the other thing I am worried about is printing on 65lb cardstock. I'll be using this for my trace templates, and the occasional print digital image to cardstock.
Our Epson is a disaster! 2.5 years and its streaked and a total mess. It was the first printer that actually would print on 110 lb cardstock. Looking for a new printer where I have have regular paper in one feed and 110 lb in a separate feeder.
Looks like my initial research into a new printer was not sufficient. Looks like 3 of us are all looking for a cardstock capable, laserwriter with scanner, cheap ink printer. I'm actually stuck because I'm busy with a cat I'm catsitting, and work.
Been reading a lot, and it seems cardstock is best suited for rear feeds, and not many printers have that feature. Would sure love to hear what the rest of you are using right now!
Looks like my initial research into a new printer was not sufficient. Looks like 3 of us are all looking for a cardstock capable, laserwriter with scanner, cheap ink printer. I'm actually stuck because I'm busy with a cat I'm catsitting, and work.
Been reading a lot, and it seems cardstock is best suited for rear feeds, and not many printers have that feature. Would sure love to hear what the rest of you are using right now!
Hmm maybe it's having a read feed is a subjective thing.
Also, I like cats, but this is tough. Tis a young cat, and I work from home. No way can I entertain the poor thing during the day. Will be glad when the owner returns this weekend.
I have a Canon PIXMA and the rear feed can handle 110# cardstock. 80# cs works fine in the tray. We tend to buy the discount ink on Amazon and haven’t had too many problems.
I have a Canon PIXMA and the rear feed can handle 110# cardstock. 80# cs works fine in the tray. We tend to buy the discount ink on Amazon and haven’t had too many problems.
Ink jet. You can go to Canon’s site to find all descriptions, or call for customer support, which is still in the U.S. (Virginia). (To re-find their site, just type “canon Pixma” or something similar in your browser window.) Here you go:
My Epson WF 3620 just died on me. I liked it because it could print, copy & scan, could handle my digital card making needs and was the right size. i print a lot of digital paper/stamps and like to use 110# card stock. When I bought this printer several years ago and described my printing needs to the sales clerk he recommended the WF 3620 because it had a rear manual feed which he said was the best for card stock. I did a quick browse for new printers at Office Depot the other day, but did not see any printers that seemed to meet my needs as well as the WF 3620 did. Any recommendations/insights would be greatly appreciated.
I have an Epson WF 3540 and love it. It has a rear feed, but I don't ever use it. I have two paper trays so I keep my bond paper in the top one, and my Xpress It Blending Card in the bottom one and have no problems at all with feeding it. I hope mine lasts forever. I love it.
__________________
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Now that I have more or less confirmed I'm buying a Canon, how do people feel about their Canon printers? I've used some mega huge Canon's in corporate offices, but never had one at home.
Also curious if the wireless functions in the newer ones works, as the printer will not be near enough to my desk to print via cable.
I have a huge canon printer I purchased for photos.unfortunately it does not have scanning capabilities and I usually am printing out something g I wrote out for doing a card or something! But my hubby has an ancient HP that scans when I need it. The canon is awesome for printing, and it will pick up my request to print anywhere in my home. Ink seems pricey but actually lasts a really long time. I’d get another canon in a heartbeat!
Good luck!
You might want to do a bit more research if you are planning to use digital stamps -- especially with Copics. I thought I once read that laser ink was not compatible with some coloring mediums and you should use inkjet printers instead. That was quite awhile back so the world may have changed since then. But better to be sure before you buy. I have a HP Envy Photo 7858 (Costco -- think if you buy elsewhere its a 7800). It doesn't have a back feeder, but it handles all my cardstock printing just fine. Good luck.
Not too sure that I am any kind of an expert, but for sure I have owned many printers and used them mainly in my card making. I used to have nothing but Hewlett Packards. I currently have an Epson XP800 (mistake x2), a Brother MFC-J470DW, a Kodak 5500 AIO & an Anna Griffin Verite Craft 6 (also made by Kodak). For me, the Anna Griffin is the best for card making - it handles heavy cardstock and has both a top feed and a rear feed and I find the colors to be more accurate and saturated. Also handles various card sizes better than most. The others are good also but I would not, personally, recommend the Epson. It is the second for me and replaced one that disappointed - I tried a different model and it was an even bigger disappointment. The Kodak 5500 has a software package that is great - the Brother has been a solid performer and very reliable. Good luck in your search. =^..^=
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If you are printing/copying a lot, the best advice I can give you is not to go cheap- your ink replacements will be often and much pricer. Had a friend who worked for Best Buy and they gave me this advice. The pricier the printer, generally its better quality to use less ink and the ink replacements are less often, which makes the cost annually much cheaper.
I have a Brother black ink printer - Model is HL-L2300D (I only use this for printing my postage mailing labels for what I sell online and its several prints a day) and I only have to buy a new replacement cartridge once a year. For me this has been a life saver- my cost alone for ink on my old cheap printer was running me well over $200 a year. Crazy!
My COLOR printer is amazing too- HP ColorLaserJetPro/MFP M281fdw and printed several color prints weekly- I only have to replace a cartridge about every 6 to 8 months.
I paid quite a bit more new when I bought these printers but the overall savings has been well worth the upfront cost. Hope that helps!
I have a Canon Pixma MP620. It was used when I got it about 7 years ago. I really like it. It has a rear feed and handles my card stock (SU) really well. If I had to get another I would, absolutely, get another Canon. I've tried Epson, Lexmark, HP and Brother in the past but they don't seem to hold up as well as the Canon does.
__________________ Just keep breathing...that's the key.
May I suggest an HP machine? There are many to choose from and are quite inexpensive,
Quote:
Originally Posted by bumblebee582
My Epson WF 3620 just died on me. I liked it because it could print, copy & scan, could handle my digital card making needs and was the right size.
i print a lot of digital paper/stamps and like to use 110# card stock. When I bought this printer several years ago and described my printing needs to the sales clerk he recommended the WF 3620 because it had a rear manual feed which he said was the best for card stock. I did a quick browse for new printers at Office Depot the other day, but did not see any printers that seemed to meet my needs as well as the WF 3620 did. Any recommendations/insights would be greatly appreciated.
May I suggest an HP machine? There are many to choose from and are quite inexpensive, but the best thing is their ink program. You choose how many pages you want to print each month and pay a subscription. I have the smallest number (50) and pay only $3.99 per month. Inks are mailed to you automatically so you never run out. Customer service is great too! My printer is an Envy5300, there are newer models, but it prints, scans, and copies. I have never regretted this decision, and I, too, print many digi kits. Mine also handles cardstock very well. I find it works best if you feed one or two sheets separately. But I rarely need to print lots of cardstock in one go, anyway!
Last edited by Julieblake; 10-31-2019 at 06:43 AM..
Reason: want to add something
It's' interesting that many of you are in different "camps" about what's the best printer. I've been reading Amazon and general reviews about printers for weeks now, and am no closer to making a decision.
(I hope that I can make my every-3-months shopping trip this weekend to include an office supply store).
If not, I guess I will just have to order something and hope it works out.
I have had my Epsom for several years and have gotten along fine with it. But lately, I swear it eats ink cartridges! I don't print photos on it, just mostly airline tickets, recipes, journaling for scrapbooking, stories for writing class, instructions for cards, etc. When I need it the most, is when it starts mis-behavin! I have to re-align the heads etc. I am ready for new one.
Also, my camera is eating batteries. Most of the time just take photos of cards, unless we go on a trip or a holiday or something. It is a cannon.
Everything is going out at once. Label maker went caputt! EEEk!
You might want to do a bit more research if you are planning to use digital stamps -- especially with Copics. I thought I once read that laser ink was not compatible with some coloring mediums and you should use inkjet printers instead. That was quite awhile back so the world may have changed since then. But better to be sure before you buy. I have a HP Envy Photo 7858 (Costco -- think if you buy elsewhere its a 7800). It doesn't have a back feeder, but it handles all my cardstock printing just fine. Good luck.
When I registered for an on-line Copics class, the instructor specified to only use a laser printer for the images she emailed us in PDFs, since the ink would smear if we used an ink jet printer. So I guess it depends on the medium.
I only did part of the first class exercise, but the laser printed images (from my husbands heavy duty Xerox laser printer) were fine.
I have had my Epsom for several years and have gotten along fine with it. But lately, I swear it eats ink cartridges! I don't print photos on it, just mostly airline tickets, recipes, journaling for scrapbooking, stories for writing class, instructions for cards, etc. When I need it the most, is when it starts mis-behavin! I have to re-align the heads etc. I am ready for new one.
Also, my camera is eating batteries. Most of the time just take photos of cards, unless we go on a trip or a holiday or something. It is a cannon.
Everything is going out at once. Label maker went caputt! EEEk!
After another extensive research session looking at printers today, I've narrowed my search down to 3 inkjets and 3 laser-writers.
I'm leaning to this Canon Color Laser Printer / Scanner / Copier which is not the most recent version, and non-OEM ink for this one is reasonably priced. ($87 for a full set, manufacture seems to get good reviews over all.) It can handle some cardstock, but can only do up to 8.5 x 14. The only 12 x 12 printer I found is also a Canon, but it's an inkjet, and it has the worst set of reviews on all the printers I looked at today.
After reading a lot about inkjets, I think those will drive me nuts. I'd much rather replace ink every 6 months, rather then every 2. (Or less, EGADS!).
BTW I looked at Brothers, HP's, and also Lexmark. My final list had a Brother (inkjet) and an HP (Laser), but the HP toner was $400 for a full set (that's crazy), and the Brother had a lot of people saying inkheads got bad fast + the ink was more $$$ than all the other inkjets on my list.
Since I will mostly be printing 8.5 x 11 templates on 65lb cardstock and my own designs on actual normal weight paper, I'm not super worried about the cardstock options.
Last edited by Indigo Blue; 11-03-2019 at 01:23 PM..
It sounds like you’ve done a lot of research and have a solid plan. In case it matters, replacing a cartridge in the Canons ink jets I’ve owned or have seen is beyond easy and takes no time. Well not no time, but if it takes a full minute I’d be surprised. For my printer it’s pull a tab to remove a wrapper, twist off a piece (which is easy even for my unhappy hand), and snap it in.
It sounds like you’ve done a lot of research and have a solid plan. In case it matters, replacing a cartridge in the Canons ink jets I’ve owned or have seen is beyond easy and takes no time. Well not no time, but if it takes a full minute I’d be surprised. For my printer it’s pull a tab to remove a wrapper, twist off a piece (which is easy even for my unhappy hand), and snap it in.
I agree that yea, inkjets are not hard to deal with..Its the cost of the ink, and the frequency of ink purchases. I just do not want to deal with any of that junk.
Yes, but they don’t run out at the same time. So it’s less than a minute once in a while. The larger of the two black tanks lasts a long time since they’re for different types of printing. Though maybe newer ones don’t have that, don’t know. I’m not trying to talk you into an ink jet printer. Laser is better for some printing - like for Copics. Just responding to the hassle factor aspect, nothing else.
Yes, but they don’t run out at the same time. So it’s less than a minute once in a while. The larger of the two black tanks lasts a long time since they’re for different types of printing. Though maybe newer ones don’t have that, don’t know. I’m not trying to talk you into an ink jet printer. Laser is better for some printing - like for Copics. Just responding to the hassle factor aspect, nothing else.
No worries. I just decided that a "put it in and forget about it" option was more suitable for my insanely busy life.
And on that note, I've added that Canon to a wish list, and I am about a week or so from ordering. The cover is arriving in a couple of days (silly cheap). I gotta buy a tablet for work (getting reimbursed at end of Nov), so the printer has to wait a little while. Maybe it will go on sale, lol.
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