Need To Buy A Printer

[ZEAK]

Not sure what is good or not, or what brand people have had good experiences with. Or, where is the best place in CM to pick one up? I think I would like to be able to print off some photos as well, so does that mean I would need an ink-jet? Any info on this subject appreciated. Oh, and are some more geared towards Mac than others?

Cheers

[joeuk1]

I have the cannon pixma ( inkjet)printer go to a shop get them to show you how good it is and i think will buy one its brilliant .

Fantastic printer /photocopier i dont know if i bought mine at a good price or not i went to local computer shop paid 4000 baht .In saying that if i had paid 10000 for it i would still be happy its a realy great printer .

JB

[Contractor]

Golden rule when buying a printer is to research how much replacement ink cartridges/toner are going to cost you.

The Canon Pixma range ticks all the boxes for me.

[ProThaiExpat]

I am lined up to buy a printer this month. My old one, bought five years ago in BKK, a HP, just finally got to much trouble to make work and repair costs are quoted too high to make it sensible.

I have used a Lexmark and was impressed with how well it works and how user friendly it is. Ink is relatively cheap.

I am enamored with the one that sells for 1500 Baht at most stores, on sale by Lexmark, includes a scanner which is a feature I am looking forward to. Any negatives will be considered.

[AyG]

I've given up on inkjet printers. Over the years I've tried many different brands, but none of them seems to last more than a year or two. If you're an infrequent user, you regularly use up half your ink cleaning the print heads trying to get all the colours working again. Eventually one or other colours stops working, or some part inside the machine fails - and then it's cheaper to buy a new machine than to get it fixed.

Now I use a cheap black and white laserjet (a HP LaserJet 1020) for my day to day printing, and take any colour printing to a print shop to be done.

[Donnyboy]

I have an Epson. Its ok but requires weekly printing to ensure the print head remains clear. If it blocks up, you need an awful amount of ink to clear the nozzles, so I try to get a test pattern printed every 5 days or so.

Theres another brand, (Cannon I think) which the print heads are part of the cartridge, so you get a new print head everytime you change ink, so not too much drama.

But if you print out quite frequently, I would recommend installing a ink-tank arrangement to save costs on cartridges etc. However, I dont think the printer manufacturers cover warrantees should you do that, or installing any other cartridges other than their own.

[Daffy D]

I have a Canon Pixma iP3300 ink jet. I am a Canon fan and this printer works fine for me, good quality general printing and also good quality photo printing.

But the thing that I really like about this printer is that it has separate ink cartridges for the three colors and the black, and what is even better is that the cartridges are a decent size last a fair time and easily refillable.

The cartridges are transparent so you can see the amount of ink left so even though you disabled the low ink warning you can still check that you won’t run out half way through a print.

I forget the exact price but under 3k

Daffy.

[Greenside]

If you want to print photos of any kind of quality then Canon/Epson/HP are the three main contenders but, as someone said above, just keep in mind the cost of not only the ink but the paper too since using third party consumables hardly ever gives good and lasting results for photo printing. My preference is to use an all-in-one device which prints, scans and photocopies (boy, that's been a useful function here) and have a bulk ink system fitted. My Epson CX4100 gives great service for everything except quality photos (due to the ink set I'm using) and if I need those I just send the files to Photo Bug or one of the many labs here in Chiang Mai.

I picked the Epson up off the bargain table at Carrefour for less than 1000 baht. It had no driver and the first set of ink cartridges cost more than the printer but they promised to exchange the whole lot it if it didn't work which I thought was very fair of them. Don't often feel so happy about a deal and it worked out great.

[Globeliner]

Golden rule when buying a printer is to research how much replacement ink cartridges/toner are going to cost you.

The Canon Pixma range ticks all the boxes for me.

Agreed, me to, although the new cartridges are around 700 baht a pop, the Thai bloke who owns a computer shop down the road re-fills them for me for 200 baht, but the computer still registers the cartridge as empty, 5 mins he sorted it.

The Canon Pixma is the way forward

[Ta22]

back in singapore i would 100 % say HP .

there are the most trusted printed i seem on the market ..

oh i use a laser printer ( black and white )

i got it for like 50000 baht some 5 -6 years ago ..

after 1 years use i got problem - i bring it back and got a 1-1 exchnage .. the INK Cart which is almost finsh .. broke down ..

and i bring it in and i got a one to one exchange again . never believe it but is true ..

but is not cheap - hardly give me much problem and my printer can upgarde memory also . whah a

anyway YOU in thailand ..

EASY .. don't go buy from a SHOP ..

go look for REFILL station that REFILL Ink .. talk to them ..

ask them to intro you the BETS REFILL printer out there

cos .. the printer is CHEAP is the REFILL that will juice you dry ..

i see anot of people using EPSON . ( but i do not knwo which model allow you to refill ..

the new HP can be refill also . but need some kinda computer chip for the refill to work ..

so look for info on REFILL ..

if yuou want to save money

[ZEAK]

All really great advice, thanks much!

I did not know that inkjet printers develop a problem with the heads if not used for a while, and there are going to be weeks to months when I am away and the printer is not being used. So, it sounds like my best bet would be to go for a laser printer. I heard that they have come down in price, hope thats true. A real positive response for the cannon pixma, will take a look at it just to see what its about.

Thanks again.

[Greenside]

All really great advice, thanks much!

I did not know that inkjet printers develop a problem with the heads if not used for a while, and there are going to be weeks to months when I am away and the printer is not being used. So, it sounds like my best bet would be to go for a laser printer. I heard that they have come down in price, hope thats true. A real positive response for the cannon pixma, will take a look at it just to see what its about.

Thanks again.

If you're going with an inexpensive laser printer then Brother make a very good, reliable range which are cheap to run too. I've had several of these over the years and never regretted buying one. Prices from about 7000 bht up (I think) but note that the toner cartridge sold with all laser printers is a half capacity one and that you'll need more supplies before too long. They also have models with a flat bed copier function.

[palander]

EASY .. don't go buy from a SHOP ..

go look for REFILL station that REFILL Ink .. talk to them ..

Where can I find those ink refill stations ?

[Ta22]

i know one at the ICON PLAZA , walk right in at the END OF the buidling near the LIFT .

there is also one at airport plaza .. i think second or third floor but that one look expensive and is run by a school girl .. working part time i guess ..

so a better bet is one f those self run shop who give bette and more info which i would say INCO Plaza

there might be more out there but i am not sure -- anyone out there can provide some info about the refill station and shop

thanks

[palander]

Is it possible to refill Lexmark-cartridges ?

[Pond Life]

I had an Epsom ink jet, heads kept blocking up.

I heard alot of people have same problem.

I threw it in the garbage & bought an HP.

I've never had a problem with it & it works well with my Mac.

[Ta22]

talk to the refill station - i got no idea good luck ..

also you can go to some of the print shop - and ask for info -- usually the print shop is near school .. at least get some service befroe asking question ..

print a free copy or junk maybe whhaha

[ZEAK]

I had an Epsom ink jet, heads kept blocking up.

I heard alot of people have same problem.

I threw it in the garbage & bought an HP.

I've never had a problem with it & it works well with my Mac.

But have you let it sit for a month or two? I wonder if the heads would block up if it sat for that long?

Cheers

[Rasseru]

I had an Epsom ink jet, heads kept blocking up.

I heard alot of people have same problem.

I threw it in the garbage & bought an HP.

I've never had a problem with it & it works well with my Mac.

But have you let it sit for a month or two? I wonder if the heads would block up if it sat for that long?

Cheers

If you mean would this happen with an HP printer, I don't know in general, but I can tell you that I let my HP printer sit for six months earlier this year and it worked fine the next time I tried to use it (and has since).

[Ta22]

i am using a HP laserJet 2100M

after i move from singapore - it was pack in a box . after about 2 years i unpack it .. and print some stuff i need .

work 100 %

alway good

but i think you can get cheape model . now ,

i got mine cos i use it to print .. film for silkscreening ..

best on the market too

HP is my choice

but i am also sure over the years many other brand have improve .

HP ink is not cheap but some model you can get Cheaper refill option.. check with refill station

[waveydavey]

Is it possible to refill Lexmark-cartridges ?

Yes, but it's not straightforward. I bought a kit for 380Bt from a shop in (I think) Icon, on the left hand side, ground floor, about 3rd or 4th shop along. You have to cut the top off the cartridge with a stanley knife then inject the colours into the relevant sponge with a hypodermic (everything supplied). Then tape the top back onto the cartridge.

Black cartridges are easier, you simply drill a hole in the top of the cartridge them inject the black ink and put some tape over the hole. Takes 5 minutes.

The same shop sells colour refills for 699bt and will refill them themselves once for free.

[Puwa]

I've had nothing but trouble with my Epson CX3500. All the problems mentioned above, the only saving grace is that the flatbed scanner works well. I'm ready to give up on inkjets and go for a reasonable laserjet. But this Pixma thing sounds ok.