Home printer recommendation?

[Cathy Stark]

Is there a photo printer that you'd recommend for the occasional home printing use?  I am calibrated with my lab but am needing to replace my home printer and wondered if you have one that you prefer.

 

Thanks! 

[Brian]

For home use, I prefer a B&W Laser Printer, since the cost per page is so low. Toner does not dry out and you can get 1000-1500 pages (or more, depending on the Toner Cartridge Capacity.) In fact, I have replaced my Toner twice since 2005. I can give a recommendation AND instruct you on how to set it up so that everyone in your household can print, even from their Smart Phones if you did decide to go with a B&W Laser.

To print photos at home? That's going to be either a Canon or Xerox Ink Jet type of printer. Just make sure whichever printer you choose, you do not want one that REQUIRES internet access in order to use it. Manufacturers like data-mining and having the ability to monitor when you need to replace your ink cartridges. Usually the cheaper ones from HP do this sort of thing, so be sure to read the fine-print or check with me 1st.

Oh, you will also need to budget for a different type of calibrator, one that calibrates your printer and display to your personal printer. I can't stress enough that it's stupidly expensive to print your own photos. I'd rather have you buy cheap .37 cent 4x6 prints and wait a day or two instead of forking out $500 for a calibrator, then the money for the printer, then the money for the photo paper and finally, the $150 worth of Ink Cartridges you will need to buy.

Even if you went with a inexpensive Color Laser Printer, the cost per page is stupidly insane, because there are four $150 Color Toner Cartridges, a Transfer Belt and Fuser that are all considered to be consumables.

For me, if I absolutely needed a photo, I'd go to my local Camera Store and print it there. Or hit up Staples if I needed a color document.