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I use a Canon Pixma, but I don't know any compatibility with windows 8. I have a mac. This last update of Windows have really messed with a lot of machines. It's a shame, it feels like just another way to bilk money out of us. I would definitely go in a talk to the geeks at the store you buy it up. They'll be able to direct you a lot better. Most printers now, are crisp and clean images. I reference the cost of the ink refills. That's where the most of your money is going to go into. I print 110lb card stock all the time. Go talk to the professionals to help guide you. Especially when it comes to printers and scanners, places like Best Buy, has actual companies in there talking about their products demoing them.
I also have a Canon Pixma and have been very happy with it. You load the paper on the outside in the back, so it doesn't have to go around a roller inside. The paper never gets stuck, even with heavy cardstock.
I got mine at Walmart and only paid about $70 for it.
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
Annette...is it an inkjet or laser? I have a color laser that I really like but its in our home office. I would love a smaller printer for digital stamps in my stamp room. I am learning to use copics and blendabilities so thats why I'm leaning towards laser.
Blessings.
Thanks....the issue with Canada is Best Buy, Future Shop, Staples etc carry very little in printers.....tons of big All-in-one units. The salesman said crafting community tiny and everyone is aiming for the home office/small business.
I picked up an Epson XP-410 and it prints 110lb cardstock with no problem...just the colors don't match (green on monitor prints bluish on paper). Not so much of an issue I guess...can probably control with graphic programs.
Amber...Digi stamps....I have an old HP Laserjet 1012 and...if careful...I use Copics with no problem. Just have to let toner set before coloring (heat setting with heat gun or iron) helps...and not going too close to the lines.
__________________ I stand alone without beliefs...the only truth I know is you
Annette...is it an inkjet or laser? I have a color laser that I really like but its in our home office. I would love a smaller printer for digital stamps in my stamp room. I am learning to use copics and blendabilities so thats why I'm leaning towards laser.
Blessings.
Amber, mine is an ink jet. I think that's why it was inexpensive. The laser printers cost more, I think.
I seldom print digi images so it hasn't been an issue with me. When I have used my printer to make an image and then colored it, I am very, very careful not to go over the lines, just right inside.
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
Inkjets are definitely going to be less than laser. Like I said earlier, all the brands are pretty good now a days. I have to tell you, I only have the canon, because someone had 2 brand new ones and sold me the extra (brand new in box) for $20. Epson's were always my favorite and both my sister and daughter have the HP's they are ALL really nice printers.
The price of the ink is what would sell me at this point. Aren't most of the All in One's now??
OK my son had a Canon Pixma that died after 2 years of university. I can't say how much he used it but he replaced his ink cartridges about once a semester. Part of a unit burned out and the repair is as much as a new printer. Up until September I would have recommended it.
I believe he replaced it with an Epson after surveying his techie friends.
Epson are widely known for their printers, especially photographic printing.
i don't know if this helps, but thought I'd share.
We purchased a Brother HL-3070-CW color laser printer, has to be at least 5-years old now. It's been a reliable printer. At one time the toner was costly, but the price has come down. I've found it onsale at Best Buy for $59.00, and have seen it for as low as $29.00 a cartridge on eBay. I just checked, and there are color lasers for under $300.00 on eBay.
Our Epson died and we replaced it with an Epson WF-3540. It works well and the graphics are pretty good for a 3-color printer. The cartridges are costly, that's where they get you.
I found my Canon Pixma Pro 9000 8-cartridge at a great price, and added it to our collection last year. It's a large format printer that handles heavy cardstock with ease. I've never used 300# paper, only 140#, but it can handle it. Again, the cartridges are costly.
Cartridge cost was just killing us, so I started refilling my own a couple of years back. It's easy to do and it's a tremendous savings. I use Precision Color Refills. Once I purchased the initial refill kit, refills cost just pennies.
Last edited by Annecards; 11-15-2014 at 06:04 AM..
I am also looking for a craftroom printer, to use with my cricut explore and a Brother ScanNCut.
So I take it the Canon Pixmas are the best for cardstock? I want one that does color well. I found the Pixma pro 100, which looks to be a really nice printer
I wouldnt mind a nice laser color printer, but would need it to handle thick card stock
Last edited by craftEcowgirl; 12-10-2014 at 12:29 PM..
I don't know if they are the best, but I love mine. It takes on card stock with no issues. I think it's affordable ink.
I do love the epson images as well, but it's been a while since I've actually used one. I would suggest going in on a Saturday and actually talk to the product purveyors at for instance Best buy. They have the product people in there on weekends. You can get them to show you EVERYTHING about their printers.
I don't know if they are the best, but I love mine. It takes on card stock with no issues. I think it's affordable ink.
I do love the epson images as well, but it's been a while since I've actually used one. I would suggest going in on a Saturday and actually talk to the product purveyors at for instance Best buy. They have the product people in there on weekends. You can get them to show you EVERYTHING about their printers.
I agree, I love my Pixma too. I do use an Epson, as well, but it can't handle 140# unless it's fed in one sheet at a time. My Pixma handles even heavier cardstock, and I don't have to feed one sheet at a time. I do have 12x12 printing, but Epson has a large format printer too.
My old canon printer is on the fritz, And I need to replace it. I print digi images and colour with copics. I've had a lot of trouble with image bleeding with HP printed items, so HP is off my list. Has anyone used Epson with copics? Also, i see the current canon printer range Maxify says it uses black pigment ink, has anyone tried the Maxify with copics?
It seems this stuff is always changing, any tips in current printers is appreciated (oh how i hate returns!)
I'm sorry to hear about your printer. Today, I bought ink for my Canon Pixma. I got a good deal at staples. Both extra large Black and Color for only $50. It lasts pretty long too.
So, I have a couple of hints that might help you figure out what you want to get in the near future.
One, try heat setting it with a couple sheets of regular copy paper over top and low setting iron it. It really does heat set the ink. You can also do this with your heat gun. Just be careful not to scorch the paper by heating it too long with either method you use. I want to put a disclaimer, that it doesn't always work with all papers and all inks. I've had great luck with it though.
Now, when in doubt I have a printer in our house, that works beautifully. My sister has a HP Photosmart C8100 All In One. This printer takes these chunky type of ink carts. It takes 5 colors and 1 large black. They are actually more like crayons. It prints amazingly, but it's perfect for people like us.
So, I tried an experiment for you all. I went on the net and downloaded some free Digi Stamps. I laid them out and then I printed them on her HP Photosmart C8100, (I used HP Brochure Paper, Staples 50 sheets for $15.99 or you can get HP Presentation paper). I then proceeded to use my Spectrums to color up some of the images. I also took some of my American Craft, Berol, and Recollection Pigment markers. That is the image in the center with the flower girl. The rest were done with Alcohol Spectrum Noir Markers.
As you can see there is absolutely no bleeding. I use to heat set them, but I found with this printer I didn't have to. When I use my Canon Pixma, I do Heat set them. Depending on the paper, it will still sometimes bleed, but not as bad. Most of the time heat setting it stops the bleeding.
The butterfly image on the below picture, I used lighter colors and a blender to try to get the black to bleed but it would not.
So, the big thing we can take away from this is ink jets are going to bleed sometimes unless you try something like heat setting . If the printer is specifically for printing pictures, it really shouldn't bleed. HP Photosmart definitely does not bleed.
I have a canon, but I use to love my Epson. I'm sure you want to get the best printer for the best price that you can get them at. This is what I would do..... I would go and have the salesman print off on the display printers, it can be just regular print no images. You can even take in some presentation paper or request that they print on presentation paper. Tell them you're going to take the prints home to review them and talk it over with a friend. (While they are printing them off, I would make sure that you write somewhere what printer printed the paper) . Then go home and experiment. Take the printed papers home and find some light Copics or Spectrums, go over an inch or so. Set them aside. When you've done all the pages, I would then heat up your iron or your heat tool. The print that wasn't marked on, I would try heat setting it. Then try the same thing, coloring over the print that has now been heat set. I'm sure some will heat set beautifully and not bleed. See which one works for you. That would be the printer that you should get.
Mind you, this is for the Digi kind of stamper!!
I sure hope that this experiment and ideas will help someone.
****************
ADDITION
****************
So I did a review. The ink carts are HP20 (color) The models that go to this type of ink cartridges are HP Photosmart 8250, 3210 and 3310 Printers. The C8100 that my sister has, has been discontinued. The key is the ink carts. If you don't have much luck, I'd call HP and find out what current printer they are selling uses those carts. BTW, they last a long time and they are only 12.99 a piece.
Ok, I'm done.
Good luck.
Last edited by Denverkat276; 12-20-2014 at 01:23 AM..
My old canon printer is on the fritz, And I need to replace it. I print digi images and colour with copics. I've had a lot of trouble with image bleeding with HP printed items, so HP is off my list. Has anyone used Epson with copics? Also, i see the current canon printer range Maxify says it uses black pigment ink, has anyone tried the Maxify with copics?
It seems this stuff is always changing, any tips in current printers is appreciated (oh how i hate returns!)
The best printer to use with Copics is a laser printer. You can pick up a black ink laser fairly cheap these days. That being said, I've used my Epson with sucess by printing in draft mode, and selecting glossy for the paper setting. The printer lays down less ink with these settings. I am careful to avoid the lines as much as possible, but this does work pretty well. I hate HP printers myself. Hope this helps.
I was using an HP large format printer that printed horrible pictures but I used it for printing digis and they were lovely. I read somewhere on this forum to print digis in "draft" since I did that I had no issues with ink smearing or bleeding.
But it was far too slow and kept getting slower...it needed Geritol or that 5 hour energy drink...ran out of ink and earlier this week went to buy ink. Came home with a new printer instead...an Epson 820 Small in one.
Prints great pictures! Haven't tried the digit printing yet but I'm hopeful it will do a great job! The great thing about this printer is it has a dedicated drawer for holding photo paper as well as a direct feed for printing heavier cardstock, etc.
My experience with Canon printers has not been good, so I can't recommend those!
These are great pointers, thank you!
Ultimately, I need a printer that does not need me to heat set--there are enough steps to do in making cards without adding on another one, and knowing me I'd burn down the house by accident LOL! I've never had to heat set with my Canon. I normally print on to Neenah solar white, which is a bit thicker and more porous than some of the other card stocks. I'll do as suggested and bring a few sheets of that in to Future Shop and ask them if they have demo printers we can experiment with. :-) Wish me luck! I hope to be up and printing by tomorrow…
Any other tips, please keep sharing!
I'd be interested to know which printer you decided on as I'm still struggling with this issue. I'm guessing the bleed problem has more to do with the ink than the printer. Some use dye ink while others use pigment. Pigment ink doesn't bleed while dye does. The geeks at both Big Buy and Staples seemed to know nothing about the distinctions between the two yet it is discussed on the Internet . My understanding is dye ink is cheaper and brighter colors but less lightfast where as pigment ink is way more archival and won't bleed but more expensive and more prone to clogging and that you need to print frequently or you have problems. Does anyone have hands on or practical experience feedback using pigment based printers versus dye ink printers?
I too am looking for a new printer. One thing that occurred to me as I read thru this thread is that if you don't buy name brand ink refills then smearing etc issues are not as important as performance of the printer. Name brand cartridges are just too expensive, I tend to go the refill route instead. Where you get your refills will control that issue.
I've had a couple of HP printers in the past and both of them quit working after just a few years. The most recent printer that just died was a Dell and while I swore I'd never buy their product because of customer service issues, I have to admit that thing was a work horse and lasted a really long time.
So my question is which printers seen to last longer vs breaking down fairly quickly.
I don't have any experience with the pigment ink printers, but according to this article, the difference is negligible (to most of us amateurs)and usually preferred by only some professionals.
But this is interesting as I had not known there were pigment ink printers!
Well that's really weird...there were words in my reply, really!
I had no idea there were pigment ink printers! I found this link explaining the link explaining the difference. http:// http://www.adorama.com/alc/0...nd-Pigment-Ink
I agree, I love my Pixma too. I do use an Epson, as well, but it can't handle 140# unless it's fed in one sheet at a time. My Pixma handles even heavier cardstock, and I don't have to feed one sheet at a time. I do have 12x12 printing, but Epson has a large format printer too.
Im really interested in getting this Canon printer...can you please give me your model number?
Im really interested in getting this Canon printer...can you please give me your model number?
Thanks so much!
I've had mine for a several years so it's an older model "Canon Pixma Pro 9000 Mark II". It's a large format printer. There are newer models on the market now. I'd suggest looking at the "Pixma Pro 10". they are pretty pricy. I paid over $800.00 for mine back in 2011. Shop around for the best price. Take a look at Canon Pixma Pros on their website. Then shop around for the best price, because you can find cheaper. Hope this helps.
After all my research I'm leaning toward the pro 10 but here are concerns I still have- I'm new to art as well as printers. I plan to do collage and mixed media. I have collected a large collection of ephemera,boxes of ripped out collage material,and lots of art magazines as well as books with different picture topics for collage. I also have a vast collection of 12x12 and other patterned papers and anticipate a lot of copying from these materials for reference as well as collage. I'm sure I'll do a lot of image transfers too. Not sure how much photos I'll do. So my question is will I be wasting precious pigment ink expense copying these supplies as well my art projects? Should I consider getting a basic 8 1/2"x 11" dye ink printer as well? I'd rather not cause of space and money concerns since I'm leaning towards pro 10 (which I've heard clogs less then Epson). Also worried about the frequency of use issues for both brands. How often do you need to use to avoid clogging ? Any feedback to my various concerns greatly appreciated!
My last printer was the Canon Pixma MX350, and it lasted about 3 years. It was useful since I could use it as a fax machine, a photocopier, a scanner and a printer. Finally the rollers that suck the paper in to print on quit. The ink never leaked with my alcohol (Copic) markers.
They don't make that model anymore, so I got the Canon Pixma 532, on sale at Staples in December, it was under $100. The ink does not leak and it had all the capabilities of the old one, but I found the printed images weren't great, and I use a lot of digi papers, and the resolution wasn't good enough for that, so I returned it.
I got the Canon Pixma MG7520, at London Drugs. It does not have faxing capabilities nor does it have a document feed scanner (i.e. so you can scan multiple page documents easily), but I have an old HP that I can use for that. The black line images are good, no leaking. This one has both Pigment ink and die ink. The digi papers print great. It only scans and prints 8/12 by 11 though.
Hope this is helpful!
After all my research I'm leaning toward the pro 10 but here are concerns I still have- I'm new to art as well as printers. I plan to do collage and mixed media. I have collected a large collection of ephemera,boxes of ripped out collage material,and lots of art magazines as well as books with different picture topics for collage. I also have a vast collection of 12x12 and other patterned papers and anticipate a lot of copying from these materials for reference as well as collage. I'm sure I'll do a lot of image transfers too. Not sure how much photos I'll do. So my question is will I be wasting precious pigment ink expense copying these supplies as well my art projects? Should I consider getting a basic 8 1/2"x 11" dye ink printer as well? I'd rather not cause of space and money concerns since I'm leaning towards pro 10 (which I've heard clogs less then Epson). Also worried about the frequency of use issues for both brands. How often do you need to use to avoid clogging ? Any feedback to my various concerns greatly appreciated!
I've not had any issues with nozzles, but my 9000 Pro Mark II, takes dye ink. I've gone 2-3 weeks, vacation, without printer issues. The Pros are heavy duty machines, I think mine weighs 60#, not your plastic printer for sure. I refill my own cartiages, never an issue and much cheaper than even off brand alternatives. I buy refill supplies from Precision Colors. It's strictly a photo printer, and is used by artists and print businesses. The Pros are expensive, and you may want to research cheaper alternatives first. We used ours for business purposes. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Well I checked out the MG7520 and found out it has two black ink cartridges, one pigment and the other dye,(probably why it works for those digie things you mentioned)but all the colored inks are dye based.So back to the research for me unless I hear future feedback from this thread. Right now I'm hesitant to buy those expensive pro printers as I'm new to art as well as printers. The pros seem to all be about photography and I'm more interested in layering with wet media,image transfers,and collage, which require pigment ink. Does anybody who does this type of art have any feedback? Thanks for all replies thus far as each has helped me get clearer about what I need! Also geeks at Best Buy,Frys,and Staples are clueless about printers for artists-any recommendations for more art oriented geeks?
Well I checked out the MG7520 and found out it has two black ink cartridges, one pigment and the other dye,(probably why it works for those digie things you mentioned)but all the colored inks are dye based.So back to the research for me unless I hear future feedback from this thread. Right now I'm hesitant to buy those expensive pro printers as I'm new to art as well as printers. The pros seem to all be about photography and I'm more interested in layering with wet media,image transfers,and collage, which require pigment ink. Does anybody who does this type of art have any feedback? Thanks for all replies thus far as each has helped me get clearer about what I need! Also geeks at Best Buy,Frys,and Staples are clueless about printers for artists-any recommendations for more art oriented geeks?
That's a good plan. There are great printers out there that are reasonably priced. I love my cheap Epson WF-3540 that uses pigment ink. It handles 140# media, but is limited to legal size or less paper. It prints beautiful graphics with only four cartridges. Don't judge a printer by its price. Manufacturers sell great printers at great prices, because they make their money on ink. Personally I'm a fan of Epson printers. Again, I refill my own cartridges. I used cis ink systems for years, but just don't use the system any longer. I just don't feel the need, since I no longer use tons of ink. Good luck, I know you'll make a good decision.
Well I checked out the MG7520 and found out it has two black ink cartridges, one pigment and the other dye,(probably why it works for those digie things you mentioned)but all the colored inks are dye based.So back to the research for me unless I hear future feedback from this thread. Right now I'm hesitant to buy those expensive pro printers as I'm new to art as well as printers. The pros seem to all be about photography and I'm more interested in layering with wet media,image transfers,and collage, which require pigment ink. Does anybody who does this type of art have any feedback? Thanks for all replies thus far as each has helped me get clearer about what I need! Also geeks at Best Buy,Frys,and Staples are clueless about printers for artists-any recommendations for more art oriented geeks?
You can find out about almost anything on the internet. Do some google searches for printers for art mediums, etc. and see what you come up with.
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
Well I checked out the MG7520 and found out it has two black ink cartridges, one pigment and the other dye,(probably why it works for those digie things you mentioned)but all the colored inks are dye based.So back to the research for me unless I hear future feedback from this thread. Right now I'm hesitant to buy those expensive pro printers as I'm new to art as well as printers. The pros seem to all be about photography and I'm more interested in layering with wet media,image transfers,and collage, which require pigment ink. Does anybody who does this type of art have any feedback? Thanks for all replies thus far as each has helped me get clearer about what I need! Also geeks at Best Buy,Frys,and Staples are clueless about printers for artists-any recommendations for more art oriented geeks?
You can buy pigment ink cartridges (or a CISS like I use) for most Canon printers. There are a lot of sellers on Ebay that sell it - I buy my inks off Ebay all the time and haven't had any problems.
My last printer was the Canon Pixma MX350, and it lasted about 3 years. It was useful since I could use it as a fax machine, a photocopier, a scanner and a printer. Finally the rollers that suck the paper in to print on quit. The ink never leaked with my alcohol (Copic) markers.
They don't make that model anymore, so I got the Canon Pixma 532, on sale at Staples in December, it was under $100. The ink does not leak and it had all the capabilities of the old one, but I found the printed images weren't great, and I use a lot of digi papers, and the resolution wasn't good enough for that, so I returned it.
I got the Canon Pixma MG7520, at London Drugs. It does not have faxing capabilities nor does it have a document feed scanner (i.e. so you can scan multiple page documents easily), but I have an old HP that I can use for that. The black line images are good, no leaking. This one has both Pigment ink and die ink. The digi papers print great. It only scans and prints 8/12 by 11 though.
Hope this is helpful!
I am leaning towards this unit. I cannot tell where the cardstock feeds and can you tell me about what the ink cartridges run?
Thanks!
Hi Amber,
I am in Canada, so the pricing may be higher than in the US. At London drugs, the Printer cost $180, the 2 yr warranty was $25, and the refill inks (regular size) were $19, and the refill in of the large capacity pigment black was $23. It hooked up to our wireless network really easily, I can sent stuff from my iPhone to it to print, and it prints double sided. No complaints so far!
Thank you Kristina. Can you tell me where the paper goes in? Does it feed from back and go straight thru? I want to print digi on cardstock. Not sure why I want another printer because the one I use for my business is a color laser and it will print on cardstock just a page at a time. I'm just thinking it would be nice to have one to use in my stamp room.
Blessings
There are two papers trays, below on the bottom of the unit that feed from the front. One only fits small A4 and picture size paper, the other fits 8 1/2 by 11. I do not think it will feed legal or larger paper.
Thanks Kristina! I qm going to give this,printer a shot. I do not need anything larger than 8,5 x 11. I sincerely appreciate your assistance.
Blessings.
Quick question on the Canon Pixma MG7520. Is it light enough to take to crops? Or is it really heavy and bulky? I'm looking for a printer that I could take to a crop and print pictures if I need to.
Quick question on the Canon Pixma MG7520. Is it light enough to take to crops? Or is it really heavy and bulky? I'm looking for a printer that I could take to a crop and print pictures if I need to.
Be careful, you risk damaging your printer. It's never a good idea to transport a printer unless absolutely necessary. Printers, except for mobile printers, should be moved or transported flat (avoid tilting).
Printers....
