Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So my printers keep ending up being money pits.
I only print once in a blue moon, maybe every other month or so.
What i find happening is that the ink dries out and then when i replace it the printer head has dry ink and it never works right again.
If im buying a new printer id like one that can print banners and signs for games.
Price point is not much, maybe around 100, 150.

Any recommendations?

If you print that rarely, do you need one? 100-150 will get you a lot of trips to and office/copy place of your choice.

Another thought is do you need color? A low end laser printer has a MUCH lower cost per page, and won’t dry out like inks do.

I went to a Brother Laserjet for my non-color printing needs (like 99%). Cartidges last forever and don't dry out.

To heck with inkjet printers.

I thought about price on my way to office depot tonight and sometimes the convenience of printing at home is just worth it.
Laserjet is unavailable in color or just a lot more expensive?

what you want is a multi laser printer/scanner/fax(is that even relevant?), I currently have canon MG6220 and love it, no more smudge ink due to long time in between prints.

I use a colour laser printer at home.

Cost me a couple of hundred. And a couple of hundred for new toner carts when I need them.

My previous printers were inkjets. They all uniformly shat themselves then died. So I upgraded. I can do decals and transparencies and not have to worry about waterfastness.

I got a 2nd hand colour laser from a mate for £50.
It has cost ~£130 for the toner since, but that will last for years.
And they will, last for years. Toner does not dry out.

Thanks guys.
I looked in to it some and it from what im reading it looks like the only bad thing about lasers is that it says they don't print pictures that well.
Are they talking about professional grade pictures?
Could i print a picture for something like a school report or a picture for games with no problems?

I have some posters for scenery to print off later. I'll try them and see how they come out.

People still buy printers? I haven’t printed a thing for myself in months, and when I need to I just use work’s printers or worst case go to the library. If I need to print a picture I go to a printing place as they’ll do it cheaper than the cost and upkeep of a decent printer for home.

Lots of printing is last-minute stuff. The library near me opens 2 hours a day, and not when I need it.
Printing places are not really a thing here either.

A neighbour called a while ago, asking to get 400 pages of an example for a job application, at 8pm the day before. Job done, happy neighbour.
Not everyone needs a printer, if you know who does.

And, whoops. I forgot to test the print quality on mine.

Colour laser printers struggle with image quality if you're trying to print photo-quality images. They're fine for printing non photo-realistic colour images like presentations, clip art etc.

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
People still buy printers? I haven’t printed a thing for myself in months

I own a laser printer. I use it for printing amazon return labels, but mostly, my wife uses it to print coupons and recipes she doesn't make or use, and lets accumulate into a thick sheaf onto the printer.

You gotta pick your battles in marriage

 Ouze wrote:

AllSeeingSkink wrote:
People still buy printers? I haven’t printed a thing for myself in months

I own a laser printer. I use it for printing amazon return labels, but mostly, my wife uses it to print coupons and recipes she doesn't make or use, and lets accumulate into a thick sheaf onto the printer.

You gotta pick your battles in marriage

lol...

If I could give bit of advice, get an HP printer and sign up for instant ink, works out so very much cheaper than almost every option

I'm going to lock this due to some thread necromancy and botting going on here.