Photo printer cartridges

[Stephen Tashiro]

The one advantage that HP has, is that the print head is in the cartridge...so each time you change the cartridge its like having a new printer.

That is true of many HP printers, but not all of them. For example, my OfficeJet 7000 doesn't have the print head built into the cartridges.

[Bryan Morgan]

That is true of many HP printers, but not all of them. For example, my OfficeJet 7000 doesn't have the print head built into the cartridges.

Canons have the print heads as a separate replaceable units. The small Epsons I've seen have the print heads permanently attached to the carriage and are not user replaceable.

[Jerome Hanby]

I've had pretty good luck having them refilled at Walgreens. They "test" the cartridge before refilling it. They've rejected several of mine, but the ones they filled have worked...

[Rick Potter]

I don't know the number, but the photo printer she has at work is a HP, about the size of a toaster. It only prints photos.

I also know that the two or three year old one takes a different cartridge than the identical appearing new one. I guess that's progress.

Rick Potter

[Myk Rian]

I gave up on inkjet printers and bought a laser.

[Nancy Laird]

I had to buy a new printer recently, and I was able to compare Kodak and HP side-by-side in the store, on the same photo. The HP was head and shoulders above the Kodak in quality. Yes, the cartridges cost more, but the quality difference was worth it to me.

I've also gone the Walgreens-refill route, and I've been disappointed. Every time you get a cartridge refilled, the quality of the printing goes down, and the quantity of printed items goes down as well. Walgreens just can't fill the cartridges as full as they are when new, and they also leak and get ink all over the place. Don't do it!!

[Matt Meiser]

That sounds like the little photo printer we had. We replaced that and an older all-in-one with a Kodak. For B&W, laser is definitely the way to go. I payed $50 for the laser I've got in my shop--a little Brother one. My work printer is a Brother all-in-one with a feeder on the scanner and duplex printing capable. I really like it.

[Curt Harms]

That is true of many HP printers, but not all of them. For example, my OfficeJet 7000 doesn't have the print head built into the cartridges.

Right. The PhotoSmart 7400 series doesn't use printheads-in-the-cartridge either. Perhaps the 6 colors makes integral printheads impractical. I suspect that only the printers that use 2 cartridges have built-in nozzles. One thing with color inkjets--print something that uses all the colors at least once every couple weeks. Otherwise it's plugged nozzle time.

[Bryan Morgan]

I gave up on inkjet printers and bought a laser.

There are some nice relatively inexpensive lasers that print decent photos even without a RIP in front of them. The color toner is a bit more expensive but then they also last longer than inkjet. Cost per copy is significantly less with laser once you get past the initial purchase expense. I still think Walgreens or whoever printing out actual photos is the way to go for low volume. Better quality, better longevity, arguably less expensive over time.

[Johnny Kleso]

I refill my own... Not sure if you can do yours but check www.inksupply.com
Use gloves and bleach to remove any ink you get on your hands..

[Bob Rufener]

I used to print my own pics but found it wasn't very cost effective and it took a lot of time to print. I started sending pics to Walgreens (and there are others out there that are just as good) and it cost less than $.20 per pic. We just picked up over 120 pictures from a recent trip and it cost $.10 per pic. I can't print for that price. It may be something to consider even though it isn't always convenient. Pics are done in a few hours too.

[Johnny Kleso]

If you buy OEM ink the cost is something like $5,000 a gal. I read someplace..

Bulk ink and refilling is the way to go if you want to print larger format pics IMHO