Printer issues?

So, what about a decent standalone printer if I've only got about $50 to $60 to spend?
I'm looking at picking something up for around $167...

To be honest, I’ve hardly ever come across a standalone printer that actually works; I don't know if they just don't exist or if I've just been looking in all the wrong places 😬

😁

Say I have THIS one, for example, but everything just ends up going over $333 budget... so I don't know...

Don't even go there. Just grab an all-in-one from Epson. The third-party ink is dirt cheap. As for the scanner, it’ll do the job—you haven't really said what you need the scans for. If you aren't doing high-end professional work, they'll be just fine enough...

Look, it's just family photos. I just want to preserve them before they fade away into nothingness... quality scanning is the main thing, but like you said, they should be delivered soon enough...

Epson over THIS
Canon?

Edit:

What do you think about these deals on Amazon?
The warranty should still hold up here in the US, right?

EPSON W3620DWF

EPSON XP-610

EPSON V37

I’m looking for some help here—not really sure which subforum this belongs in... but I’m in a bit of a bind.

I’ve got a relatively new HP 1515—only about seven months old—and we mostly use it for work stuff. We just swapped out the cartridges for the first time (using original Ink Advantage), but now it won't print in color.
The scanner works perfectly fine, and when I run a test page, the colors show up just fine... so everything seems okay during the diagnostic tests. And don't worry, I definitely have the settings toggled to "Color" mode!
...I'm honestly at my wit's end. I need to get some contracts printed out urgently, complete with original signatures and seals... 😠 Does anyone have any ideas?? Black ink is printing perfectly fine.
I've already tried running the alignment and cleaning cycles a few times... nothing has changed. 😢

@ Karen Watson60:

I'm not sure what else to tell you, other than maybe try using the HP support tool:

http://support.hp.com/us-en/product/.../model/3422467

If you're certain the settings are set to color and the file itself is in color... By the way, how are you scanning? Black and white or color?

@Samuel Peterson41/">@@Samuel Peterson41:

I usually lean toward Epson over Canon, though I can't quite put my finger on why. There's something about the build quality or the print heads... something there for sure. I didn't really know much about it myself, so I just picked up a Canon MG5550 (which works great for me—I even installed a CISS on it), but then someone mentioned that specific detail about Canon later on.

Amazon, yeah, people order stuff and actually get it; I haven't heard of any major issues with them. When they ship to the US, they have to provide a warranty (they should), but you can easily check that. Just keep in mind that anything you order from Amazon (just like any other foreign online store) won't come localized for the US...

darkowl72 said:@Samuel Peterson41/">@@Samuel Peterson41:

I used to lean toward Epson over Canon, but I can't quite put my finger on why. Something about how they're built or maybe the print heads... there’s definitely a reason. Honestly, I didn't know much either, so I just grabbed a Canon MG5550. It's been awesome for me—even rigged up a CISS on it—but then someone brought up those specific points about Canon later on...

Amazon, yeah, people order stuff all the time and get it without issues. I haven't heard any horror stories. When they ship to the States, they still have to honor the warranty (supposedly), but you can easily look that up. Just keep in mind that anything you grab from Amazon (or basically any foreign retailer) isn't going to come localized for the US...

But shouldn't US service centers have to accept the warranty since we're part of the same system?

And regarding those printers from Amazon, there aren't many third-party ink options available locally. Is there some big US-based shop for compatible inks that actually makes sense to order from?

You can find the ink on eBay. As for warranty and repairs, you’ll need to double-check things, because there isn't much anyone can do to stop Amazon from selling stuff globally—it just depends on whether the manufacturer decides to play ball with their own policies. Your best bet is to ask an authorized service center here.

The thing is, some manufacturers are incredibly strict about their distribution channels. They use them to control everything from sales and spare parts to servicing and their overall market presence. If they didn't specifically earmark a certain model for the US market, IT'S POSSIBLE that you won't find any technical support (because the local techs weren't trained on it) or even basic spare parts. Some companies are rigid about this, while others are flexible enough to offer worldwide warranties. You really have to ask about the specific case...

Look, nobody is stopping you from buying a Lamborghini Huracan if you've got the cash, but you sure as hell aren't going to get it serviced in a small town in the Midwest... 😬 It would be great if our locals actually knew how to change a tire...

😁

I mean, I’m asking because the price on that Epson scanner is just straight-up ridiculous...

As for the ink, I know there's stuff on eBay, but honestly, I have no clue which ones actually work and which ones are just total garbage...

Anyway, thanks a ton for all the advice. I need to sit and think about this. Maybe grab a scanner from Amazon and a separate inkjet, or go with that Epson multi-function you mentioned. I would've jumped on the multi-function immediately, but man, once I saw the price tag on a scanner like that...

🙂

Edit:

So I gave the Repair Shop (Epson) a call. They told me it shouldn't be an issue if the warranty is at a global or US level. But if it's locked down specifically to just one region, then we're out of luck. Makes sense, I guess. I get the feeling they probably carry worldwide warranties since they seem to sell way more outside their home base than locally, but who knows...

Samuel Peterson41 said:😁

As for ink, I know there’s stuff on eBay, but honestly, I have no clue which ones actually work and which ones are straight-up garbage.

I gave the Repair Shop (Epson) a call....

....since they seem to ship way more internationally than they do within the States—at least, that's my impression...

Just look for a reliable seller, someone who actually handles returns and has high feedback (95%+).

If they can't give you a straight answer about the warranty on items from Amazon, then they aren't worth your time (IMHO)...

I'm not so sure about that. Not everything at their place is a deal, either. For a lot of gear, the price difference is so small it's not even worth the risk. Plus, they're a bit of a drive from a major hub like Chicago. 😬 And I haven't noticed any of our local shops going out of business just because Amazon showed up. :zubo:

darkowl72 said:Look for a reliable seller, someone who actually handles returns and has high feedback ratings—anything over 95% should be the goal.

If they can't give you a straight answer about what kind of warranty comes with stuff from Amazon, then they aren't serious... IMHO...

I'm not so sure about that. Not everything there is even worth it; for a lot of gear, the price difference is so tiny it’s hardly worth the risk. Plus, they're a bit further away than our local shops here in New York. 😬 And honestly, I haven't noticed any of our local stores going out of business just because Amazon exists. .zubo:

Yeah, I know you gotta find a solid seller, but still... you can't really tell if the ink quality is gonna be any good...

Alright, look, I didn't mean they only sell to us. Other countries order from there too, which is what I was getting at. And obviously, it’s not always a steal, but come on, plenty of smartphones are worth grabbing from there...

Same thing with that scanner I mentioned—it's half the price compared to what we pay here.

So, if I end up pulling the trigger on that scanner, I'd probably go with a Canon inkjet. I saw that Industrial Manufacturing makes inks for them... anyone know if their stuff is actually any good?

The guy who asked the question is at fault here... 😬

I honestly get a rash just hearing that "brand" mentioned...

And yet, apparently, some people think it's perfectly fine...

hahahahahaha

I mean, I’m no expert by any means, but hey... who knows? Maybe they actually know what they're doing for once... 😵

So, I’m running an HP Laptop with Windows 8 and using an HP printer. I went ahead and installed the official drivers, even though the standard Windows 8 ones seemed to work fine at first glance. But here's the kicker: it just won't print anything in color. It’s like the color option doesn't even exist anymore. The weird thing is, when I plug the printer into my desktop—which is also running Windows 8—everything works perfectly. Same document, same printer, same ink levels, and the exact same settings... it's all identical, yet the laptop is stuck in black and white while the desktop handles color without breaking a sweat🙂.
Anyone have a clue what else I should be digging into?
Thanks

Given all the data you just dumped on me, I’ve got one suggestion: double-check your print settings and make sure "print as grayscale" isn't checked by mistake. Also, obviously, try using a different USB cable just to rule out a faulty connection...

I didn't want to dump a mountain of info here and make this post way too long to read. When I hook it up to my desktop, I just use the exact same USB cable. All my printing settings stay perfectly synced between my PC and my laptop.

darkowl72 said:I used to prefer Epson over Canon, though I can't quite put my finger on why. It’s something about the build quality or the print heads... definitely something there. Honestly, I didn't know better at the time, so I just picked up a Canon MG5550 (works great for me, especially since I added a CISS), but then someone mentioned those specific issues with Canon later on...

Where'd you get the CISS for it?

From what I've read, those Canons (MG5550, 5650, 6650) have issues with the paper tray and feeding. It grabs the first sheet but pushes the others out of alignment, so when it tries to grab the second page, it misses and just blinks an error like there's no paper left. You basically have to babysit the thing and keep nudging the paper in. Pretty sure there's another glitch too, but I forget... Most people seem okay with it, though.

The Epson XP-225 isn't much better. Apparently, the Wi-Fi is a nightmare and the setup process is endless—you have to follow the manual perfectly or it fails, forcing you to restart ten times. There's a refillable tank system available for it...

That paper issue has happened twice now. If it keeps up, I won't sweat it, but there's something else going on... It's not a software bug; it feels more like a hardware design flaw with the print heads, though I can't quite put my finger on it...

I picked up a CISS on eBay for a steal and it works like a charm. Just a heads-up: don't bother if you have thin skin, because I literally had to gut the printer (and void the warranty, obviously) just to get it installed. These big-name manufacturers pack these machines with a ton of useless plastic that serves zero purpose—it’s not structural, it’s not aesthetic, it just exists to block you from installing a CISS. I actually had to grab a soldering iron and some pliers to rip out a chunk of internal plastic just to clear a path for the ribbon cable. You can't even see the damage from the outside, but man, the operation was a success, even if I did break a sweat doing it...

Jonathan Wood5 said:I didn't want to dump too much info here and make this post massive. I use the exact same USB cable when I hook it up to my desktop. All the print settings are identical on both the PC and the laptop.

If that's the case, common sense dictates the issue has to be a bad driver installation. I don't mean you messed up the setup; sometimes things just don't seat right during install. Try reinstalling, but make sure you do a full wipe of everything first...