Printer issues?

Can someone give me the lowdown on OKC versus HP when it comes to color lasers? Also, where can I find the best deals? One more thing—I saw an OKC A4 model that supposedly handles larger paper sizes than standard A4. Did I get that right? Thanks in advance for the help.

It can go up to 1200 mm x 215 mm

Hey everyone, I was hoping to get some advice on finding a good color laser printer with a built-in scanner for my home setup. I'm definitely looking for something compact—nothing that takes up half the living room like a massive industrial machine! My usage is pretty light, maybe just two or three times a month, and I mostly just print in black and white. That said, I’d still love to have color capabilities just in case something comes up, though I'm wondering if there's a huge price gap between the monochrome models and the ones that can handle color? Thanks for the help!

Jack Alvarez said:Hey there—I'm looking for some recommendations for a color laser printer with a scanner for home use. Ideally, I don't want something the size of a compact car, and I'd probably only use it about twice a month. It would mostly be black and white, but I'd like color capabilities just in case—unless there’s a massive price jump compared to monochrome? Thanks.

Do you have any specific dimensions in mind (maximum width, depth, or height)?

Look, honestly, just forget about those HP models where you grab a decent printer for maybe $300, but then the toner costs a fortune at $100 a pop 😲—I mean, if you need four colors, you’re looking at $400 right there 🐔! I'm really hunting for something with an Allinona ink setup if possible, specifically something that can handle printing directly onto printable CDs or DVDs. Ideally, I'd love an HP since I used to have an Epson, and man, that thing was a nightmare because it wouldn't even print basic black text if just one of its six colors ran dry 👎. I remember having an old HP back in the day with maybe four cartridges, and it would still let me print even if only the black ink was left. It doesn't strictly have to be an HP, as long as it meets that requirement of being able to print using just the black cartridge. My plan is to run a quick rainbow test print once a week just to make sure the print head doesn't dry out or get baked shut or whatever happens. Print quality is definitely important to me, though I won't be printing photos on glossy paper very often; mostly, I'll just be scanning and copying documents or plain text. Thanks!
Edit: What are your thoughts on http://www.canon.de/printers/inkjet/pixma/pixma_mx925/? Does this one allow for printing with just the black ink??

🤷 I’ve got a Canon MG5550, and if even one color runs out, the whole thing just stops working...

So, I just found out that this one actually uses two different types of black ink. It’s got that standard pigment black specifically for those crisp black-and-white documents, but then it also utilizes a photo black which it mixes with the cyan, magenta, and yellow to get those rich colors when you're printing photos!!

Just like everyone else here, I’m looking for some advice and solid recommendations 🙂
My old http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/suppor...s/pixma_ip3300 finally bit the dust, so I'm hunting for a similar replacement. Honestly, I don't care if it's a laser or an inkjet—I just want whatever is more cost-effective in the long run.

The main thing is that it needs to handle both black and color printing without losing any resolution compared to my old one. It would be ideal if it uses individual ink tanks/cartridges, since I tend to burn through black much faster than the colors. Size-wise, I'm a bit limited—it needs to be roughly 12 inches wide, maybe 16-18 inches deep, and about 12 inches high. I assume that's going to be the biggest hurdle. Budget-wise, I can go up to $333, but I really don't want to buy some cheap piece of junk that dies the second the warranty expires. If you know of models with affordable third-party cartridges, that’s a huge plus; otherwise, I'll just do my own digging on the official refill costs.

As for photo printing on glossy paper? I could totally live without that feature. My old printer did it beautifully, but I won't be going overboard with it 😁.
It's hard to pin down exactly how much I print each month—some weeks it's nothing at all, and other times I'll find myself cranking out 500 pages a day for a few days straight. My plan is to print something at least every two weeks just to keep things moving; the print head on my old machine actually died after six years of use because it sat idle too long.

Do you guys have any suggestions? 🙂

I made the jump from the IP4000 to the IP7250, and honestly, I’m pretty happy with the switch. You can actually find my previous post on this thread from July 28th where I argued almost the exact same point you're making now. 😁
The only thing is, this beast of a printer is massive, so make sure you check the dimensions to see if it'll even fit in your space.

Hey everyone!

Not sure where this fits best, so I figured I'd just drop it here. Seems like the right spot.

Got a brand new HP LaserJet Pro 400 color M451dn network printer sitting here. Picked it up just two weeks ago.
The issue is that it won't print anything from Microsoft Word.
It'll print anything from Excel or PDFs, even stuff straight from my phone, but for some reason, Microsoft Word is just dead to it.

It's spitting out a test page, the printer is set as the default, and there isn't even a single document sitting in the queue waiting to print.

Can someone give me a hand here or point me in the right direction? I need some help.

Thanks a million!

Based on how you described it, this sounds like a classic Microsoft Word settings issue. You really need to dig through all the configuration options to see what's causing this behavior.

One potential fix could be this:

"Open Microsoft Word 2010, go into options, hit advanced, then scroll down to the "When printing this document" section and uncheck
"Print only the data from a form," then click OK. This fixed the issue for me, and now Word 2010 documents now Print on my HP LaserJet Pro 400 M451dn."

That's what I dug up on an HP forum. It’s possible your settings are stuck on printing just form data, which makes the software think the actual text shouldn't be printed at all...

Aside from doing a deep dive into those settings, which I already mentioned, I don't have much else to suggest...

Thanks!

Now saved files are printing just fine, but anything I'm working on live without hitting save is still a no-go.

Gonna go poke around the HP forums; had no clue they even existed.

Later!

Casey Bennett said:I actually made the switch from an ip4000 to the Canon ip7250 myself. Honestly? I'm pretty happy with it. If you look back at my post in this thread from July 28th, I wrote almost the exact same thing as you 😁
The only catch is that this machine is a total beast—you might want to double-check the dimensions to make sure it actually fits your setup.

On paper, the specs look solid, but man, those dimensions are massive. I honestly don't have a spot for it.😢
Why does it feel like manufacturers are always making things bigger instead of trying to save desk space? It's frustrating...

Alright, so I'm still hunting for that specific printer I mentioned in my first post—it just needs to be something I can actually fit on my desk.🙂

I'm looking at everything right now, and besides that Canon mentioned earlier and this http://www.nabava.net/pisaci__110/ca...et-a4__5963621, there isn't much else listed here $333.
Is any of this actually decent for what I need? It honestly feels a bit unreliable to me
.
Are these cheaper Epson printers—the ones under $1,000—actually worth it? I was reading through some threads on the forum about how they tend to have issues with third-party ink... did I get that right? Does an Epson practically require original ink to work properly?

Or should I just be hunting for an all-in-one? Is it even worth looking at anything under $333 if I want to prioritize quality or durability...?

It’s not $333 some magical dividing line, and budget printers can be perfectly fine, but Epson just doesn't have many models in that specific price range here in the States. If you need an all-in-one, go for it—but we all know the rule: fewer moving parts means fewer things to break. 😬

Yeah, the size constraints are a pain, but that's just the reality of it. There isn't much we can do about that part...

There are plenty of options out there. I've used both Epson and Canon, and you can always find cheap compatible ink for either; you just have to do a little homework on user reviews so you don't get burned. Personally, I've had great luck using Epson ink for both my Epson and Canon machines.

This little guy you linked is... well, he's not built for heavy printing, and you'll probably go broke just buying ink. It's a total hassle that it uses a single cartridge for the CMY colors; once one runs dry (and it's always one specific color that dies first 😬), you're stuck tossing the rest of them...

Honestly, I'm at a loss for what to suggest when your space is that limited. You're basically forced to hunt through models one by one and check the dimensions. There's no shortcut...

EDIT:

I just stumbled upon this one:

I'm not sure where else to find it besides Amazon (though I assume Canon USA should carry it), but the dimensions are 145x390x300 mm. It uses individual ink tanks and even supports a CISS setup.

http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/print...-xp-422-review

Look, Epson actually makes some pretty decent printers. Personally, I’ve got a lineup consisting of an Epson, an HP, and a Canon.

My Epson is an L310 with a CISS setup, and honestly? It’s an absolute beast. If I remember correctly, a single ink bottle costs about $20, and it'll churn out thousands of pages. That might be an older model, though. They also have the L130 which is a bit cheaper, or maybe the L265 or something similar that comes with WiFi.

There are a few newer office models listed here.

As for HP, I’m running a CB 3005DN laser printer. It’s an older model, but the toner runs me about $100 and lasts for roughly 15,000 prints.

Then there’s my Xerox Phaser 3010. When I originally picked it up, the printer cost $117. I just grab replacement cartridges from AliExpress for $13—you get two in a pack, and they each yield about 5,000 pages with excellent print quality.

Lastly, I have a Canon ip2700. It’s a solid little machine that went for about $100. The ink is around $100 too, though I haven't even finished a single cartridge yet, so I can't say for sure how long it actually lasts.

I don't print much at all, so which of these would be the least headache when it comes to hunting down compatible toner cartridges and dealing with random software bugs? 🤔

A lot of this comes down to where you decide to pick up your replacements. Check with a local shop or wherever you usually grab your supplies to see what kind of toner they actually stock. If you're trying to save money on the toner itself, paying extra for shipping is definitely not going to help your cause.

I'm pretty happy with my MG setup in terms of the actual printer and print quality, but I use a CISS, so I'm really not part of this conversation.😬

I finally bit the bullet and grabbed a Brother laser printer for $133, so I should be set for at least a decade without any headaches😁

Honestly, my old HP was such a half-baked product; between the buggy drivers and those ridiculous ink prices, it practically bled me dry 😠

👍 That was definitely your smartest move yet...