Wize Blog

Printer for Laptop: Canon Pixma iP100

If you've ever thought about making prints with your laptop while you're on the run, there's a new 4.4-pound portable printer from Canon that might be just the device you need. The Canon Pixma iP100 has a slew of features that will give you picture perfect photos at high resolutions on the spot.

The device has a 5-color ink system that can print out photo-lab quality photos (4"x6" borderless print) in 50 seconds. That's faster than previous models of the printer. For about $50, you can get a bluetooth adapter (Canon BU-30) to print your photos wirelessly. The printer is PictBridge compatible, which means you can also print directly from your digital camera with a USB cord connection from your camera to the iP100.

Cost of Printing

Just about everyone knows that its not the printers that cost so much money, it's the accessories such as ink cartridges and paper. The iP100 itself is not all that expensive. It costs $250 when you buy it at the Canon web site, but you can get it for $175 at newegg.com. The printer takes two ink cartridges--color and black. Color ink (CLI-36) is $17 and black (PGI-35) is $12, or nearly $30 a pop for ink. The printer has a compartment for a rechargeable battery, but the battery is extra. It's $100.

The printer and accessories are probably worth the price as the printer gets high ratings. Newegg.com gave it a 5/5. CNET rated it a 8/10, saying that the device has the "highest resolution available in the mobile printer market." PCmag notes that the printer is fast, but you don't get much bang for your buck with regard to how many copies you get per ink cartridge.

HP Photosmart Pro B8850 Reviewed

Popphoto.com has reviewed the HP Photosmart Pro and finds it less expensive than some similar models put out by Epson (the Epson Stylus Photo R2400) and other models put out by HP (like the Photosmart Pro B9180).

 

Yes, the B8850 is cheaper, but it also does not handle as thick paper as does the B9180.

 

The printer can print as small as 3.5x5 and as large as 13x19.

 

The B8850 needs 8 ink cartridges but you don’t have to switch out when you change from photo paper to matte paper like you have to on the 2400.

 

The reviewer, Andrew Darlow, really liked how black-and-white photographs turned out. “The black-and-white prints we made had a very even tonal range and deep shadows (especially on watercolor and fiber gloss papers),” he said.

 

The eight cartridges can print out up to 80 13x19 prints.

 

For more information about this printer go here.

 

 

Kodak Offering Printers with One-Year Ink Supply

It usually costs 28 cents to print out a photo on a color printer; but with Kodak's new offering it's 10 cents.

Kodak is giving a one-year supply of ink when you buy a EasyShare 5100 or 5300 printer (The Kodak EasyShare 5500 is reviewed at wize.com and received an 89 rating). A one-year supply of ink, according to Kodak's Web site, is four black ink cartridges and three color cartridges.

The Kodak 5100 is an all-in-one printer that can print lab-quality borderless photos in less than 28 seconds. The printer and ink bundle costs $160.

The Kodak 5300 is an all-in-one printer with all 5100 functionality plus a 3-inch LCD screen and printing from most memory cards. The printer and ink bundle for this machine costs  $200. 

Thrermal Printer Highest Rated at Wize.com

The Sony DPP-FP90 thermal printer is featured on the homepage of wize.com with a 99 rating.

Thermal printers are different than ink (dot matrix) printers and laser printers. The DPP-FP90 prints using dye sublimation, a process where dye is heated and transferred to paper.

One review at wize.com stated: "the printer printed crystal clear photos and is worth the price for great prints." Indeed, this is probably why prints from the printer have been referred to as "lab quality."

Thermal Printers

Wize.com rates the Sony DPP-FP90 thermal printer at 98, or an excellent buy.

A thermal printer prints; by melting a coating of ribbon so that it stays glued to the paper you feed into it. 

You won't need ink cartridges for this one, but, instead, you'll need thermal printer ribbons.

This Sony printer, at 2.6 lbs, is designed to be taken on the road.  You can print directly from what's contained on the memory card from your camera by inserting it into the printer. The printer is compatible with 17 media formats, including SD, Memory Stick, Compact Flash, and xD Cards. It also has a USB port so that you can print from your laptop.

The photos end up being 37 cents each--pricy, but, surprisingly, they are waterproof.

Epson Online Store Sale

Received an email that Epson's having a great sale at its online store.

The specials offer deeply discounted shipping and big rebates.

Here's a sample of what's being offered:

Epson Stylus Photo RX620 Just insert any memory card, or connect your camera or external CD-R drive directly to this all-in-one. After Rebate(s): $129.99 Free Ground Shipping; $70 Instant Rebate; FREE StoryTeller Photo Book with purchase of this printer

Epson Stylus Photo RX595 Ultra Hi-Definition all-in-one. Scan, view, edit, print and copy photos PC-free. Restore faded photos and print directly on CDs/DVDs. After Rebate(s): $99.99; 50% Off 2-Day or Overnight Shipping; $50 in rebates; FREE StoryTeller Photo Book with purchase of this printer

Epson Stylus Photo R800 After Rebate(s): $359.00 Print brilliant archival quality glossy and matte photos. Professional results everytime - no matter what paper you use. Free Ground Shipping; 50% Off 2-Day or Overnight Shipping; $40 Instant Rebate; FREE StoryTeller Photo Book with purchase of this printer