printer/scanner combo

I have an older all-in-one so this might not apply, but check into it.

Most all-in-ones use wheels to pull the photo into them -- like a fax
or the feeder on a photocopier. This is really designed for 8-1/2x11
size, so if you are scanning a 4x6, it doesn't feed well. You
compensate for it by putting the image inside of a carrier with a clear
piece of plastic over the image. It's not the best system in the
world. Okay for snapshots and 4x6s, but don't can your good stuff that
way. It also rules out scanning negatives and/or slides.

If the images are old and brittle, I would also hesitate to them
through the rollers. You might damage them.

Some all-in-ones have a flat bed and some of those even have page
feeders on them. That might be okay, if you are also using it as a fax
and copier.

If you need a fax and copier, it might be okay to use an all-in-one,
but get one with a flat bed. It isn't that they don't do anything
well, it is just there are compromises as to how they do it.
 >> Stay informed about: printer/scanner combo 

carolyn wrote:
> i have always been told that the all-in-ones do a lot but nothing
> well. my point is that the individual printers/scanners are
> dedicating
> themselves to doing one thing and that one thing the best possible.
> there is no way the all in ones can put the best of all in one unit
> and keep the price resonable.
>
> i have the epson 4870 and the epson 2200. i also have an hp
> all-in-one. my own test with my own equipment proves above for me.
> hope this helps and good luck to you,
> carolyn

When I was tempted by an all-in-one, a co-worker warned me off: his
worked good for quite a while, but when the scanner had to go to the
shop, his printer and fax machine went along for the ride, and he was
without all three for a week. Might not be important to some, but it
was to me.

On the other hand, none among my printer*, fax machine, and scanner
has ever had to go to the shop.

--
Frank ess

* Not that it hasn't required some tender, loving, and multiple,
cleaning cycles to render it capable of printing. Epson 750, good and
old.
 >> Stay informed about: printer/scanner combo 

Bolshoy Huy wrote:
> I am looking for a high quality printer/scanner combo.
> I've got lots of old black&white family photos that I am interested
> in scanning and retouching.
> I want to make large prints also; not poster size, but bigger than 4x6.
>
> Should I get seperate scanner & printer?

My feeling is that, when any part of the device goes wrong, you need ot replace the whole
thing.
>
> Popular Mechanics says the HP5440 is the best value for $80(no
> scanner).

I prefer HP printers. I now have an Officejet 4215, which cost $89 at Costco last year.
It includes a sheet scanner and a fax, and I've used them a few times. But it wouldn't
bother me if they stopped working.

> They say you should use the paper recommended by the printer
> manufacturer.

It is good advice. I've tried several brands of photo paper, and Kodak paper works well
on HP prnters, and costs less.
>
> Considering the costs of ink, paper, printout quality, is it better to
> make prints at a lab than at home?

I don't make a lot of prints, and I do it at home for convenience.

>
> The few prints I've made at the lab seem to have jegged edges and
> pixels on curves.
> I mean straight lines such as - _ L T come out fine, but Q O 8 \
> definitely look
> like that old Asteroids game, or the games on the Atari2600.

It shouldn't have happened, unless you had too few pixels per inch of the print. Some
labs do a better job than others.
 >> Stay informed about: printer/scanner combo 

Bolshoy Huy wrote:
> I am looking for a high quality printer/scanner combo.
> I've got lots of old black&white family photos that I am interested
> in scanning and retouching.
> I want to make large prints also; not poster size, but bigger than 4x6.
>
> Should I get seperate scanner & printer?

My feeling is that, when any part of the device goes wrong, you need ot replace the whole
thing.
>
> Popular Mechanics says the HP5440 is the best value for $80(no
> scanner).

I prefer HP printers. I now have an Officejet 4215, which cost $89 at Costco last year.
It includes a sheet scanner and a fax, and I've used them a few times. But it wouldn't
bother me if they stopped working.

> They say you should use the paper recommended by the printer
> manufacturer.

It is good advice. I've tried several brands of photo paper, and Kodak paper works well
on HP prnters, and costs less.
>
> Considering the costs of ink, paper, printout quality, is it better to
> make prints at a lab than at home?

I don't make a lot of prints, and I do it at home for convenience.

>
> The few prints I've made at the lab seem to have jegged edges and
> pixels on curves.
> I mean straight lines such as - _ L T come out fine, but Q O 8 \
> definitely look
> like that old Asteroids game, or the games on the Atari2600.

It shouldn't have happened, unless you had too few pixels per inch of the print. Some
labs do a better job than others.
 >> Stay informed about: printer/scanner combo 

Bolshoy Huy wrote:
> I am looking for a high quality printer/scanner combo.
> I've got lots of old black&white family photos that I am interested
> in scanning and retouching.
> I want to make large prints also; not poster size, but bigger than 4x6.
>
> Should I get seperate scanner & printer?
>
> Popular Mechanics says the HP5440 is the best value for $80(no
> scanner).
> They say you should use the paper recommended by the printer
> manufacturer.
>
> Considering the costs of ink, paper, printout quality, is it better to
> make prints at a lab than at home?
>
> The few prints I've made at the lab seem to have jegged edges and
> pixels on curves.
> I mean straight lines such as - _ L T come out fine, but Q O 8 \
> definitely look
> like that old Asteroids game, or the games on the Atari2600.

I would recommend getting separate components since you plan to scan
photos. I have a Canon MP780 and it has proven to be a great
multifunction unit but for scanning photos there are better choices and
they are stand alone scanners. Also, buying a dedicated scanner will
likely get you a better software bundle for retouching photos. The high
end Canon and Epson scanners appear to be worth consideration, IMO.
 >> Stay informed about: printer/scanner combo 

On Sun, 05 Feb 2006 14:52:36 -0500, Marvin <physchem.TakeThisOut@cloud9.net>
wrote:

>Bolshoy Huy wrote:
>> I am looking for a high quality printer/scanner combo.
>> I've got lots of old black&white family photos that I am interested
>> in scanning and retouching.
>> I want to make large prints also; not poster size, but bigger than 4x6.
>>
>> Should I get seperate scanner & printer?
>
>My feeling is that, when any part of the device goes wrong, you need ot replace the whole
>thing.
>>

This is a common observation about combo units, but it doesn't hold
water. Just before Christmas my Epson printer-only died right in the
middle of a project. I scooted down to Office Depot - the closest
store open that sold printers - and bought an Epson Stylus CX4800
printer/flat bed scanner combo unit.

Between the in-store rebate, the mail-in rebate, and the in-store gift
certificate, the net cost of the unit was almost nothing. The big
expense was that I had just purchased all new ink cartridges for my
previous Epson, and they don't work in the CX4800.

So, if one function of this unit goes, I'm really not out anything.

As far as function, the prints seem just a good as my previous Epson
produced, and I use the same type of 4-ink DuraBrite cartridges. This
unit does print faster than the old printer, but the difference is in
such a small amount of time that I don't really notice.

The flat bed scanner is not as good as my old flat bed Microtek 4800,
and the software is not nearly as good as Microtek's ScanMaster
software. However, I can "bump" the results in Photoshop and end up
about the same.

I do appreciate that I have one less mechanical contraption on my
desk. The printer and scanner now take up the space that my
printer-only took up, and the space that my scanner took up is now
free.

I still have the Microtek scanner in the closet, and if the CX4800
scanner function stops working I can haul out the Microtek.

If the printer function stops working, I'll be buying new technology
at the same price I'd pay today for current technology. I'd like to
be able to print on a CD or DVD, and my next printer will include that
feature.







--


Tony Cooper
Orlando, FL
 >> Stay informed about: printer/scanner combo 

Bolshoy Huy wrote:
> I am looking for a high quality printer/scanner combo.
> I've got lots of old black&white family photos that I am interested
> in scanning and retouching.
> I want to make large prints also; not poster size, but bigger than 4x6.
>
> Should I get seperate scanner & printer?
>
> Popular Mechanics says the HP5440 is the best value for $80(no
> scanner).
> They say you should use the paper recommended by the printer
> manufacturer.
>

I also saw the review. HP low end printers do a great job.

> Considering the costs of ink, paper, printout quality, is it better to
> make prints at a lab than at home?
>
For one print, do it at home and avoid the hassle. For more than 10,
take it to a lab.

> The few prints I've made at the lab seem to have jegged edges and
> pixels on curves.
> I mean straight lines such as - _ L T come out fine, but Q O 8 \
> definitely look
> like that old Asteroids game, or the games on the Atari2600.
>
Change labs!

I use an older model HP1350 scanner printer. Prints great, but the
scanner is no great shakes for quality scanning. Something like the
Epson scanner line might be more useful to you. Note that editing old
B&W pictures is a rather difficult process. Scan them at 256 greyscale
settings, and hope for the best.
 >> Stay informed about: printer/scanner combo 

Frank ess wrote:
> carolyn wrote:
>> i have always been told that the all-in-ones do a lot but nothing
>> well. my point is that the individual printers/scanners are dedicating
>> themselves to doing one thing and that one thing the best possible.
>> there is no way the all in ones can put the best of all in one unit
>> and keep the price resonable.
>>
>> i have the epson 4870 and the epson 2200. i also have an hp
>> all-in-one. my own test with my own equipment proves above for me.
>> hope this helps and good luck to you,
>> carolyn
>
> When I was tempted by an all-in-one, a co-worker warned me off: his
> worked good for quite a while, but when the scanner had to go to the
> shop, his printer and fax machine went along for the ride, and he was
> without all three for a week. Might not be important to some, but it was
> to me.
>
> On the other hand, none among my printer*, fax machine, and scanner has
> ever had to go to the shop.
>
I have selected the all-in-one because neither my printing, nor scanning
needs are critical (quality wise), and I have a shortage of space in my
computer area. Informed choices result in happy users.
 >> Stay informed about: printer/scanner combo