Combi Scanner/Printer suggestions?

krs


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I would love to try a Canon printer.
I have mostly just heard good things about them - my daughter has one and likes it.

However, I have not found a consumer wide format All-In-One which is what I need, something functionally like the Epson WF-7720.
I used to have problems with Epson printer heads clogging up once in a while, but then I read that one should shut the printer down when not in use.
So now I always shut it down in the evening, never leave it on over night and only turn it on the next day just before I have something to print.
That seems to help a lot and I have not had any clog since I bought this Epson.
I also tried refillable cartridges - they were just too much of a mess if I refilled them myself and to have it done meant two trips to the place.
So now I get 3rd party ones from 123ink in Montreal which is just an hour down the road from me and I can get them the next day. So far, they work fine.
 
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A rather obvious thing to mention, perhaps, but... with an inkjet printer, print head clogging is largely dependent on how frequently the printer is used. Leaving an inkjet machine unused for weeks on end is like leaving the cap off a fountain pen - that nib's gonna dry up!

If, like me, you're not a frequent user, it's good practice to run the "print nozzle check pattern" routine about twice a week. This uses very little ink and helps to stop things getting gunked up. It needn't waste much paper, either - you can do 4 nozzle check patterns on a single sheet of A4.

As for replacement ink cartridges, I've NEVER bought manufacturer's own-brand ones! For donkey's years now I've got mine from a UK company (I'd better not mention their name in case it breaks the forum rules on advertising :D) and been very happy with the quality of the ink and the functionality of the cartridges. They're covered by a full compatibility guarantee - the onboard chips are kept up to date with the latest firmware revisions, and should any cartridge fail to work with your machine, they'll give you a full refund. I've never had to ask for a refund because they've always worked. And, as well as being a whole lot cheaper per cartridge, they contain nearly 3 times more ink than the manufacturer's "high capacity" types.

Example:
Epson Starfish 603XL "high capacity" cartridge: 4ml
My favourite company's equivalent product: 14ml (at half the price)

No contest. :)
 

krs


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This Canon all-in-one can print up to 11" X 17":

Canon PIXMA TS9520 Wireless
https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/pixma-ts9520-wireless

Robot Check

Thanks Randy, I remember looking at that one before I bought the new Epson.
Biggest problem with this Canon was that the maximum scan size was only 8.5 x 11.7 inches.
I find that a bit odd that they make a wide-format AIO that can print on up to 11 x 17 inch paper but can only scan normal size sheets.
 

krs


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.......... they contain nearly 3 times more ink than the manufacturer's "high capacity" types.

I actually found that to be a problem.
On the Epson printers I have and have had, the amount of ink left in a cartridge is determined by the number of pages that have been printed - it doesn't reflect the amount really left in the cartridge.
So the 3rd party cartridges I bought supposedly had about twice the amount of ink compared to the Epson brand.
What happened is that the printer decided the cartridge was empty (or close to it) when in fact half the ink was still left in the 3rd party cartridge, so by removing the cartridge and plugging it back in I could reset the ink counter back to show full - so far so good, but now I took the risk that the cartridge would actual run out of ink before the printer indicated an empty cartridge and that's about the wortst thing that can happen on an inkjet - running dry.

I wonder how you handle that or how you can reset the ink counter, because once the printer "thinks" the cartridge is empty it won't print until one replaces the cartridge with a new one.
 
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Interesting. An odd way for a printer to determine ink usage, and one that I find hard to credit, given that such a system couldn't possibly know how much of which colours might have been used to print any given page. Think of the difference in ink usage between a page of black text and a full-colour photograph - an ink monitoring system based on page-count would be pretty much meaningless. My Epson printers (my last machine was an R200) could always show me how much ink was in each colour of cartridge, and it varied from one colour to the next, depending on what I'd been printing. Likewise, I don't recall my cartridges ever running dry on me. Go figure!
 
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I've had an HP Officejet Pro 8600 for years. I couldn't be happier with it.
I bought one for my son years ago and he's still using it too!
I've owned several other types and brands; this one has been by far the best.
 

krs


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Interesting. An odd way for a printer to determine ink usage, and one that I find hard to credit, given that such a system couldn't possibly know how much of which colours might have been used to print any given page. Think of the difference in ink usage between a page of black text and a full-colour photograph - an ink monitoring system based on page-count would be pretty much meaningless. My Epson printers (my last machine was an R200) could always show me how much ink was in each colour of cartridge, and it varied from one colour to the next, depending on what I'd been printing. Likewise, I don't recall my cartridges ever running dry on me. Go figure!

"Number of pages" was actually a method way back when - to be on the safe side, Epson would trigger the low ink warning when there was still a lot of ink left in the cartridge.
That created a problem for them when people found out so then they tried different and better ways, like using the chip in the cartridge to actually measure the amount of ink used by each one.
Things may have changed again - here is a bit of general info on that:
Low-Ink Tech - How does your computer know how much ink is left in the cartridge? | HowStuffWorks
 
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I don't know if you already decided on a printer, but I have had a Brother MFCJ-6710 DW for 12 years. It is discontinued & I apologize but Brother's web site is down & I couldn't find the replacement number.
It duplex prints & you can scan with the flat bed or the document feeder.

What I Like:
a) It has 2 paper trays. You can have two different types (plain, photo, etc.) in each. The paper can be different sizes. Mine is loaded with Letter & Tabloid (11 x 17")
b) It can connect by WiFi, USB or Ethernet. I use ethernet to the router for fast scanning.
c) Separate color tanks: Yellow is most quickly used on mine, so I can swap in yellow only when needed.
d) The head doesn't dry out because it self-cleans once a day or so if you have not printed. It cleans for about 2 seconds & very little ink is used.
Some brands park the heads on a sort-of cap to keep the heads from drying out. That sounds like a smart idea.
e) Generic ink is really inexpensive at about $2.00 per cartridge, which last for hundreds of pages of text. (Cheap because there is no chip on the tank.)
f) You can use a giant black cartridge for less frequent changes.
h) It has a page feeder for single sheets- one or many, thus if you are using color paper for one job, you don't have to empty your paper trays. (Envelopes, too)
i) Tech support is actually helpful.
j) This printer works flawlessly with VueScan by Hamrick- a fantastic program.
My Favorite Feature- If I have to scan a bunch of two-sided papers I can stick them in the document feeder, scan one side. Then rotate them & re-feed.
With VueScan I next press the Interleave button & it shuffles the pages in to proper order.

What I don't like:
a) After 12 years, it is starting to smear the return address on envelopes, but not other thick paper.
I flip the envelope over & print the return address on the non-flap side for a fix until I can clean inside. I suppose a roller is dirty.
b) The included software is a huge hard disk space waster. I uninstalled it & use VueScan instead.
c) When a printing job ends, it is several seconds before the printer finishes its Happy Dance so the next job can start.
d) No recyclers want the cartridges, not even municipal, so they have to go in the trash. (No chip, so no value for the recycler)
I crack them open & wash them out. Then I recycle the plastic. (I forgot a step- Get ink all over my shirt)

For any printer that I've owned, if one of the heads clogs & the cleaning cycle won't de-clog it, my trick is to put some 70% rubbing alcohol in an empty tank and print a page of the color that isn't printing. Example- If yellow is clogged, make a page with a yellow block & print it. It will use some other colors since your yellow isn't an exact match. This has always worked.
I don't run the cleaning cycle because it dumps some alcohol-ink into the small reservoir that gets cleaning ink. Eventually it fills up & makes a mess. (Mine hasn't filled yet.)

One printer I owned, an Epson ink jet, simply quit one day. Calling tech support revealed that the printer has XX number of cleaning cycles available until it shuts itself down. It guesses the over-flow tray is full. Epson tech support said it could not be reset. I don't know if new ones have this problem or not.

I also had a Canon portable which printed well, but scan was terrible due to low maximum resolution. (Probably because it is a portable.)
But, based on this thread, when the Brother dies I'll try another Canon. My wife has an Epson that has been trouble prone since it was new.

I hope this stuff helps you decide!
Paul
 
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chscag

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@Horsa

Lots of opinions to glance over. :)

Choosing a printer is sort of like choosing which flavor of ice cream you like... some of us like vanilla, others like chocolate, and again a some of us like strawberry.

Also, we tend to make a decision based on personal experience with a certain printer we formerly owned.

Have fun choosing! :goofy
 
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AllInOne Printer

Hi,
My suggestion is HP OfficeJet Pro. I purchased a refurbished 8720 from the HP website. It doesn't seem to be available now but check HP, they have an OfficeJet Pro 3830 all in one. Scan, Print, Fax, Copy, Wireless. Before buying check if you can buy Generic Ink cartridges, I get mine from Amazon. HP ink is expensive. The generic work the same at about 1/3 the price. Buying refurbished if fine but only if it's from the manufacturer and it comes with support and a warranty.
 

krs


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Thanks for the detailed comments.
The Brother replacement that came up was the 6720 and 6920, but those are 7 years old as well.
One review about the 6920 I didn't like:
Like the printer. Dislike that they push a firmware updates that disable 3rd party ink cartridges. It's anti-competitive. Nobody tells me what brand of gas to put in my car, what brand of beer to buy or what brand of ink to use. I now have a drawer full of useless ink cartridges, a working printer, and I can't print a single page! I'm done with Brother!
But I don't know if that is actually true.

The replacement for the 6920 is the 6930, but that one is over $100 more than the Epson and the print size and scan bed is smaller.
I bought some 13 x 19 inch photo paper so that I can print some posters myself if need be - strange that only Epson (and I thought maybe HP) makes a consumer printer than can handle that size.
I bought a Brother printer once - worked fine for normal paper, but heavier paper always got stuck because of the paper path - too tight of a 180 degree turn with the paper feed tray and the exit tray both at the front.

BTW - I have the Epson WF-7720 now, but I'm always looking for my next one. I use the printer a lot so they only last maybe 5 years.

The most annoying thing about this Epson is the printer software.
I use the drivers and scanner software that comes with the Mac, that works fine, but for some reason Epson has built software into that printer where one has to select certain parameters like paper size - if the paper size I chose in the print menu on the Mac doesn't match the paper size selected at the printer, it won't print. I have to go to the printer to change the paper size which is just an unnecessary step.
This printer replaces an Epson WF-7520, the previous model, which didn't have this issue.

I find that more and more in general - people who specify a software design or who actually write the software, seem to never use it.
 
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My 4(?) year old Epson WF-3640 is OK. Haven't tried printing photos on it. The only gripe is that it uses a lot of ink when cleaning print heads, sometimes multiple times to clear the print cartridge Liked my old HP that had print heads in the ink cartridge, unlike this Epson that has it in the mainframe.. Tried non Epson cartridges from Office depot but they would not work. Don't know of any place to get cheaper non OEM cartridges that would work. Scans great with Image Capture.

Pete
 
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I end up buying Epson every time since there doesn't seem to be an alternative for my needs.

I need a scanner that can handle A3 or 13" x 19" paper and a printer that can handle the same size.
Last printer I got was an Epson WF-7720 with two feed paper trains and a sible slot feed at the back - also a 30 page feeder for the scanner.

I have seen an HP AIO that handles that size paper, but for a Mac, HP was not recommended.

I'm not sure but I believe HP can handle most if not all paper sizes. As to compatibility, I use an iMac 27" and a MacBook Air without any problems. I've used HP genuine cartridges and Generic cartridges again without any problems. The HP has not clogged or had any other problems. I used Epson printers for years and always had problems with clogged heads especially Yellow. Epson's prices have soared and the Eco Tank is a money maker for them. To repeat, HP is compatible with Mac. I have never cleaned heads with the HP whereas with Epson it was a weekly/monthly ritual.
 
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KRS mentioned that someone posted this about Brother printers:
Like the printer. Dislike that they push a firmware updates that disable 3rd party ink cartridges. It's anti-competitive. Nobody tells me what brand of gas to put in my car, what brand of beer to buy or what brand of ink to use. I now have a drawer full of useless ink cartridges, a working printer, and I can't print a single page! I'm done with Brother!

KRS was right to doubt the truth of the statement.
I don't know about all models, but mine has no problems with any generic ink cartridges I've used. (It uses #LC-79 & #LC-75 cartridges) I think the printer can't tell because there is no chip on the cartridge. I've used many brands, but prefer Oregon Ink & Toner because they take back Brother cartridges for proper recycling & plant a tree in its honor.

And one can cheat the Low Ink Warning by placing a piece of black tape over the cartridge's window. The waring comes on when there is still lots of ink left in the tank.

When there is a firmware update, Brother sends an e-mail notification. The updates are optional.

About paper sizes: I wonder if any brand printer with a manual loading slot would be OK printing a legal size or 8-1/2 by Even Longer page- if the software application (Like Pages or Word) told it to do so. My Brother default is up to Tabloid, but one time I made a custom size for 11 x 36" and sent it through the manual load slot successfully.

Paul
 
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I've never bought branded cartridges since my first Mac in 1994. In the UK there is a company (left out in case of breaking rules) that supplies a new printer/scanner/ photocopier if you buy several sets of their own branded cartridges. I do this about every 3 years. All printers, scanners, printer/scanners as branded names.
 
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Free Printers. Printer/Scanerrs.photocopiers

I've never bought branded cartridges since my first Mac in 1994. In the UK there is a company (left out in case of breaking rules) that supplies a new printer/scanner/ photocopier if you buy several sets of their own branded cartridges. I do this about every 3 years. All printers, scanners, printer/scanners as branded names and brand new in the box.
 
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Thanks to everyone who's contributed to this thread. :)

My news: after much to-ing, fro-ing and brow-furrowing over brands and technologies, in the end I found myself going for Epson (again! :D) - an XP-3105. Picked one up at a good discount price at my local branch of Ryman: even cheaper than I could find the same model online, so props to them.

Setup was reasonably straightforward but boy was it long-winded: the "installation software" disk contains nothing but a weblink for obtaining the latest drivers etc., which seemed to take an absurdly long time to download. Anyway, it's up and running now, and doing what it's supposed to - but don't they all when they're new, eh? ;)

Cheers all,
Ken
 

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I have an HP Envy Photo 7134 that replaced a similar earlier mode that lasted about 8 years having given very good service during that time. It provides very good photo quality, duplex printing, coping, scanning and quite mode etc. Connectivity with the iMac running Catalina is straight forward using a wifi the connection. Scanning software with the Mac works very well. There is also a slot for a memory card. As always ink cartridges are not cheap.
 

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