|
Author: Laurie McArthur Article source: http://www.southimage.net/. Used with author's permission.
We are a two printer family. Yes, we have the "good printer" and the "little printer." The "little printer" is the budget printer and the subject of this article. Anything that's not critical as regards archival permanence gets printed in the "little printer."
While the good printer is for archival, arty work, we bought the "little printer" for run of the mill printing such as e-mails, small family photos, birthday cards for the grandchildren and the like.
Choosing a Budget Printer
The "little printer" is an Epson Stylus C45 and prints up to A4 size in full colour. It has two ink cartridges: a black cartridge and a three colour cartridge.
My wife sent me up to the post office to get it about six months ago for $79; Australian dollars, that is. Now they've come down in price to $59.
Other manufacturers market their own budget priced printers. Have a look around and you'll find one to meet your budget.
The reproduction of colour and detail is excellent. What more could you ask for in a budget printer?
Lifespan of a Budget Printer
Now, I don't expect a budget printer to have an enduring lifespan. In a commercial print shop I suppose a week would see it out. But with the amount of work it will get at our place it's reasonable to expect to get years of trouble free budget printing out of it.
Slow Printing
The only downside that I can see is that printing a top quality colour photo is slow. A digital photo printed at A4 size at top quality, takes about 20 minutes. But that's fine if budget is the key word and time is on your side. The important thing is your ability to produce quality, budget, colour photos at home. Of course, you won't be printing A4 all the time.
Ink Cartridge Refilling Process
I make a major saving by refilling my ink cartridges with after market (non genuine) ink. This involves removing some ink from the various coloured ink bottles with a syringe and injecting it into the correct ink tank in the ink cartridge.
The refilling process should not be a messy business provided you take suitable precautions. I put some newspaper on the kitchen table for the refilling process. Between each colour, I wash the syringe in a trickle of water, in a jam jar lid, in the laundry tub.
Obstacles to Ink Cartridge Refilling
In the case of Epson, the manufacturer has tried to beat aftermarket ink producers by designing a chip into the cartridge to tell the printer that an empty cartridge is empty. However, not to be thwarted, the aftermarket ink manufacturer has produced a chip reseter to reset the chip to tell the printer that the refilled ink cartridge is full.
The chip reseter is a small computer type gadget, housed in a plastic case and a little bigger than a matchbox. You simply press the ink cartridge against the pins on the chip reseter, a red light flashes and your refilled ink cartridge is ready to go again; as good as new for a small part of the price of a new ink cartridge. Of course, it's a bit time consuming, but that's how it is with budget systems, isn't it?
With other brands of printer it's much more straightforward. Just whip the empty cartridge out, refill it, put it back in, tell the printer it's got a full ink cartridge and away you go.
Budget Photo Printing Paper
By looking around Ebay for budget priced photo printing paper, I've also kept this expense well within the budget requirements for run of the mill digital photo printing jobs.
Archival Permanence
Although the manufacturers of both the budget ink and the budget printing paper assure me that their products are of a high standard, I would not trust an image requiring archival permanence to my budget printing system. Of course, it may be quite OK. I have no way of knowing.
Warranty
I've had no print head problems with the budget ink, but the possibility exists that you could clog the print head and void your warranty at the same time. I work it out this way:
They sell the printers cheap and make their money on the ink and paper. A black and a colour cartridge cost about a third to a half the cost of a new printer. Bundled with the new printer is a pair of cartridges. If I need to buy a new printer every fifth ink cartridge refill, I'll be in front. But I'm doing better than that.
All on a Budget
Following this budget digital photo printing regime you can be one of those families or singles with photos on the fridge, photos on the TV, photos on the microwave, photos everywhere, all on a budget. Laurie McArthur is a wilderness landscape photographer based on the New South Wales Far South Coast, Australia.
Laurie's images may be viewed at http://www.southimage.net/
Prepare for Your Performance Review Before You Start the Job
When you start a new job, you probably realize the first three months are critical to your long-term success. Everybody's eye is on the "newbie" as you learn th...
Your Network Marketing Business: Outreach & Grow
Has your direct sales company innovated a new product or service that your customers enjoy using and that you happily sell to them? Products and services aren't...
Website Advertising: How to Seduce Your Website Visitors And Make Them To Buy From You
Website advertising is an art and you must understand its dynamics before it will work for you.
Discover How To Burn Fat for Fast Weight Loss
Tired of all the hype surrounding the latest weight loss "fads"? Don't know where to turn for reliable, accurate weight loss information? This article will cu...
Fundraisers - How to Raise Twice the Money With Half the Sweat
If your members, parents or donors wear clothes, watch t.v. or read books you have the beginning ingredients to a sweet recipe for a great year-round fundraiser...
Debt Consolidation Tips
Here are some useful Debt Consolidation tips.
Selecting The Title Of Your Link Exchanges
I want to touch base with selecting the title of the links that are added to other sites. Adding your link on another site is very important for your search eng...
Managing Stress From Another World
Managing modern stress can sometimes be assisted by taking a different perspective of life on a regular basis. It involves stepping out of the daily tedium, to ...
Rapid Knowledge Development for Businesses
When there is little time to go to the local public library or shop around for a good business book, e-books on the Internet may be the best solution.
Are You Giving Your Customers Enough Reasons To Return To Your Business?
Good customer service just isn't enough anymore in the marketplace in which we live. Times are changing and business owners are learning that they need to crea...
The Top 10 Ways to Market your Business or Professional Practice Without Networking
While focused, strategic networking is usually the most efficient way to build your professional practice, there are many other ways to market your business. Pe...
The Winning Edge Theory
Identify the one area, that if you improved, would result in massive positive change. Once you have recognized your winning edge, make it a priority to exploit...
No Flab With That Blouse is So Necessary
A Guide to Toning Flabbing Arms
If Its Worth Dreaming, Its Worth Writing Down
You have the idea so therefore you have within you the ability to make it a reality. Such is one of life's great truths. This may not always appear to be the ca...
How to Make A Lot More Money
Some people are in the dark when it comes to how to get rich. Fortunately Success leaves clues. You would always do well to emulate certain people who you belie...
A Proper Mission Statement Can Drive Your Life Forward
Most people measure us by our accomplishments -- what we've done.
In my experience, most people compile their track record of accomplishments BY MISTAKE; that i...
How to Make Money Online...Driving your Car.
Here's an alluring income generating strategy, that's widely adopted by top MLM Agents, Small Firms, Entrepreneurs and Marketers in virtually any field of indus...
Real Estate Internet Marketing Is The Way To Go
Real estate Internet marketing is a booming business, along with all other forms of Internet businesses. Now, it seems that very little can't be sold over the ...
Are You Ready To Lose Weight?
Before deciding what kind of weight loss plan is best for you, ask yourself this one crucial question and ensure your weight loss success!
Top Seven Ways to Write your Print or eBook Fast
Want to write your book? But, need a blueprint on why it will help your profits and brand your business? Need to know each step so you can delegate it to an ass...
French Property - Looking to take a holiday in France ?
The Aquitaine is one of the most popular holiday destinations in France. With 5 departments in the Aquitaine the Dordogne department is probably the most well k...
10 Steps to Getting the Most Out of Job Fairs
Many job seekers tend to overlook job fairs. They can be crowded, busy, competitive and confusing events. But they offer you the opportunity to contact many pot...
Quality Leadership
The Lakota tribe of Native Americans has no word in the language for "I" or "me," only "we" or "us." Mahatma Gandhi insisted on traveling in third cla...
Restore Your Marriage - 5 Ways to Feel Connected to Your Spouse Even on Opposite Schedules
Many married couples today both work full time jobs outside the home, often on opposite schedules. It's no wonder why it's so hard these days for a married coup...
|
Print this page