I've been using an Epson Photo r285 for years and I think it's due for a change. It's used to print emails/ vouchers but most of all snaps. I use the word snaps because they are usually 4x6 or 5x7 for mum in law to show off kids to friends with the odd 10x8 for SWMBO to frame around the house.

Ideally I fancy something which will scan & do wireless and our iPads too. One of the irritants for me with the Epson is that it only really works with Epson cartridges which cost £50 a pack -perhaps naively this seems expensive to me.

Can anyone suggest something?

Thanks

Similar position to yourself recently - had a Kodak previously which genuine ink was cheap but it got hrough it like it was going out of fashion.

 

New printer is a Canon mg5250 - printer, scanner, copier, wireless, card reader etc.

 

I buy these inks - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004TKJDZA/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Good colour and only £12 + postage to 2 sets of ink.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Mark

Like you (Huwcymru) I have used Espon for years. After a recent Apple OS upgrade I could never get the R800 colours right again. (Not the printers fault,  just somewhere along the line the drivers wouldn't work any more).

 

After faffing about for too long I bought a cheap (sub £100) Canon printer to tide me over and am now getting the best prints I have ever had. The inks are cheaper and last longer.

 

I normally print A4 photos

I bought an Epsom multi-function730 a couple of years ago and it cost around £60 in a sale. It uses 6 Claria inks so it prints very nice 'snaps' and even does a decent A4 print too. You can buy larger size black ink for this printer so it doubles up as a work printer for me. It does wifi, which was super easy to set up and also has it's own email address so I can send myself email docs whilst away from the printer (more useful than you would think). Plus it does all the usual Scanning, Copying and easy double sided printing.

 

I also bought my Dad an even cheaper Epsom all-in-one printer and it too does wifi and email printing. Neither of them have ever missed a beat............unlike my previous HPs, Lexmark's and the like.

 

Would not hesitate to recommend Epsom printers of this ilk

Thanks for all the advice. SWMBO was desperate that I print a set of photos for her mum for Christmas so went out and bought a Canon MG5550 - delighted so far. Have you had any issues with the inks Mark, I get Canon warning about not getting access to certain online facilities if they detect I'm not using Canon inks?

 

With the Epsons I tried all sorts and they were never happy unless I used genuine Epson, at one stage I fitted ink tanks and had indelibly multicoloured hands for days, in fact the only way to get the ink off is ethyl alcohol - which my pharmacist friend informs me is nice with Ribena (joke).

 

Never had any issues or warnings about using 3rd party inks.

 

The ones I linked to have the chip built into them so that the printer recognises the new cartridge.

 

Not sure how they would detect non Canon inks - maybe just a 'scare' message to persuade you to re-mortgage your house to be able to buy genuine canon inks :think:

 

For £12 for a set its got to be worth a try - maybe keep a set of originals to use just to access the on-line stuff if you have any issues.

 

Good choice of printer!

Thanks, that's the plan but I'm wary cos of my Epson experience.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0069VGT7W/ref=oh_details_o09_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 

these are the ones I use excellent vfm

After market inks will be inferior, they will have a lower light fastness and will clog your print heads.

 

 I had an Epson R300 photo printer, used copy inks and so far have had to bin the printer because the heads won't clean properly and print lines and I have also had to re print the photographs I have on the walls due to the Yellow and Magenta fading leaving some very strange looking photographs!

 

 I now have an R2880 Epson, it is an A3+ printer that has 9 cartridges Yellow, Magenta, Light Magenta, Cyan, Light Cyan, Photo Black, Light Black, Light Light Black and Matt Black, each cartridge is about £10-£11 and IMO they are good value for money as they were designed to work with the printer and have a 100 year lightfast guarantee!

 

 Each to there own but for me you do get what you pay for.

Thanks for the replies, I"m happy so far. I'm not looking for exhibition prints or anything over A4. I've been pleasantly surprised by the quality of scans and copies. I suppose my expectations have been based on the technologies of a few years ago.