Newbie needs help choosing color printer

[jamie297]

Hi everyone,

I need advice choosing an A4 desktop color printer and i'm hoping someone can recommend something suited to my needs. Sorry but my knowledge of printers is basic.

I need a high quality printer for printing onto large labels. Basically, it needs to be able to produce professional looking prints with vibrant colors and ideally it will be able to produce crisp looking text/lines.

I know the more you spend the better the printer, but I'm on a budget so it needs to be the cheapest printer that still produces excellent prints, I'd imagine that you get to the point where the quality doesn't get that much better but the price still rises.

Also, it needs to be able to use 'fade resistant' ink as the prints will need to last for a good few years. Are there only certain brands who can do this or is this type of ink freely available for all printers?

If someone can suggest particular models then that would be great, or perhaps things to look for, like dpi? (sorry that is as far as my knowledge goes and I don't even really know how many dpi decent printers will have).

Thanks for your help

Jamie

 

[The Hat]

jamie297
I need a high quality printer for printing onto large labels. Basically, it needs to be able to produce professional looking prints with vibrant colors and ideally it will be able to produce crisp looking text/lines.

Also, it needs to be able to use 'fade resistant' ink as the prints will need to last for a good few years. Are there only certain brands who can do this or is this type of ink freely available for all printers?

You certainly have a very big and expensive shopping basket to fill so I wish you luck.
Youre going to need a pigment ink printer to start with so Id say an Epson would be the cheapest.

Pigment inks will last for quite some time but as to how long is anybodys guess.
Now for the bad new youre not going to get one cheap so
Id say shop around and try pick up a rebated or second hand one, I hope you have good luck with your quest..

 

[gigigogu]

I need a high quality printer for printing onto large labels.

If you already have/know the labels, see for what kind of printers are designed, inkjet (dye or pigment) or laser.

Considering your (lack of) knowledge about printers I would recommend a laser printer, if you can afford it (including future toner cartridges).

If no, follow The Hat advice. Look for a Epson with DuraBrite inks, also if there are compatible/refillable cartridges, and compatible pigment ink, for that specific printer model.