URGENT!! Need advice on purchasing an inkjet printer

[jjames5150]

I am a graphic designer and I'm new to this forum so hello to evreyone.

Anyway... I have a client who is strapped for cash and doesn't want to have to pay someone tons of money to print stickers to go on the products they sell. They are looking at printing their own stickers in house and doing it that way. I told them I would do some research and find the best printer possible for this work. They will also be using it for other work in the office so it needs to be a good all around printer. No need for a fax or anything like that on it. Any suggestions as to what provides the best in terms of color matching with Illustrator and software of that nature as well as with photo printing? Something that can handle printing stickers well? They will be using sheets of precut stickers to print on so we just need the colors to be good clear and accurate and the graphics to look crisp and not fuzzy. It might be nice if it had blue tooth capabilities as well but it is not essential right now. I would also like to see one that has card slots on it but, again, if it is the difference between quality and card slots we need the quality. I don't think oversize is necessary either but if its the best quality then they may take it. As far as price I think they could afford around $600 at the very most but the cheaper the better.

Any advice you all could give me would really make my day.

Thanks!
Jeremy

PS Let me add they need to make a decision on this asap so that is why I marked this as urgent.

 

[websnail]

From everything I've learned about paper stock for this sort of thing, the cost of printing your own could be even more expensive than buying from a professional printer...

If you are insistent on running high volumes of colour printing then I'd look at a CIS system and an Epson C88 printer for speed. That way your costs are kept low and your regular printing will avoid printhead blockage... This assumes you use good quality ink from places like MIS Associates or formulabs...

Still a lot of work, a steep learning curve and the issue of finding the relevant sticky backed paper is still to be solved... Best of luck

 

[Osage]

Another variable would be how fade resistant the sticker must be. Over time even direct sunlight can significantly fade something that looks very good off the printer. That in term may influence ink and paper choices.

 

[jjames5150]

I appreciate someone finally responding. I thought nobody was going to say anything. I don't know how worried we are about color fading. You figure that most of the products will be like bags of candies and chocolates or things where they will most likely remove the sticker. My biggest fear is that the printer won't print good crisp lines. They showed me one they had printed on their old HP all in one printer and it looked horrible. Color bleeding, shaggy lines. No good form to the graphic at all. They've checked into having others print it and they most likely will do that someday but for now it is kind of a trial thing to see if the products will even sell. If they do then buying 500 stickers will be nothing, but until then they don't want to be stuck with 400 left over stickers they will never use. I know the quality of sticker paper makes a big deal as well... I know that Avery makes a really good gloss finish sticker at about 2" round and I'm thinking that will showcase the graphic best. Now if I can just be assured the printers output will be up to speed.

My problem is... I've read about a hundred printer reviews but no one is very conclusive on a printer. For isntance, the Canon 8500 is great for photos but I've read on reviews that it is horrible with regular graphic printing. I own an Epson R300 and I hate it because it is horrible in terms of text and graphics even on the best paper available to man! (that may be a slight exaggeration but you know what I mean). Anyway... I don't know if that helps any with advice but my head is spinning from all the info I've been taking in.

Thx!!

 

[drc023]

Any of the Canon Pixma printers (ip3000 and above) will print a very nice image. The paper surface is most important in getting a crisp image. I print many labels with my Canon printers, but it's on old plain paper pin feed stock torn into individual sheets. Even then, the label is pretty good but not photo quality. Be aware that different inkjet paper coatings react differently. Swellable polymer resists fading, but has no moisture resistance. Therefore for product labels, it isn't a good choice. Instant dry papers (a.k.a. Nanoporous or Microporous) will fade over time but have high moisture resistance. You may want to try the following link that I found with a Google search. They have an extensive line of labels, but I was unable to tell if they have one that meets your specs. http://store.yahoo.com/data-labels/2rocila1.html Office Depot or Staples might even have gloss label stock on hand. Since this is a short run trial using only a few labels, your client may want to make their own label stock from instant dry photo paper and either gluing it to the package (rubber cement or a glue stick) or using double side tape. They can cut the labels out of the sheet using scrapbooking or craft type cutters available at hobby or arts/crafts stores.

 

[jjames5150]

Any of the Canon Pixma printers (ip3000 and above) will print a very nice image. The paper surface is most important in getting a crisp image. I print many labels with my Canon printers, but it's on old plain paper pin feed stock torn into individual sheets. Even then, the label is pretty good but not photo quality. Be aware that different inkjet paper coatings react differently. Swellable polymer resists fading, but has no moisture resistance. Therefore for product labels, it isn't a good choice. Instant dry papers (a.k.a. Nanoporous or Microporous) will fade over time but have high moisture resistance. You may want to try the following link that I found with a Google search. They have an extensive line of labels, but I was unable to tell if they have one that meets your specs. http://store.yahoo.com/data-labels/2rocila1.html Office Depot or Staples might even have gloss label stock on hand. Since this is a short run trial using only a few labels, your client may want to make their own label stock from instant dry photo paper and either gluing it to the package (rubber cement or a glue stick) or using double side tape. They can cut the labels out of the sheet using scrapbooking or craft type cutters available at hobby or arts/crafts stores.

I appreciate this advice. Your suggestion about using a hobby circle cutter was exactly the same idea I gave them. That seems like it might be a good idea but if they can find the pre-cut sheets for a good price they may as well save themselves some time. One idea I had was to just print them on good paper and purchase one of those circular scrapbooking cutters and a scrapbooking sticker maker (one of those machines where you can put any paper into it and it laminates it and puts a sticky backing on it). Anyway... so you would recommend a any of the Pixmas ip3000 and up? My only worry is that I've read about 10 reviews on the 8500 and they all say that it does great photos but horrible on other graphics. As I said in my last post my Epson R300 is the same way. The last printer I've ever had that did good quality vector graphic printing was my old HP something or other model that I had like 8 years ago. It was amazing in regards to graphics other than photos. Of course it couldn't print photos worth crap but in terms of other graphics it was awesome. I'm just so wary after shelling out $300 on this Epson and being completely disappointed. I don't want to steer them in the wrong direction. I can't seem to find anyplace around here that will let me test the printers either.

Any graphic designers out there who are in the same boat and have found a printer that prints graphics well for proofing but doesn't cost $800?

 

[drc023]

The current models of the Pixma's are iP4200 and up with prices starting around $100.00. I don't know much about the 8500, but the ip3000, 4000, 5000, 4200 and 5200 are all great printers. The iP8500 is too expensive and seems like overkill for what your client is needing to print. I have an iP3000 and iP4000 and highly recommend them. Check places like Office Depot or Staples if one is in your area. Even Circuit City sells them. Normally you can get better prices online, but sometimes you can get lucky at a local merchant. An example is the fantastic deal FotoFreek got on an iP5000 at Fry's.

 

[tyamada]

I would suggest a color laser printer, the prices have dropped since two or three years ago. You most likely won't have the fading or water proof problem with the label . The sharpness will surpass the inkjet due to the fact the ink/toner won't soak into the label.

Staples has a Oki Color laser printer on sale this week for $299.98 after rebate.