Printer

[arthasdk]

Hi fellow grad students

 

I'm looking for a recommendation on a home printer that can print double-sided.  The costs of printing at school or the public library are adding up really fast especially printing out readings and research articles.  B/W double-sided printing is a must, color would be nice but not required.

 

Suggestions are welcome!

[pears]

I can't recommend one right away, but I can say beware of printers that advertise things like "manual duplex"! That's just a fancy way of saying you half to double-print by printing odd pages, then print the even pages after you've removed the printed sheets & fed them back in. Check carefully when you're looking at specs for printers, especially the presence or absence of language about "duplex" or "double sided" printing. I didn't, & now I've mastered the unrefined art of odds-then-evens & accidental tree killing.

 

That said, I have a little Epson "3 in 1" printer/scanner/copier, & it's worked very well so far, although the WiFi capabilities are a little bit touchy. I invested in a $5 USB cable that I use instead of the WiFi. Epson has very good customer service &, on occasion, great sales on their ink, so I can give them a general thumbs up as a company.

[danieleWrites]

I have a Kodak ESP all-in-one. I don't print double-sided often, but when I do it usually has me print one side, then flip it over and print the other. If it's a long document, it will print all of the odd pages, then I load those pages into the hopper and it'll print all of the even pages. I always screw it up and I'm not sure how. Mostly, because I print double sided once every blue moon or so.

 

I do have a recommendation, though. Check cost of ink cartridges. I do know that with Kodak printers that do color, if the color ink is empty, it won't print black and white. It uses color ink when printing black and white (for no earthly reason I can figure out). It also seems to "use" ink if the printer isn't in use for long periods of time. Though it's supposed to be cost saving in terms of pages per penny, it hasn't turned out quite that way. I bought my kidlet a Brother because he didn't need an all in one and he prints maybe 30 pages a semester.

 

My previous printer was a Lexmark all-in-one and I as very pleased with it. I switched to Kodak when it died because it seemed printing would be cheaper. It hasn't been that way for me. The Lexmark did print double-sided very well. I rarely had to print double-sided twice.

[ion_exchanger]

I also second checking the cost of ink. I had my handy Canon printer all through undergrad until it finally died, and I bought a newer one. This new ink system requires one large black cartridge, one small black one, a yellow one, blue one, and magenta one. My old canon would still print if there was only color ink and the black ran out. This one will not print, I don't  know why, maybe because the colors are separate. They are not sold individually, you either have to buy only blacks or one black and all colors. Because they all run out at different times, this can be annoying. I have no idea if my printer can print double sided on it's own, I have never tried. I usually do it manually, and only manage to not screw it up sometimes. These new printers load paper from the bottom and it slides in differently, not the top feed that oldies like me are used to.

Edited October 18, 2013 by ion_exchanger

[crossedfingerscrossedeyes]

Does anybody have experience with toner printers? They're more expensive up front but you're supposed to get a lot more pages per toner cartridge...

[rising_star]

I've had two Brother laser printers, both of which automatically duplex, and both of which I've loved. The first one is still being used by my sister. While toner may seem expensive, you can print 3000-5000 pages on one cartridge (so almost an entire case of paper) so it works out value-wise, I think. I recommend looking into them. You should be able to get the basic model with wireless connectivity and duplex capability for around USD$100.

[ZeChocMoose]

I have a EPSON Workforce 635 which I bought in September 2011.  It prints double sided without having to manually do it which is a huge plus!  It also is a scanner, copier, and faxer if that is important to you.  I have never had a problem with the WiFi connection to my computer either.  It does have the same ink system that ion's Canon printer has though.  If one color or black runs out, it refuses to print which is unfortunate.  I don't use it a ton - as I mostly read articles and annotate them on my iPad or computer - but I have been pleased with its performance when I do need it.  Like most 3-in-1 printers, it is fairly large though so you'll need some room for it.

[mpheels]

I bought a Brother HL-227DW and love it. It's a black and white laser printer with automatic duplex. It prints super fast! It was about $100 on amazon, and worth it. The cartridge included with the printer only lasted about 1,000 pages, but the replacement I bought for $30 (not Brother brand) should be good for 5000-6000 pages. 

[michigan girl]

I second the Brother printers. Mine is four years old with scanner, printer, copier, and wireless amenities and still works like new. One way to save money on paper is to buy your printer paper from Target or Walgreens. I swear that is the cheapest way to buy a large stack of paper. Avoid Staples, Officemax, and Office Depot at all costs.

[ion_exchanger]

I second buying your paper at target. I had no idea how much money I was wasting by going to staples and Office Depot, you think you are supposed to just go to the standard office supply stores and they would have the best deals.