Inexpensive photo printers

[Unexpected Item In The Bagging Area]

Im looking at buying my parents a photo printer at the lower end of the scale - they seem to start at just over £100 - and wondered if they’re any good. I’m aware that cheap general printers are a liability but does the same apply here? Also any suggestions bearing in mind it would be for snaps rather than anything that has to look impressive.

[audidoody]

Printers are dirt cheap because the profit and revenue is from selling replacement cartridges.

I buy from third party online specialists which lessens the pain.

[Halmyre]

Not to be unhelpful, but - inkjet printers are the work of Satan. If I want to print pictures I use a mail order service like Jessops or use Tesco's in-store printers (when they're working...). £100 would get you about 1000 prints that way.

[Byker28i]

Canon Pixma are decent, cheap, but you can go through ink.
I tend to use DS Colour Labs for my photo printing

[tankplanker]

Halmyre said:

Not to be unhelpful, but - inkjet printers are the work of Satan. If I want to print pictures I use a mail order service like Jessops or use Tesco's in-store printers (when they're working...). £100 would get you about 1000 prints that way.

Agreed, I gave up on photo printing once the online services became more competitive over price and I'm not limited by the sizes supported by the printer either.

[Unexpected Item In The Bagging Area]

Halmyre said:

Not to be unhelpful, but - inkjet printers are the work of Satan. If I want to print pictures I use a mail order service like Jessops or use Tesco's in-store printers (when they're working...). £100 would get you about 1000 prints that way.

We do the same but my dad’s a luddite when it comes to ordering things online and buying him a printer might make things simpler. Until something goes wrong that is... I’ll have another think about what to do if cartridges are crazy money.

Thanks for the replies

[Tymb]

If there not to bothered by different print sizes, we got my mother a Canon Selphy a year or so a go
and she has only recently started using computers.

Some you can just put the card straight in so no computer needed.

[sgrimshaw]

Is there any way you can help your dad get the images he wants to print onto a phone or tablet?

Got a relative who (after a bit of guidance) puts the photos he wants printed onto his Tablet then prints them for free (pays small postage fee) using various Apps which offer free prints.

He recently found an app from Snapfish which gives him 50 free prints per month for 12 months, so 600 free prints.

Just a thought.

[Unexpected Item In The Bagging Area]

That sounds great but he’s resisted using the old iPad we gave him two years ago! He’s a nightmare when it comes to accepting new tech.

I’ve downloaded it though so thanks for that!

[Derek Smith]

Halmyre said:

Not to be unhelpful, but - inkjet printers are the work of Satan. If I want to print pictures I use a mail order service like Jessops or use Tesco's in-store printers (when they're working...). £100 would get you about 1000 prints that way.

I've used hires injet printers and although the image can be comparable to online prints, the main problem is that the price isn't.

My last two inkjets had to be thrown away, one with two sets of unused ink cartridges, as the ink had dried in the tubes and nothing I could do freed them.

I've got an Epson at the moment and use original inks and had no blockages, but its too expensive to contemplate.

I'm going for a mono laser printer for my work - my 3-colour invoices look nice but they cost - and prints from Park Cameras. They are a little dearer than online but the quality is excellent.

If you don't often use the colour inks on your inkjet, they are still used every time you switch the damn thing on.

I bought my wife some Chanel #5 to celebrate my youngest's wedding. I am told it is cheaper than the same quantity of ink for an inkjet. Given the size of the Chanel bottle and the price, I actually doubt it, but I bet it is a close run thing.