Posted on August 27, 2010 - by benmullay

Thinking of buying a new printer?

As the summer draws to a close, I’m sure there will be plenty of great holiday photos out there which you’ll be looking to print.  This article will be useful if you are considering purchasing a new printer for the home/office.  Furthermore, you may find that you can actually save money by purchasing a new printer and recoup the initial payment on the savings you’ll make on ink.  Read on…

Channel 5 programme ‘The Gadget Show’ recently did a test to decide on the best inkjet printer on the market.  To view the full video review click here.

Consumer printers have come a long way since the boom in digital photography.  For example, we are now moving away from cluttered desktops as printers, scanners and copiers are now being combined into all-in-one devices.  Higher-end models also feature WiFi connectivity allowing a printer to be shared across a network enabling people to print from a different location to the printer in the home or office.

We are getting a lot more for our money now as digital cameras boast high megapixel count and good quality lenses.  High grade premium prints are available from your local photo lab specialist.  However, if you decide to print at home then you need a printer that is going to do your images justice.

The Gadget Show selected 10 leading inkjet printers and invited Martin Brent, the 2010 Sony World Advertising Photographer of the Year, to select and print one of his professional images.  The chosen image would test the printers to the extreme with a challenging range of tonal values, especially the blacks in the shadow areas.

Each printer was loaded with manufacturer recommended paper and ink, set to the highest quality and the prints were made.  Martin’s main emphasis when judging the prints was on clarity, gradation of colour and richness of blacks.

The printers were then re-filled with ink, loaded up with paper and left to see how many could be produced using a fresh set of cartridges.  It was noted that the cost of ink can work out 5 times more than a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne, so this was an important test to determine running costs once the printer had been purchased.

The top 5 printers in descending order were:

5. Epson Stylus Photo PX810FW

Features: WiFi

Comments: High Quality Prints, Rich Blacks

Cost per print: £1.58

4. Epson Stylus Photo P50

Features: Claria inks

Comments: Greater quality over the PX810FW, strong colours and good flesh tones

Cost per print: £1.35

3. Canon Pixma IP4700

Comments: Strong images and warm colours

Cost per print: £1.27

2. Lexmark Interact S605

Features: Graphic touch screen, good colours, reasonable blacks but not as much impact as other top printers.

Cost per print: £1.22

AND THE WINNER IS……………

1. Kodak All-In-One ESP 3250

Comments: good colours and blacks

Price per print: £0.52 per print – less than half of nearest rival

A full set of cartridges for the Kodak ESP 3250 is less than £19.  Furthermore, the Kodak uses pigment ink technology which is usually only found in more expensive models.  For example, the cheapest Epson printer with pigment ink technology is the R800 which has an RRP of £249.99 – you do the maths!

The Kodak printer is available at your local independent photographic specialists The Camera Centre.  For full details on the printer, view their website here or visit in-store. at 72 Commercial Street, Lerwick.

-Ben