Any advice for small cheap printer?

[Geoff F]

A friend has asked me to get him a simple to use printer which will work directly from his camera and print 6 x 4 inch or A5 etc.

But, he is from a pre digital age so no computer or internet connection etc. Previously used a HP Photosmart C4780 printer which did what he wanted but it is not working now.

I have had a look around (Amazon etc) but I have become totally lost and I can't find anything which is comparable to his previous printer.

Price around £60 to £80 approx range. In the UK.

Any suggestions?

[Manfred M]

I wonder if the FujiFilm Instax printers or the Canon Selphy printers might not be what your friend might find meets his needs?

[Geoff F]

Thanks for those suggestions. Canon Selphy CP1300 was on my possible list but at £125 it might be more than he is willing to spend. He is 85 with slightly reduced mobility and I am also looking for a DVD player for him.

Simple DVD players from recognised names also seem to be getting expensive and scarce so I think he might have to risk getting an unknown make.

I hadn't thought about Fuji so I will have a look in that direction.

[Manfred M]

The consumables are the expensive part on those printers. I had a Selphy at one time and the prints were okay but nothing special. I just did not like the price per print.

[stuck]

...Previously used a HP Photosmart C4780 printer... ...Price around £60 to £80 approx range. In the UK...

The HP Photosmart C4780 was an 'all-in-one' device, i.e. it could scan / copy as well as print.

Personally, I'd never by an HP inkjet printer because I'm of the opinion that HP's 'instant ink' is a Bad Thing^TM so I've not searched for HP's current equivalent to the C4780.

I own an Epson inkjet printer. It's not a high end model (only has six inks) but the prints I get from it are more than adequate for me. A quick search for a cheap Epson all-in-one turns up the Epson Expression Home XP-4200:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=Expression+Home+XP-4200

and at £69.99 on Amazon UK it's right in the middle of your price range. Full specs are here:

https://www.epson.co.uk/en_GB/produc...p-4200/p/34113

I have no knowledge of this device but as with any home printer it's a safe bet the cost of ink will mean you wouldn't want to be printing large numbers of photos, e.g. for a holiday snaps album. For that sort of thing I use an on-line print service.

[MrB]

stuck - Why are you of the opinion that HP Instant Ink is a bad thing?

Philip

[stuck]

stuck - Why are you of the opinion that HP Instant Ink is a bad thing?

Philip

It's a subscription, and I don't think it's good value if you only print a low number of pages. I'm happy to be told otherwise though.

My low opinion of HP ink is also coloured by a bad (= expensive) experience my father had with an HP photo printer. The ink cartridges included a date chip, which made them expire after a certain period on time, regardless of how few times they had been used. As my father was a low volume printer that made every print extortionate as he frequnelty had to buy new cartridges when the existing ones were not empty. The low use also meant that eventually the jets became clogged and no matter what I tried I could not get the printer to work properly. The device was barely a couple of years old when it failed.

HP Laserjets though are a different story. The one I bought for our office more than confirmed old adage, "No one gets fired for buying HP". It was still working at least a decade after we got it and when we were forced to retire it because the IT Dept brought in, centralised, 'follow-me' printers. It also did a better job than the new machines we were required to switch too.

[Geoff F]

The main item of concern is that he doesn't have internet connection and requires the ability to print directly from a camera.

That is why I was sceptical of the latest HP printers. As far as I can see, you have to take Instant ink. It isn't an option. I assume this requires internet connection. Also, it would stop you from shopping around to find the best ink price, or use third party inks.

An additional worry with HP is that reviews complain about set up problems. There is a help service but it costs £60.

That Epson alternative does look promising so I will pass on the information and see what he says.

[stuck]

...That Epson alternative does look promising so I will pass on the information and see what he says.

I also found it listed on the Ryman and Curry's websites so you should be able to find it in a real shop and look at it close up, e.g. to check if you can print to it direct from a camera. It does have a USB connection so although the specs make a big thing about it being wifi compatible it can be connected direct to a PC (using a USB A to B cable).

[pnodrog]

Every printer I have ever had has always refused advice, especially the cheap ones. I have even threatened most without any response....

If your thread was titled "Where do I kick my printer?" I could make several suggestions...

[Geoff F]

Yes, like most bits of technical equipment printers can be temperamental. I once tried to set up my printer to operate wireless but soon gave up and went back to the old fashioned direct length of copper.

Eventually, after reading as much as possible, I have ordered a Canon Selphy CP1300 which had dropped in price by 20% since I started looking around.

The next stage will be whether I can understand enough about the operating system to be able to advise my friend. It always seems to be doubly difficult when purchasing something for someone else and in this particular case his lack of computer and internet access creates extra issues. I may end up having to set it up at my home before he has a play with it.