PeterS
Level 1 (27 points)
Notebooks

Q: Printer recommendation - duplex

Hi all

I would appreciate any comments on printers. I have a basic Canon, some years old, and I want to replace with something that does duplex printing reliably. Something out of the Apple store, or something else. Any thoughts appreciated - it's such a minefield. Thanks.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.7.4), 3.06 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo, 12GB

Posted on Dec 12, 2014 5:31 AM

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PeterS

Q: Printer recommendation - duplex

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  • by tbirdvet,

    tbirdvet tbirdvet Dec 12, 2014 10:43 AM in response to PeterS
    Level 4 (3,003 points)
    Dec 12, 2014 10:43 AM in response to PeterS

    HP 6520 (or 6525) works great.  I have used it with ML, Mavericks and now Yosemite.

  • by litterbug59,

    litterbug59 litterbug59 Dec 12, 2014 7:34 PM in response to PeterS
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 12, 2014 7:34 PM in response to PeterS

    I picked up an HP Officejet 6700 a few months ago and it works beautifully, doesn't spend an inordinate amount of time starting up, and seems like a solkid little machine. It doesn't print photos, but it does very nice "best" quality color printing, which is good enough for me. I particularly like that it has separate cartridges for all four ink colors (yellow, magenta, cyan and black).

  • by steve626,

    steve626 steve626 Dec 12, 2014 8:34 PM in response to PeterS
    Level 4 (1,546 points)
    Dec 12, 2014 8:34 PM in response to PeterS

    Printers are more like commodities nowadays. Probably any number of top brands will do what you want. I suggest you start from your target price range (e.g. $200) and then look at the models from major brands that are available (Canon, Epson, HP etc.), and rank them based on criteria that matter to you, such as:

     

    Speed of printing

    Reliability (can be assessed on Consumer Reports, or via user ratings online from places like Amazon, Best Buy, etc.)

    Quality of print for photos, text

    Ink use and cost (this will ultimately determine your cost for the printer, not the one-time purchase price)

    Mac-friendliness (this can be judged from online postings/complaints, looking at the manufacturer online driver download site [indicating support only through system 10.7 might be a bad sign, for instance, as Apple has now released 10.10], talking to other users)

    Look for an online manual to see how easy it is to track ink levels and replace ink tanks

    Other features you may want, such as: multi-function (scan, copy), wireless, USB or memory card slots, print from iPhone, number of sheets of paper you can store, document feeder, duplex printing, user interface, LCD screen with touch control of functions on the printer itself, compatibility with direct print from cameras, phones, etc.

     

    Based on what matters most to you, I think it will be apparent what your decision should be.

     

    My experience with Canon is that their printers are fairly straightforward to install and use and update drivers for, but sometimes you see complaints from users of older models that they are no longer supported for the latest Mac OS. I haven't used an Epson for a while, they also have a good reputation. HP makes excellent products and most people experience no issues, but HP software installs all kinds of software pieces throughout your system and sometimes people report conflicts that are hard to track down due to this.

     

    If you can't decide, I would go with the one that has the best print quality.

  • by PeterS,

    PeterS PeterS Dec 13, 2014 1:03 AM in response to tbirdvet
    Level 1 (27 points)
    Notebooks
    Dec 13, 2014 1:03 AM in response to tbirdvet

    Hi tbirdvet

    Thanks for replying. Question: can you describe how double sided printing works with this printer? Is it totally automatic, or do I need to print one side(s), then put the paper back in for the other side(s)?

  • by ShlomiL,

    ShlomiL ShlomiL Dec 26, 2014 3:17 AM in response to PeterS
    Level 3 (770 points)
    Dec 26, 2014 3:17 AM in response to PeterS

    Hi PeterS,

    Both the HP Photosmart 6520 or the HP Officejet 6700 support automatic print duplexing which means that the process is fully automatic and you will not have to do any manual action.

     

    There are many other printers which support a such for different price range, different technologies, different capabilities or needs which may help guiding your further (e.g. Black & White or Color, Laser or Inkjet, what features are required - printing only, printing copying and scanning, faxing as well.

     

    Would you need to use it with a single computer, multiple ones? via a USB or maybe through the network?

     

    As you may see there are many factors to consider, getting some further information of your needs will surely help providing you a better suggestion.

     

    Regards,

    Shlomi

  • by PeterS,

    PeterS PeterS Jun 1, 2016 4:15 AM in response to PeterS
    Level 1 (27 points)
    Notebooks
    Jun 1, 2016 4:15 AM in response to PeterS

    Just to update this post for any searchers with the same question!

     

    I eventually bought an HP OfficeJet Pro 8620. It's been superb. Most of my stuff is on duplex, and provided you use decent 90g paper (I use HP paper), the results are excellent. No mis-feeds or jams, and beautiful fast printing.

     

    Printer also sets up a dream on wifi, no cables to bother with. And features like scan to computer, with multiple pages on the feeder, are top-notch. Also print with ease from iPad and Air, and even remotely if you email your file to the printer's own email address (Not entirely sure why this is a good idea, other than to freak out other people at home).

     

    I cannot recommend this printer too highly. Delighted I did a lot of research and seem to have picked a winner. Been going strong for around 15 months now.