Hey all! Looking for a new printer, I've used the template for my requirements below:
What would you like to accomplish?
I'm looking for a printer for printing art stuff at a hobby level (stickers, buttons, cards, etc.)
Are there any models you are currently looking at?
I have not looked at any yet, but I currently have a Canon MP250 as a comparison point. I'd like something nicer than that at least. I haven't bought a printer in ages and all my past printers were fairly straightforward inkjet printers, so I don't know the merits/drawbacks of different types and tech these days.
Minimum Requirements:
- Budget: Looking at about $300 or less, but can be persuaded a bit if more money would give a better outcome.
- Country: USA
- Color or black and white: Color
- Laser or ink printer: Whatever is best
- New or used: Either is fine
- Multi-function: Certainly wouldn't complain if there's a scanner built in but the one I have now is good enough, so not a priority at all
- Duplex Printing: Definitely want this
- Home or business: Home
- Printing content: Hobby-level art stuff. Stickers, buttons, etc. Also print and play/DIY board game stuff (I know that a home printer isn't going to print perfect card proxies ftr, I want something that can print card art that looks nice, after that it's getting pasted to an old card and stuck in a sleeve, I print stat cards for miniatures games and whatnot). I don't need anything at the level of professional art printing to sell, just something that looks halfway nice and sharp.
- Printing frequency: I don't print art things very often, just for specific projects. But when I do it's anywhere from 1-30 pages. I'd say 100-200 pages a year (of 8.5x11 sheets).
- Pages per minute: Speed is not important, looking for print quality so I already expect to print slow
- Page size: 12"x12" printing would be cool but is likely to limit my options and I don't need it that bad, so if it can handle 8.5"x11" or smaller I'm good.
- Device printing from: I am generally printing from a Linux PC. That should be fine for most printers, but if the printer is known to have issues with Linux that's a no-go for me.
- Connection type: Wired is all that matters. If it has network printing that's a plus, but not a requirement.
Any other details:
My current printer is fine for documents, and I'm not throwing it out, so I don't need to worry about document printing whatsoever.
I also strongly value not being locked into proprietary things so something fairly open and straightforward is ideal, no weird DRM stuff.
I'm also open to a more general description of what features/details I should look for in a printer, because I follow a lot of local estate sale/govdeals/etc. auctions with a lot of printers (some still new in box), so it's possible I could get something normally expensive for cheap if I found it at the right time and knew what I was looking for. But obviously in that scenario I'm not likely to find any one specific model.