Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with printers

Looking for some color in a black and white world

Mael Oui — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 01:33:30 -0800

It seems that I have completely run out of black ink, but I have a new color cartridge in my HP All-in-one printer (F2120). I want to print out pdfs of crossword puzzles that I've downloaded from the internet. The pdfs only utilize black ink. I want to print them out in a color (red, green, blue.. I don't care), so that the puzzle and clues all appear in the same (non-black) color. I'm using Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Professional for Win2k. Is there any easy way to do this? Is it even possible? Have I provided enough info?

I don't want my mother to see these photos, and I don't want strangers seeing them, either.

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:03:11 -0800

As a gift for my husband, I took some saucy pictures. The pictures are nothing by the standards of the internet, but not the type of thing I'd be comfortable sending to Target or Wal-Mart to print out. Are there any discrete online digital photo printing services you'd recommend? Or should I just buy a photo printer? Which one? I have nightmares about people saving copies for themselves or, worse yet, posting them in the internet. Seriously, I needed a few drinks to do this in the first place, so I don't want anyone looking at me unless it's my husband. I've found a few online services that claim to be confidential, but I'm not 100% convinced. I would like to hear from the AskMetafilter community before making up my mind.

And, while it's besides the point, yes, I trust my husband with these completely.

I'm in the United States and the pictures are a surprise.

What should I buy if I end up going the photo printer route? I'd prefer to spend under $130.

I am weary of copying maps onto index cards.

moxiedoll — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 12:37:35 -0800

Which printer is the one for me? I have a compaq laptop, sometimes use a dell, and want to buy a printer. I would like the printer to be as small as possible and as inexpensive as possible. I will be using it infrequently and for small jobs. Does anyone know of a great little workhorse of a cheap printer who can be put away for weeks, then rally when called upon? That's the guy I want!

How can I turn my old Windows XP desktop into a print server for a wired network with Vista and XP machines?

abkadefgee — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:07:01 -0800

How can I turn my old Windows XP desktop into a print server for a wired network with Vista and XP machines? I've tried plugging in an old machine, installing two USB printers, and sharing the printers, but the other machines on the network can't seem to connect. I'm running everything through an old Linksys router. Even with the firewall down on the machines, I still can't seem to connect. Are there compatibility issues with XP print sharing with Vista and should I just install some flavor of linux? And if so, how should I do that? I really appreciate your help!

What kind of labeler should I buy

alms — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 13:00:14 -0800

Should I buy a stand-alone labeler (with built-in keyboard) or a labeler that attaches to my Macintosh? Recommendations for specific models would be great. Yes, I'm reading Getting Things Done. That means I want a labeler that is very easy to use. It should have low overhead for making "just one label that I need right now" as well as for making a set of thirty labels when I reorganize my files. Maybe I'd use it for spice jars and christmas letters, too, but that's less important.

It should be plug-in, not battery-operated, and it should take up a minimal amount of desk space.

Thank you for helping me reclaim my file drawers, and along with them the rest of my life.

ASP Development question: Install a printer on the client's machine?

Eddie Mars — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:29:40 -0800

ASP.Net development question. Can I map to a printer on the client's machine from a web page? I'm trying to build a web page that installs printer drivers by clicking on an icon. This is something I saw a consulting company show off years ago, and I've wanted ever since. They had a web page that showed floor plan of their offices with little printer icons located wherever physical printers were located. Click on the icon and that printer is added to your Windows client, and set as the default printer.

I think the consulting company was using some native component of Novell -- which is what they were trying to sell us at the time. I'm trying to recreate this in an ASP.Net page, and have had no luck. Google hasn't found me anything promising. Anyone have any idea?
My original thought was to shell out the command "RunDll32.EXE printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n \\\\server\\printer".

LJ 2100 to a 3500 - is there another way ?

southof40 — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 17:58:36 -0800

Going from a LaserJet 2100 to a LaserJet 3500 has been disappointing - does that surprise LJ owners out there ? What should I do instead ? We've had a HP LaserJet 2100 for six years and it's been great and then the past 12 months it's been a bit flaky.

Of course you can't get a LJ 2100 any more so we got a LJ 3500 as it seemed to be close to a LJ 2100 but as soon as we got it out the box it seemed quite flaky (just sort of 'light' if you know what I mean ? Not as sturdy as the 2100). Compounding that it never worked properly. It had a weird problem that they tried to fix with a new cartridge and then firmware and now the time to has come to send it back to where it came from.

Could order another LJ 3500 but I'm wondering is it a given that LJ's are not as they were ? I used to think they were the Toyota of printers.

We don't need much in the way of 'pages/month' or 'pages/minute' but I would like a printer I don't have to think about for another six years.

So my question/s are : are LJ's not what they were or did we just get a Friday afternoon one ? and can we do better with a different brand ?

Who will print and sell my photobooks and pay me commission?

granma — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 10:31:42 -0800

I want to produce photobooks for sale. I would like to upload them to a printing site where others can go and see them and purchase them without further reference to me. They would deal directly with the printer. But I would like to receive a commission from the printer for each one sold. Does anyone know of a printer of photobooks who would provide this service or of a way I can achieve my objective?

Pictures of your mama, taken by your papa, a long time ago

kidsleepy — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 07:38:37 -0800

I found some great old Christmas photos. What are some creative ways to turn them into cool Christmas gifts? They're of my dad and his siblings (my uncle and aunts), and the time period is the late 60's to early 70s.

I don't have the actual photos, just these scans. I thought about making them into Christmas cards via moo.com. Other ideas were calendars and coffee mugs. Are there any online retailers that can turn them into gifts by Christmas? Any other ideas that I can do myself?

Best All-in-one printers?

sandra194 — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:10:26 -0800

I just need an all-in-one printer that will copy, print and scan. Don't need fax really. This is for home use. I currently have an Epson CX4600, actually it's the 2nd one in 3 years. The first one died before the warranty was up, so they sent me a new one and I sent the old one back. Now this one won't print or copy. I've tried all of the trouble shooting things. Epson says I have to buy a new one. I dont want another Epson.

Why did I waste my youth pulling the sides off printer paper?

smackfu — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:28:13 -0800

Why did dot-matrix printers invariably take tractor-feed paper? Was there a technical barrier to using single sheets? Why didn't typewriters require tractor-feed?

Printer needed in London, stat!

mr_crash_davis — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 06:33:27 -0800

I need to purchase an all-in-one office machine (fax/scan/copy/printer) from my desk here in the U.S., and get it to my company's CEO in London by tomorrow. He's staying at a hotel near Hyde Park for the next several weeks and needs a printer. I'm having trouble finding anything nearby where he can buy one himself. Is there an equivalent to Staples or Office Max there that would deliver one to his hotel if I purchased it via the web or over the phone?

Small photo printer

bonaldi — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 10:45:20 -0800

Compact photo printer recommendations? I'm looking for a small photo printer to make proofs and small copies on. It doesn't have to do anything larger than 6x4 or 5x7 really -- anything larger gets done out-of-house. Quality is something of a factor, though, but so is size -- small would be vastly preferred. oh: and must work with a Mac.

I like the look of the Canon Selphy line, for instance, but reviews of it vary from "ace!" to "hoo boy, no" -- and even then i'm not sure about which model in the range. Any experiences out there?

My Pixma is hanging it up, what's a good replacement?

yellowbinder — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 16:24:49 -0800

I think I need a new printer for my eBay business. Can you recommend a quality replacement for my beleaguered Pixma? I have an eBay business selling tiny buttons with pictures of wonderful things. My Canon Pixma iP6000D is dying. Usually refusing to print correctly, taking up lots of pages (and ink!!) with constant nozzle cleaning and test patterns.

The quality when it works is great, and the 6 different ink tanks provide great colour. I do tend to use off brand ink though, as it is much much much cheaper than official ink.

So I need a nice model to replace this sad thing. Since I'm selling a product and the buttons are quite small, definition is key, and richness of colour is also important. My immediate thought was to get another Pixma, but the line seems to be all low end and combination printers now, and doesn't use as many coloured ink tanks.

So the questions are: What printers (brand doesn't matter) are available to fulfill my needs? Budget is about $300, I think there must be something nice around that price, but I could be wrong. I'm in Canada if that makes a difference. And about using off brand ink, is it horrible to do so? I have never had a problem quality wise, but could it gunk up the machine?

Thanks so much, I know there are a lot of printer questions, but I didn't see any in the last year or so that applied.

What's the deal with my PC's USB ports?

shallowcenter — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 03:03:45 -0800

My new HP printer/scanner/copier doesn't want to play nice with ... well, everything. Ever since I installed the thing, funky things have been happening with my PC. First I had trouble printing with it. An hour or so with HP tech support resolved that, but then last night the device wouldn't scan; the PC couldn't locate the scanner, according to the error message. An hour or so with tech support again resolved it -- until this morning, when the same problem happened.

On top of that, the new iPod I bought after installing the printer won't sync. The error message I keep getting tells me it's corrupted; I can't even restore it to factory settings. It's possible, of course, that the iPod really is on the fritz, but the timing has me curious. Is it possible that the HP device effed up the USB ports? Before chucking both the printer and the iPod and getting new ones, I thought I'd check out the collective wisdom here. Thanks!

The heaviest, most expensive paperweight I've ever owned?

gregoryc — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 18:20:12 -0800

There is no Mac driver for Canon's ImageCLASS MF8170c multifunction laser printer. Is there no workaround for this?? Really???? I would prefer something that doesn't require setting up a windoze machine as a print server (whatever the hell that means). Has anybody been able to use this printer w/ a Mac, or am I going to have to turn away this attempt at a very generous gift?

The detested blot

paduasoy — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 01:54:18 -0800

Streaks of ink when printing - Canon SmartBase MP360. Can anyone tell me how to take the printer apart? ... or just advise me that this is not a sensible thing to do. I have vertical streaks of ink appearing on the back of every page I print - this gets fainter if I print a lot in one session. I think that there must be a pool of ink inside the printer, but there is no obvious way to take the thing apart (manual is no help). I have looked at the forums at fixyourownprinter which say that the SmartBase has a cotton pad to soak up ink - I'm wondering if mine doesn't, or it's moved out of place, as the printer's only about two years old and doesn't get a huge amount of use. So, if anyone can tell me how to take it apart, that would be great, and if you think this is a bad idea or have other suggestions please let me know. I have tried the Deep Cleaning option from Printer Setup.

Inkjet Printer Recommendations

NorthCoastCafe — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 05:34:15 -0800

I'm loking for a small, not too expensive inkjet printer for mostly black and white printing of documents. I don't do photos and only occasionally want color--for Mapquest printouts etc. Lowest cost ink cartridges preferred. Speed and resolution not a big consideration. Footprint (size) is important but I don't want a "portable" which seem expensive. Thanks for your recommendations

Help me find a printing house in Toronto!

Felicity Rilke — Mon, 14 May 2007 20:32:57 -0800

Can anyone recommend -- on short notice -- a good printer in the Toronto-area for a short-run magazine? I'm working on a magazine which is launching June 1st. We just got an email today from our printer saying they were booked up for the month, and wouldn't be able to print our run (this despite telling us two weeks ago that everything was a go). They gave us a couple contacts to other printers to check out, but I'm more than a little worried that the other two printers will be too busy to take on our run.

So I need a reliable second, third, or even fourth choice. We were originally planning a run of 500 copies, but may have to scale back since that was based on a really good quote from the original printers (who were, ha, doing us a favour).

If anyone has had any experience with Toronto (or area) printers who could potentially print our run in time for our launch, please please please tell me about them. We're really scrambling here. How do you hold a magazine launch without a magazine?

Cheap Printers in Canada

Knigel — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 11:06:41 -0800

Looking for cheap printers in Canada. I need something that is around $100, can print in colour, double-sided, can be used for school purposes or making business cards and HipsterPDA cards. One thing I'm weary of is gettng a printer that forces me to spend tons of money on ink replacements. From my understanding there are some that are better than others when it comes to refilling ink. Thanks in advance for your help.

block b&w jobs to color printer

the ghost of Ken Lay — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 09:51:59 -0800

I've got a windows networked color printer on a 2003 domain and I'd like to be able to block print jobs sent it to that are not in color. Is such a thing possible? Ideally, it would be used strictly for color, but I'm not sure how to go about this without telling people over and over to use the b&w printer. Any ideas?

Digital versus offset 4-color process printing?

_sirmissalot_ — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 14:48:54 -0800

What is the difference between printing digitally vs. offset printing (when the printer outputs to film)? Can you design with full bleeds for digital printing? Do solid colors come out wavy or streaked with the digital process? As may be obvious from my question, I haven't overseen a printing job in a long time and would imagine that is much cheaper nowadays to not have to produce the film and actually mix the inks. Is that the case? Is the product as good as the old process? Apologies if my terminology is not 100 percent correct, but there seems to be some confusion over these terms even among people who do this for a living.

Also, can you recommend reliable printers in either the Seattle area or the Oakland/Bay Area who will do small runs of simple things like brochures and one-sheeters?

How can I get decent color brochure printing for under $1000?

calhound — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:37:18 -0800

Inkjet isn't cutting it for my home office. I give out about 200 product info sheets a month, and inkjet just gives, well, that technicolor "inkjet look", though granted I am printing on laser printer paper rather than inkjet papers. How good are these new $400 color laser printers? Should I give them a serious look, or is my money better spent on inkjet paper? Back when I did this kind of shopping 8 years ago the only real option for any decent brochures was a Tektronix Phaser dye sublimation printer ($9000 at the time). I tried a $5000 Tektronix color laser printer, but I was not impressed at all by the color saturation, so I returned it, and passed on the Phaser. Ever since, I have been grudgingly using $200 inkjet printers ever since and sending the most critical stuff off for 4-color offset (the ol' $2000 for the first page and 10 cents for each additional one deal). My current inkjet is a 2-year old HP 6840 ($200 in 2004).

Now I see that color lasers are available for $400. Has the technology gotten any better in the last 8 years? How does the table tip regarding consumables? I'm so out of touch with what's changed. I just want to make decent looking color brochures without having to get expensive photo papers.

It's also occurred to me that if I could varnish the paper somehow, that would make a difference... it's astounding how quality improves when a print process goes from matte to glossy in any print medium. I don't know if it's remotely practical to varnish printouts at home, though.

Looking for a printer with a low cost per printout.

Riemann — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 17:57:13 -0800

Looking for a printer with a low cost per printout. I am looking for a printer, or perhaps more than one, with the most important criteria being the cost per page of printing. I have an HP with works ok (good quality but slow) but the cost of ink is just getting too much to swallow. I am willing to spend more up front for a printer if it means longer term savings in terms of ink and maintenance.

I am definitely looking for consumer products here. I am not starting a print center or anything.

After cost per print, the most important factor is speed. Least important of the three is quality (still looking for something acceptable, but it doesn't have to be the best).

The reason I specified the possibility of multiple printers is there are probably different answers to this one depending on usage patterns. The three main types of documents I'll be printing are:

A) Black on white text and simple line graphics.
B) Color vector graphics.
C) Photographs.

If there is one printer that can handle all three well that would of course be ideal but I realize that might not be the case.

Wireless Printing, Can I, Huh?

miltoncat — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 04:32:19 -0800

Can I remotely connect to my printer? I use a laptop at home via a WiFi. Is there any way I can print remotely, or do I always have to plug the printer into the laptop? My laptop is a MacBook, my desktop (where wifi station is connected) is a PC, if that matters.

Needless to say I'd need a basic step-by-step explanation on how to do this if it's possible. :) I can get around on computers OK, but when it comes to connecting hardware, networks and routers, my head implodes a little... thanks.