This is the tight-fisted old git's guide to getting a decent printer. The cost of the printer DOES NOT relate to continuing running costs. There are other aspects such as ink and cartridge prices to take into consideration.
Having had 3 Epson Stylus printers fail in 2 years I was loath to buy Epson again. The printheads are just too prone to failure from something as simple as an air bubble. I was looking for a decent printer at a reasonable price, with reasonable running costs and generic cartridges readily available.
I have an inherent dislike of printers with the head integrated with the cartridge. yes I know that the manufacturers laud this as a fresh head with each change, but the running costs are sky high with this approach and the only alternative is to refill a cartridge whose replacement could be up to £30 for a mere 30/40ml of ink. Even best whisky is cheaper than this.
I spotted the Canon at PC-World about a year ago. At £119 it was dearer than a lot of offerings but faster, more versatile and most importantly the cartrige capacity was twice that of the identically priced replacements for the so-called "cheaper" models. The only consideration after print quality should be capacity, capacity, capacity. I spoke to the Canon Rep who was in the store and compared various specifications. He was very helpful and impulse buying mode took over.
Unlike the Epsons that have the print-head fixed to the carriage/cartridge holder, the Canon's head is eperate and is threfore easily replaced in the event of failure. I like this feature. Ease of service is a big plus, even in the event of a warranty claim. Epsons need to be dismantled to get at the head.
The i560 uses the same cartridges that go back to several previous models and that makes them readily available from virtually anywhere in the universe. It takes the larger capacity BCI-3eBK black cartridge and seperate cartridges for each colour BCI-6C/Y or M respectively and these are a decent capacity too. The original cartridges are pricey-ish but the capacity is OK. generics of decent quality are readily available for about £2.00 a piece as opposed about £7.00 for originals. Go to choicestationery.com for the best prices.
The i560 prints borderless photos and the quality is indistiguishable from a so-called photo-printer. The latter using another 2 extra cartridges. I defy anyone to tell the difference.
One really usefull extra is the "PictBridge" capability that allows PictBridge enabled cameras to print directly to the printer without the PC having to be switched on. It's all done via the camera, dead useful.
The printer has both USB and parallel ports which means that it will hook up to virtually any computer (it even works on our 14yr old Amiga).
Setup was a doddle as the PC detected it on power-up. The software provided is very good and the driver versatile. I use it with Windows 2000, but Win98 and XP were handled with equal panache. The canon Easy-Photoprint software is a doddle to use, instinctive and also allows some control over output. Simple enough for anyone without being patronising.
The paper handling is very good although the output flap at the front is a little flimsy.
First impressions were one of a decently built unit with excellent quality print. It is definitely fast but I am not so pedantic as to measure the actual time. Suffice it to say, it makes mincemeat out of my laser printer and is substantially faster that the late and unlamented Epson 860 (and that was quick too).
Photo quality is outstanding but you have to experiment with the right settings as different brand papers give differing results. As a guide I have been using Kodak Premium Picture paper (special at 75 sheets for £9.99 at Jessops). For Kodak paper use the ordinary Glossy Photo paper setting or the printer will use too much ink and satutare the picture. Done this way the pics were nothing short of superb; Sharp, vibrant and not a trace of smudging.
As for standard printing, I use plain old 80gsm paper and the output is very close to laser quality. Only crap paper (or was that crap-paper )will let you down.
I use the printer to produce leaflets and literature, so speed is essential. The i560 delivers in spades. Unless you need the highest quality output such as for photographs, I recommend installing Inksaver-2 software, that cuts ink useage drastically. For general use a 50% saving is almost indistinguishable from full strength. This is a real money saver.
The i560 is not the cheapest printer to buy, but when considering replacement ink costs and cartridge capacity it becomes very economical indeed.
I have nothing but praise for this printer, so much so that I bought a second one for my wife, for the knock down price of £84.95 from PC-World. It has now been discontinued in favour of the new Pixma range some of which still take the same cartridges.
Don't just look at the price, the on-costs can be substantial. As an example, ASDA are currently selling a Lexmark printer for £29.99 complete with a set of cartridges. Sounds good until you see that a replacement set will set yoou back about £46.00 or at the very least about £20 if you have them refilled at PC-World. I have tried refilling cartridges... MESSY... NEVER AGAIN!!!
There is only one minor cloud and that is that the ink can fade over time, although I have not experienced any problems as yet. The old Epsons faded, but the pics were in direct sunlight. Hey, back up your images onto a couple of duplicate CDs so they cannot get destroyed (and do the same with your documents, Windows WILL foul up one day) You can always print them again.
If you are after a terrific printer, that is good looking and well designed, at a reasonable price and with low running costs I cannot recommend the Canon i560 highly enough. Again, cartridges from choicestationery.com are so cheap that anyone refilling them is either a total scrooge or a certifiable lunatic
Oh yes!!! Pay the extra £22 to get the extra 2 years Canon warranty (directly from Canon NOT PC-World). If the printhead packs up it is £60. A warranty worth the money.
BUY ONE TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
More details
Reliability
Excellent
Design
Good
Range of extra features / functions
Good
Instruction manual
Good
Manufacturer Support
Excellent
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