MediumRoastSteam Why? Because the print head is in the cartridge, unlike the OfficeJet models. Seems to be HPs weakest point for failure, after two printers and two printhead failures.
Well, there’s more than one way of looking at the ‘head in the cartridge’ issue. It does certainly reduce the risk of head failure, if you change it every time you replace a cartridge. On the other hand, it means the cartridges are more complex than simple ink tanks.
Other perspective is that HP (and some others) design many of their printers with the heads in cartridges because they need changing regularly. The logic goes like this …. Epson use (mainly) piezo-electric heads which squirt out little droplets of ink by contracting a crystal. HP use thermal printing, which fires droplets by heating the ink up masively (something like 330 dgrees, Centigrade, IIRC) and the expansion fires the droplet. So that heting has to occur, per droplet. Heads need replacing because the thermal stresses that processes places, but piezo=electric doesn’t involve thermal stresses.
That said, most (inkejt) printers don’t like protractedpriods of not being used. I don’t have that problem, because I print something most days. But users that print infrequently would, IMHO, be well-advised to consider DaveC’s advice to go laser. However, if doing that,check very carefully about how many pages you can expect from the initial set of cartridges, and be wary of “starter” cartruidges. Also, check both the cost of a full set, and whether cartridges are the only consumables to be rplaced regularly. Kyocera, for instance, certainly used to need three or four ‘consumables’ replaced at varying page counts (and a potential cost of several hundred pounds), and that doesn’t include toner.
Which can get right expensive, and begs the question …. does the buyer need colour? If not, even for very light use, consider mono lasers. If colouris necessary, and provided high photo qualityisn’t a high priority, consider laser if you can justify the up-front cost. Othrwise, you’re kinda stuck with inkjets and each approach, and make, has upsides and downsides.
My personal choices? For photo printing, Epson, with Canon very close behind, then HP, though it depends how picky you are about photo quality, and to a degree, your choice of photo paper. For business-class inkjets, HP. But be careful, not all are as well-built as others …. or as they used to be. For occasional, general=purpose colour, laser (or LED) if you can, but beware hidden costs.
NOTE - on photo printers, Epson used to lead by a mile, IMHO. In recent years, it’s extremely close betweenEpson and Canon and the choice of specific modelis more imortant than make. HP are still bringing up the rear (IMHO) but by nowhere near as much as it used to be. They’re all pretty impressive, if you pick the right models.
And by “photo printers”, I mean those designed primarily for photos, and aimed at enthusiasts or profesionals, not just a colour printer Joe Public might print a few holiday snaps on.
