About Printers / Scanners

Review of the Lexmark X204n Laser Printer

2009-07-07T19:53:35Z

For nearly $300, the Lexmark X204n wasn't the fantastic laser printer I expected it to be. It did a fine job and produces extremely sharp monochrome pages. But it was sluggish on most print jobs, so you might want to consider some faster--and cheaper--competitors.

Photo copyright Lexmark

Buying a Dedicated Photo Printer

2009-07-03T10:20:33Z

Shutterbugs have it easier these days than when I was a kid, hauling around a rock-heavy Canon single-reflex camera--and then shelling out big bucks to see the results of my experimental shots, which were all too often disappointments. With digital cameras affordable, and photo printers downright cheap (not to mention excellent, and often free, digital editing software), once the first investment is made, there's no reason why aspiring photographers can't keep trying till they get what they like. But finding the right photo printer is not always easy. I've got a list of the Top Budget Photo Printers, which can help those with an eye on the bottom line, and a full set of in-depth photo-printer reviews for you to peruse. PC Mag has some more suggestions. M. David Stone's How to Buy a Dedicated Photo Printer asks the questions that should be asked before you invest in a dedicated photo printer, such as: How much do you print? Do you need to print in color or black and white? And how are you going to connect? Thanks again to David for his excellent articles!

HP 6500 and HP 8500 Printer Specs

2009-06-28T12:46:48Z

HP has several new printers that I'll be looking at soon. The HP 6500, according to HP, is fast, economical, and eco-conscious--it uses as much as 40 percent less energy than a laser printer, the company says. At under $100, the HP 6500 printer is likely to be a great buy. The big-brother version of the HP 6500, the HP Officejet Pro 8500, can print color documents for up to 50 percent less per page, HP claims--and, if you're using HP's high capacity cartridges, you'll save money on consumables compared to laser printers. Read more about the HP 8500 specs.

Lexmark X204n Laser Printer: Small Price, Footprint

2009-06-24T20:14:56Z

The Lexmark X204n is a monochrome laser printer that sells for well under $300. It's also networkable, fairly fast, eco-friendly, and has a relatively small footprint for a laser printer. Check out the Lexmark X204n Review for more specs on this new monochrome laser printer from Lexmark.

Print Your Own Custom Silver Cufflinks. Scan Your Own Monkey.

2009-06-24T20:10:07Z

Yes, it was strange to type that title, but thanks to Shapeways, which allows you to create your own jewelry, ringpoems, and other fun stuff using a 3D printer, you can in fact create your own custom cufflinks (with your initials on them), in silver. Or a ringpoem, a ring of silver made of the words of your favorite poem. The links are only $99, the ringpoem (makes a handy napkin ring) $129.

Want to start your own 3D scanning studio, and get any shape you want printed in 3D (including a monkey statue, as used in the demo)? Then you'll want to check out the DAVID 3D Starter Kit, reviewed on the Shapeways blog. For less than $300, you can start scanning stuff at home and turning it into 3D digital models. Monkey not included.

Print from the Web--Without a PC

2009-06-22T19:00:34Z

HP has announced that later this year, it will release the world's first Web-connected home printer. The HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web uses HP apps that allow users "to connect instantly with fun, informative and personal content," the company says. The first app partners are USA Today, Google, Fandango, Coupons.com, DreamWorks Animation, Nickolodeon, Web Sudoku, and Weathernews Inc. So, even without a computer, you'll be able to download and print maps, news, movie tickets, coloring books, and a host of other fun stuff. Finding content using the printer's 4.33-inch touchscreen should be easy--HP says it's "the largest LCD touchscreen of any all-in-one inkjet printer on the market." Expect to see the HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web retail for under $400.

Save Ink, Save Time, with Dell's InkSave Program

2009-06-22T18:51:31Z

Starting a print job and then discovering that you don't have enough ink to finish it can be infuriating, not to mention a time waster. Now you've got to jump in the car and find the local office-supply store, and hope they have your ink in stock. But Dell offers a painless way to ensure you always have ink for your Dell inkjet printer. The company's InkSave program give you ink in your printer and a spare. When your ink cartridge is empty, replace it with the spare and pop the used one in the mail back to Dell--the company generously pays the shipping cost. The "Welcome Kit" comes with ink cartridges and return envelopes.

HP Photosmart C6380 All-in-One Printer Reviewed

2009-06-21T10:07:37Z

Wireless printing is becoming commonplace, and printer manufacturers are working hard to make sure that consumers don't have to, when it comes to setting up wireless printers. The HP Photosmart C6380 All-in-One Printer is no exception; it found my network connection quickly and was attached in moments. There were some initial glitches with getting the included software package installed, but once I got past that, the Photosmart 6380 worked admirably. There's no fax machine in this all in one (and frankly, I didn't miss it). But there's support for multiple types of media cards and PictBridge, a handy 2.4-inch color LCD, and only a few buttons on the machine, making any kind of job easy to figure out. I like the way photos look using HP's Vivera ink. The review of the HP Photosmart 6380 outlines the other things I learned while testing.

Photo courtesy HP

Make Your Photos Fit Your Photo Paper

2009-06-18T20:52:34Z

Sounds easy, right? Just choose 4x6, or 8x10, or whatever size your paper is, then print away. Problem is, though they're both rectangles, they have different aspect ratios--and that simply means that your photos may not print out the way you expect them to. If the thought of reading a treatise on how aspect ratios work worries you, fear not: Mike Pasini, Editor of the Imaging Resource Newsletter, has written a short, entertaining, and above all clear explanation of aspect ratios and, more importantly, how to adjust your images before you print them so they come out looking their best. A handy aspect ratio calculator shows you exactly how to crop your photos so they'll fit. It's an excellent resource for anyone who prints photos.

Government Mandates for Greener Printers

2009-06-17T19:44:02Z

In accordance with revised technical specifications go into effect in July, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the European Commission will require printers, scanners, and other computer products to be more energy efficient if they are to be given Energy Star approval. According to EC Energy Star,

The energy savings triggered by the new imaging equipment requirements in EU-25 has been estimated at about 17 TWh [terawatt hours] during the next three years.

That is roughly as much energy as produced by the country of Ireland in a year, writes Paul Meller of IDG.

Want to know how much energy you'll save? Check out the Energy Calculator and find out. You can also find a database of Energy Star-rated printers and scanners at the EU Energy Star site.