LaserJet printer copier suggestions.

[Smitty54]

It’s been suggested that I need a printer. The black-and-white laser jet printer copier or scanner sounds like that might be what I need. 
1 it would have to be wireless 

2. what is the difference between a copier and scanner?

3. Are there ones that take paper larger than typical office paper.

4.I am not renting to spend more than $300. Maybe more.

5. is it better to have new or used.

6. why are you people using.

7.  White functions is important to be able to make a pattern?

 

[meflick]

Most of the newer printers available now have wireless capabilities. So if you need or want it to be, then you would more then likely need to get a new printer over used. I would lean towards purchasing a new printer over a used one mainly to insure I was not buying someone else’s problem and had a warranty or could return if there was an immediate issue. I ha be always purchased new, and most of the ones I have bought have always lasted for a long time. While ink jet printers are usually cheaper their ink can get expensive. Laser ones, the inks are also expensive but you get a lot more copies from an ink toner. However, if you want a large format and the ability to copy and scan, then you may need to look at the ink jet as the larger you can print and copy and scan, the more it’s going to cost generally.
 

Difference in a copier or a scanner. Many printers have a built in scanner or copier, but not all. If it is just a printer without the copier/scanner then you can only print from your computer or other devices capable of sending a job to your printer (like phone or tablet). Copier and scanner on sort of the same “concept” in that each are going to make a copy of your page in the same way by putting a document on the glass top of the machine for it to take a scan or make a copy of it. The main difference between a copier and a scanner as I would explain it is that the copier will print a copy(ies) of the page you want. So for example, if I have a pattern I want to make duplicate copies of, I would put it on the glass and make duplicate prints that printed out on paper just like I had. So a copier gives you a hard, printed copy. The scanner will not “print” out a duplicate to a piece of paper, but instead will “scan” it in or take a photograph of the image or document for you to store on your computer or other electronic device. Most can scan into various file formats. What format you would want to store it in will depend upon what you Want to be able to do with it later. Once you have scanned something in, you can keep it on your computer and print it out later at anytime. Most if they copy, they also scan. Some of the newer ones also have a USB port for copying or scanning to a usb stick versus to the computer.

yes, there are printers with copiers/scanners that will give you various sizes. Some will only do regular letter size. Others will do letter and legal size, but there are others that will do bigger. I have one that does 11x17 (tabloid) as well as letter and legal. The bigger it is, the more features and sizes it offers, the more it will cost naturally.

i take it you are saying you would like to not spend more than $300 but might go a little more and you were asking What not why are we using? And asking what functions do we deem Important when making copies of a pattern?
 

Black and white only will definitely be cheaper, however, I prefer to cut red line patterns plus I do other things that I use color prints for so mine is not black and white only. While I do have a smaller laser printer, the larger printer/copier/scanner I mentioned above is not a laser one but is an ink jet.  It is an Epson Workforce 7720. (Not sure this version is still available but they should have newer one similar out). It will scan and copy. I use my “all in one” printer/copier/scanner when I want to copy a pattern from a magazine, make it bigger or smaller or scan it into my computer to save there or manipulate in someway for example. If I buy a pattern online, or download it from a site, like one shared here in the village, I just store it on my computer and print out as needed so I would only need a “printer” to do that, not a copier or a scanner. The bigger any of them will print or copy, the bigger I can make the pattern. If I have a black lined pattern, I can take it into a computer program and convert my lines to red and with a color printer versus black and white, I can print it back out with red lines. If I have purchased or downloaded a red line pattern and want to make hard copies of it and keep the red lines, I can also do that. 
 

Hope that helps a little.

Edited August 7, 2020 by meflick

[Wichman]

I agree with all of meflick's post above.

I use an HP officejet pro 7740. It's wireless, prints, scans, and copies up to 11 x 17. It even has it's own email address so I can sent it files remotely. Two years ago it cost just under $200 at office max.

For software I use Bigprint by woodgears. This program has the capabilities and accuracy I need for printing fretwork patterns.

[Badgerboy]

a couple of months ago I picked up a Brother MFC-L2717DW Monochrome Compact Laser All-in-One Printer at Sams club on sale for $159. I love it!  Print quality is goo, fast printing and the scanner and copier are very useful. 

[FrankEV]

I also agree with metflicks post and others.  A quality brand 11X17 ink jet printers is an absolute necessity.  An all in one like the Epson Workforce models are great.  You will find the scan feature very useful.  

[nrscroller]

I have a Brother black and white laser printer and I use not only for scrolling patterns but for printing out other stuff. Also a cartridge lasts about 1000 pages vs those dumb ink carts for all other printers.

 

[Dave Monk]

I bought a Cannon Pixma 3200 about three years ago. It has ink reservoirs instead of cartridges. I've probably printed 1000 pages since I bought it and it still has about a third of the ink it came with.

[kmmcrafts]

I've never had a laser printer.. but as stated above.. the older I get the worst my eyes are getting.. I like doing the lines red as well.. I use the scan feature a lot for scanning patterns to the computer to store so they're readily available for re-printing if I want to make more again some day... I love my wide format Epson WorkForce  7610.. Pretty sure this model is not made any more.. But I have to say I've worked the crap out of it with printing sales receipts and shipping labels.. My kids use it a lot as well for printing school papers etc.. I run nearly a whole case / box of paper through it dang near every year.. The downside is buying ink.. The other downside to the inkjet printers is.. IF you don't print many papers per week the ink can dry out and then you have to do print head cleaning function which uses a considerable amount of ink to purge the ink through the print head.. so a lot of ink gets wasted in cleaning the print head rather than using it on printing papers.. I don't have any knowledge of the printers that have print ink tanks.. or how much the cost of the tanks are.. nor the durability of the tank style printers.. But that is one thing I want to look at for my next printer if I go with a inkjet style again.. Another thing for me would be having a printer that had two paper trays... I print my patterns on full sheet shipping labels... whenever I print a pattern I have to load the shipping label paper into the printer.. so I'm constantly opening up the paper tray to add the paper for the patterns.. many times putting to many papers in and then forgetting to take them out.. then I end up printing a receipt onto my label papers Grrr.. LOL.. just be nice to have two trays.. one for standard paper and one for the shipping labels...

Wide format printer is a must have if you do a lot of larger projects.. but in my case.. most everything I make just uses the standard paper size.. but for portrait style cutting... a wide format printer that'll print a 11 x 17 sized pattern sure is nice..

I didn't offer any advice I suppose but I did put what some of my wants needs in a printer and maybe that will give some thoughts as to options than maybe you had not thought about in a printer.. everyone has different wants / needs from a printer..      

[OCtoolguy]

On 8/6/2020 at 5:04 PM, Smitty54 said:

It’s been suggested that I need a printer. The black-and-white laser jet printer copier or scanner sounds like that might be what I need. 
1 it would have to be wireless 

2. what is the difference between a copier and scanner?

3. Are there ones that take paper larger than typical office paper.

4.I am not renting to spend more than $300. Maybe more.

5. is it better to have new or used.

6. why are you people using.

7.  White functions is important to be able to make a pattern?

 

I bought a Brother color laser and I love it. Should have done it years ago. So much better than ink jet. The ink never dries up. I'm still operating off the start cartridges. There is a youtube that shows how to reset the cartridge memory so you can run them till they die. I think I paid under $250 from Amazon 3 years ago.

[OCtoolguy]

On 8/7/2020 at 12:34 PM, FrankEV said:

I also agree with metflicks post and others.  A quality brand 11X17 ink jet printers is an absolute necessity.  An all in one like the Epson Workforce models are great.  You will find the scan feature very useful.  

I had nothing but trouble with both of my Epsons. Luck of the draw.

[Roberta Moreton]

I purchased a HP Office Jet Pro 7740. It takes both the 8 x 10 paper ( I put my full sheet self adhesive labels in that slot) and 11 x 17 paper in the other slot for larger patterns. I keep regular paper in the old printer. 

[oldhudson]

I know you've made a purchase but there may be others out there who would find this info useful. After we got rid of our dot matrix printer we had ink jet printers, mostly from HP, for years and years. But of course I was forever making trips trips (2 or 3 times a years, I could never get through tax season without buying new ink jet cartridges) to Office Max to purchase more ink cartridges. What a rip off. Finally, a couple of years ago we got a HP Color Laser Jet Pro MFP M281fdw. What a difference. This is so much better than ink jet. I've had it over two years and have not replaced the toner even once. (It's been through 2 rounds of taxes for 5 of us without purchasing any toner!) It's faster, much faster, than the ink jet printers. It prints both side automatically. The document handler works great too, so if I have several pages I need to copy. I can load the handler and hit start and the pages feed automatically. The pages come out dry. It does letter size paper and cover stock, post cards,  printer labels and envelopes. I works wirelessly. The scanner works great for both text and photos. I can even print from my phone. Hand down this is by far the best printer I've owned. There are two things that aren't great: color pages aren't as good and it does not reduce or enlarge copies.