The best printer for cards of artwork & photos? What about cheaper inks? Printers for cardstock

[@verdedoodleduck]

Spot on. I don't print cards much at this point but that certainly could change. I personally wouldn't think about printing anything in large amounts without a professional printer for any of the projects I might do at this point (prints, stickers, t-shirts, etc.). I really appreciate that you approach all sorts of printing types. I'll be interested in the dtf if/when you can speak on the subject. I like that you have a strong emphasis on the business side - I think it's an easy beginning mistake buying a printer to do bulk work (that isn't designed to) and underestimating the effort it takes to push through so many prints. I might have missed a couple of sentences wondering how often you get that red-capped dry marker(?) out of the fish-bowl...I'd like to see that on video. :)

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks! Ah, the fish-bowl... There are things in there that have been on my desk for 25 years ;-)

[@CharlesBonham-bh8mt]

I print note cards on my new Epson 5370 ( and on the Epson 4800 before that) on Epson double sided matte. I print note cards two to a page (4:3 aspect ratio) with a half inch border. I cut them to size, fold them, put the envelope and card in a glassine as the printer is printing more cards. Greeting cards are printed one image to a full page with a half inch border using a little under a 3:2 aspect ratio. I have two patterns set with guide marks on each page for note cards or greeting cards. I crop and size the image to the correct aspect ratio and drop the image onto the page using the guide marks. I save the image as a finished note card or greeting card to be printed again as desired.

[@killpop8255]

Finally I bought a printer! I went cheap for the G650 (cheaper than the G550) which hopefully is actually cheap to run. Need to revisit your earlier vids and written review for good media as well as all the 'profile' stuff and your test shot and description how to read it and... (not enough hours in the day!)

[@KeithCooper]

have fun :-)

[@lucyandrew2279]

Hi Keith. I'm in the process of deciding which printer to buy and you're videos are extremely useful! Thank you 😊 I narrowed it down to the ET 4850 but then decided on the ET 8550/8555 as although I will use it for occasional document printing, I will mainly print reference photos to paint from, so 6 tanks will give better colour accuracy. I was thinking of printing cards too, but you're content about borderless prints and maintenance has made me think twice. Can you confirm whether standard photo prints also lead to higher maintenance from the ink spillage and whether it's possible to opt for prints with borders on all photo printing to avoid this issue? Many thanks. Lucy

[@KeithCooper]

Glad to help, but do see the actual review for details www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/ What are 'standard' photo prints? Borders are just a printer driver settings issue - the overspray is only likely to be an issue if you print many thousands - otherwise, just keep the insides clean.

[@wiktoriatluvi]

I'm actually going to be using my new l8180/et 8550 mainly for printing stuff on art papers/regular thicker papers, and crafty things cards with my art included, so hopefully it goes well :)) and so far I haven't seen any marks but I wanted to also print photos as well, since this printer is a "photo printer" after all, I noticed that all the glossy papers (even epson ones) I tested have these infamous roller marks, though I'm not sure which ones it was about in the past, because all my glossy ones get these little dot-line indents - these dots are really tiny, but visible at the right angle (and also mainly one of the papers gets some deeper line indents too, sometimes more, sometimes less 😅 but I'm guessing it's maybe because it's not a perfect match with the setting, since it's not an "official" paper). But I also noticed that on a print I got from a friend that's using a totally different eco tank printer (L3251, smaller one that prints up to a4) these dots are also there 🤔 I looked at prints mid printing and those little white spikey wheels moving the print forward are the culprits apparently. So is it like this in every epson (/ecotank epson 🤔) printer or was it just the two of us getting not quite lucky all the way? 😂 (Because I'm primarily happy I don't really see those roller marks on my "matte" papers, maybe only from time to time, a little barely noticeable line). I heard some people got quite visible lines on thicker "art" papers, so I'm thinking whether it's just a universal thing on glossy papers or is there something wrong in the end/something I'm missing 🤔

[@KeithCooper]

I'm afraid those marks seem very dependent on the printer itself. Sometimes lifting the output can help - I've seen people put a magazine in the output tray. This and paper handling in general is the main area I'd still like to see Epson improve in many of their printers. I've been lucky, but there is an element of luck in it - that and paper choice - some just mark more easily :-(

[@zirizirii]

Hey @wiktoriatluvi how do you set up printer settings to print on art papers? Do you use some general ICC profile, or let the printer handle it on some auto-settings? @KeithCooper any advices?

[@KeithCooper]

@@zirizirii For art papers, use a profile for the paper, BUT make sure you use the VFA media setting, since it forces all inks to be used [including the pigment black] See the detailed coverage of this in the main written review www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-8550-printer-review/

[@zirizirii]

@@KeithCooper Thanks, you are the best thing that happened to this printer's owners :D Really appreciate your materials and detailed review I just gone through. I'm going to order 3rd-party made profiles for all 3 non-photo papers I'm using. Tintoretto Gesso 250g Some Standard 250g jet printer paper Ploter paper roll 90g Would you recommend using VFA setting for all these papers while printing testing charts for profiling?

[@KeithCooper]

@@zirizirii Can't say - I don't know those papers Ask who's doing the profiles VFA is just for matt media

[@radleystark6561]

Hi Keith. I've watched a lot of your videos and have been really impressed with your knowledge and how you share it with others. I want a printer for bluray covers I make in Photoshop so I suppose photos and graphics and clear text. Would an Epson Ecotank 2850 or the Canon G650 be up to the task and which paper should I use? Both are in my price range. I don't know how to contact you to go into more detail so trying not to take up too much of your time on here, thanks.

[@KeithCooper]

Read my actual [written] reviews of those two printers - to get an idea of the media types which work www.northlight-images.co.uk/canon-g550-printer-review/ www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-et-2850-printer-review/

[@radleystark6561]

@@KeithCooper Many thanks.

[@NicolaKettlewell]

Hi, I currently have a Canon Pro 100s which I use for printing cards and art prints. I'm looking to buy a new printer for printing my cards as my Canon has stopped auto feeding my cards and I have to push them in individually (It used to work but stopped for some reason) Do you know if any printers will auto feed cards? I've been looking at outsourcing but the samples I've received so far don't match the quality I can print myself. Thank you!

[@KeithCooper]

The 200 and 300 are effectively the same physical mechanism as the 100 Auto feed of cards rarely works well in anything I've tried apart from this www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-wf-c8690-printer-review/ Even that has some margin issues - see the review

[@imoafaq]

Thought the subject would be about PVC cards. After I bought my printer for photos, I found out it can print cards so did a small business selling Google Reveiws card to small shops with NFC. used Timeskey cards as it works with inkjet printers and it worked great for borderless designs. only downside, along the road I found it prints leaving very small gap in one border. Not sure how this can be fixed other than changing my desgin.

[@KeithCooper]

PVC cards fall very much into the specialised media side of things - this one is very much about greeting cards and the like I've looked at ID card printing with the ET-18100 I'll add a note about this to the video description

[@KiraSim-d4v]

Hello! I am a watercolor artist. I am choosing a printer to print postcards and posters for sale. Which printer is better to choose? I'm thinking about P-700 and PRO 300

[@KeithCooper]

No easy answer - see relative print costs here for info www.redrivercatalog.com/rr/cost-of-inkjet-printing.html Suggests the 300 - but I'd pick the P900 over the P700 any time - cheaper than either to print None will take a stack of cards for example See details at www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-sc-p700-printer-review/ www.northlight-images.co.uk/canon-pro-300-printer-review/

[@KiraSim-d4v]

@@KeithCooper Thanks for the detailed answer, useful information and video.

[@KiaranScath]

I thought this video might be about playing cards. I have an Epson ET-8550 and I wanted to print some proxies of Magic the Gathering cards. (Proxies are stand ins for expensive cards that you can't afford to buy, they're not suppose to be sold.) I went down a rabbit hole of trying to find the cardstock, how to align the front and back of the cards, and how to cut them out. Turns out that printing good quality playing cards at home is a real hassle and not worth it unless you enjoy repetitive tasks and redoing failed prints. Still, if anyone knows where I can get sheets of blue- or black-core cardstock sheets, please let me know.

[@KeithCooper]

Basically such cards are just not something to make with inkjet printers unless you don't intend handling them much... It's a topic I get asked about every so often after I review printers and there is no source of robust enough media I've ever seen. Likewise if someone knows of a suitable media - let me know too?

[@lewisjevons52]

Hi Keith, thankyou for your videos! I have bought and tried various card from Marrutt, Fotospeed and Pinnacle. All of them, regardless of gsm, start to bend after 20 minutes stood on the mantlepiece and don't seem to be able to support their own shape, in a way that 'shop bought' cards (or ones sent to printers) can. These are supposedly cards specifically for this purpose (IE not cheap 'card stock'), so I'm guessing there's a specific reason? Can you shed some light? Thankyou!

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - it's almost always ambient humidity and sometimes incomplete drying. Double sided are the most resistant to this, since it's the difference between coated and non coated sides which does it. I'd ask the suppliers what they suggest? I've seen it only with some cards - but of course that's just in my office and they don't get so sit around for very long...

[@steveexcell8683]

My Daughter is a talented amateur artist who paints as a hobby, she has recently begun to show her work to the public through a club she belongs to. The club exhibits and sells (for a commision) its members pictures. At the moment she uses my Epson P600 (matt setup) or my P800 (gloss setup) to produce limited prints for sale. She is keen to make cards which the club will also sell through these exhibitions. She is looking to produce A5 cards (therefore I assume A4 Card before folding), can you recomend a manufacturer/source for good quality card blanks (preferably pre-creased) with envelopes and cellophane bags. Also what minimum GSM would you advise? Regards

[@KeithCooper]

I'd suggest [in the UK] one of Fotospeed/Paper Spectrum/PermaJet Several do samples - gsm is not necessarily a reliable indicator in this I'd note

[@steveexcell8683]

@@KeithCooper Thanks

[@thinkpadx60]

What’s your view on the quality of canon selphy for 4R

[@KeithCooper]

Sorry, what is '4R'?

[@thinkpadx60]

@@KeithCooper Referring to printing on 4R = 4 x 6 inch, canon selphy cp 1500 printer

[@KeithCooper]

@@thinkpadx60 Good for snaps, which is completely what it is aimed at. Relatively expensive though. Depends entirely on what you want the prints for. Not a printer I've done full testing for though.

[@farrowmascoe3366]

I have the XP 15000.. aside from cheaper inks in the 8550... would I notice better print quality if I purchased the 8550? I have the Epson V600 scanner so I don't need the scanner feature.

[@KeithCooper]

Depends on the sort of printing, the media types and of course the quality of profiles. Would you notice it? That I cannot say. Both printers are capable of good printing. I'd pick it over the 15000 any day, but that's because of the mixed ink set and all the profiling I did for the review - well that and the vastly cheaper ink costs.

[@farrowmascoe3366]

@KeithCooper thank you.. I mostly use it for the things in this video...art cards, small art prints, stickers,etc. I use papers and profiles from Red River paper. I'm just about out of ink so might be a good time to sell this one and switch to the 8550 for ink savings. Do the ink tanks evaporate more quickly than cartridges though? I go through periods of no printing.

[@KeithCooper]

The tanks don't evaporate However - see my maintenance video about the importance of regular use, even if just a nozzle check Depends on how long those periods of idleness are...

[@farrowmascoe3366]

@KeithCooper they don't evaporate?! Wow! That's a huge savings! I can go weeks/months without printing although I've watched your videos and do a check every couple weeks with no issues. I lose a lot to evaporation here.

[@KeithCooper]

@@farrowmascoe3366 You didn't say where you are - here in the UK they don't evaporate... No you cannot go 'months' without printing! No inkjet printer likes this For an 8550 a nozzle check on plain paper every 2-3 weeks is more than enough