Laser/Inkjet

[Rigel]

What type of printer would you recommend for a photo-maniac? Laser or printer.? And what type of paper?

[grays]

I'm not up to speed with the latest developments with colour laser printers but last time I checked (a year ago or so), inkjet quality for photos was still significantly superior to colour laser. Colour lasers are also more expensive as units but a little cheaper to run than inkjets, although still quite expensive compared to B&W lasers.

As for paper, the best you can get! It makes a huge difference. You'll probably get the best results using the printer manufacturer's ink with the printer manufacturer's best paper. Mixing different manufacturers for printer/ink and paper can give mixed results.

Search the web for reviews on inkjets. Improvements are coming all the time.

The only advice I would give is to factor in the running costs. Check out how much the cartridges and paper are. How long does a cartridge last? Buying the cheapest printer won't necessarily work out cheapest in the end. Inkjets cost quite a lot to run!

[EricvZ]

Another tip ... search for printers with different tanks for each colour, that way you only have to replace wat's empty.

[Rigel]

What disadvantages do lasers have?

[ap.]

Disadvantage: Cost!

And in my experiece they weren't as good as cheap ink jet printers when doing photos. But, that was a few years ago, I'm sure they've improved since then.

[Rigel]

Yeah, i know about the cost, but isn't there a pro who can name a good printer or a good DPI for a photographer?