Reddit mentions: The best computer printers

I was in a similar situation in my first year, commuted 1.5h each way daily, didn't do so hot. You're actually actively trying to improve within the first month of your first year, that's better than me, which is impressive to say the least. And your post is not stupid! In your first year you end up taking a bunch of classes in different disciplines so you naturally will have a harder time. I also have a sneaking suspicion that professors try to make first year harder to weed out people, but it might just be my experience biasing things. Later on in your education you can sort of specialize into stuff you're good at. I improved most my second year, and did really well my third (even got $$$ from UBC for my grades :O). I settled in Computer Science so YMMV if you're in another science discipline, engineering, arts, etc.

If I would give advice to my former self, I'd say these things (sorry if this is a bit rambly, I will clean this up later) :

• Don't be overwhelmed, try any of the following stuff in piecemeal and try to iterate on what works for you.
  
  
• Do most of your studying/homework AT SCHOOL. Make time for that if possible, and treat it like a job. The library is your second home now. Actually the library is your home. Your other home is only for sleeping (7-8 hours), showering, relaxing, and potentially family stuff. After you're done commuting you should relax, or do light review. Never bring your stress home. There were only ~3 days where I was thinking of school at around 7+PM last year (excluding late evening exams, it was always traceable to something that would have been easier if I started earlier...).
  
  
• Go to all classes, sit at the front, say hi to your neighbor, and then take ALL the notes. I never read notes before class (BAD high school habit), but when I started doing pre-readings or skimming through to get a sense of what the topic would be, the lectures were about refining knowledge instead of racing to grasp it. Also it helps immensely if you start reading through textbooks and doing the problems in them. I read all my textbooks for my courses now and make my own notes before class (a good litmus test is can you summarize what the paragraph(s) just said in a few sentences?). Though make sure you're learning the same material the professor is teaching (keener problems :P). You should also skim/re-read your notes and it should take you 5-10 minutes to read a set of notes, which helps fill in the gaps between lectures!
  
  
• Simulate all your practice midterms/quizzes/exams in quiet places in the library, and time yourself. If you get a midterm/quiz back and you didn't do well, DO IT AGAIN on your own with the same time set as the original one. A bad grade is helpful in a weird masochistic way, it tells you EXACTLY what topics you need to do better in.
  
  
• Learn how to take better notes. Use techniques like the Cornell method, paraphrasing, etc. Also, when the professor says something that isn't on the slides, make note of it, it might be on the exam.
  
  
• Go to all labs, tutorials, etc and make an effort. Be attentive and alert in your work here. Don't be afraid to ask questions about stuff you don't know, you are wasting your tuition by not doing so - however - do prep though to figure out the gaps in your knowledge and aim your questions to bridge those gaps.
  
  
• Track all deadlines/deliverable in your courses using Google Calendar/Keep (or equivalent). Technology is not your friend if you don't use it right, i.e. if you play games, facebook, etc, it's only going to hurt you. This involves using piazza, connect, canvas, and etc on your phone/laptop to find what's up in your courses.
  
  
• Quit time sinks like gaming. I completely gave up gaming and my grades improved. I occasional can play games now, but in M O D E R A T I O N. Turns out if you stop playing games, you really just don't find them fun anymore. Removing stuff like gaming will cause time to just open up in your schedule.
  
  
• Start your homework/assignments ASAP (make personal deadlines HALF of what the actual deadline is), and go to office hours to clarify on stuff you aren't making progress on. Depending on the professor or TA, they might multi-cast the explanations they give to other students to spread the learning to you, so it might be beneficial to go even if you don't have any direct questions, just general uneasiness.
  
  
• Start a hobby. Reading, playing an instrument, a sport, etc. It helps relieve stress and ground you in reality that life is a lot more than just grades (seriously, think 60 years down the road).
  
  
• There is light at the end of the tunnel, think of how in XYZ amount of years you'll look back and enjoy your many accomplishments, including finishing UBC first year. :)
  
  
• Print out all your assignments (this is my best friend), homework and practice questions/midterms/quizzes/finals and do them in a quiet place. To give you an example, I print out my assignments, then whenever I work on them I manually make notes of how far I got, circling what questions I'm stuck on, what questions I can ask on piazza, office hours, etc.
  
  
• Grab all PDFs/Doc files from your courses and organize them into Onedrive/Drive/Dropbox etc. using a hierarchy structure. For example for every term I have folders for each class (and folders for stuff like co-op, etc), and in each class folder I have folders for the lecture slides, assignments, syllabus (for future reference), solutions, and practice materials. If you want to scan your notes you can do that too (get an auto feed duplex scanner, not a manual one!), and shoebox your physical notes! You can also save web pages as PDFs (should be built-in for chrome), some courses or labs were just HTML pages and you can't download them easily.
  
  
• Check out material from your courses from the internet, or other universities, or even online courses. For instance there was a concept in one of my classes that I didn't really get, I watched a few youtube videos and checked out some online lectures that shared topics and was able to understand.
  
  
• Know how your brain learns materials! An online course called "Learning how to learn" is a useful investment, but you are already overloaded it seems like. If you have a lazy saturday, or some spare cycles, read this reddit summary and/or watch the videos on coursera.
  
  The following stuff is really situational (and you should talk to your department advisors instead of some random redditor over them)
  
  
• Try spreading out your courses over summer - I took a few courses in the summer to stay ahead and have more breathing room.
  
  
• You might want to take a year break for work (co-op or non-co-op) - I did co-op, my grades got better when returning from my job, but I think this was more because I was the one paying for my tuition, not my parents.
  
  
• You may want to spread out your degree to 5 years - I'm doing this already because of co-op (16 month of work spread in between my terms), but you can just repeat a standing of a year (ie. be considered X year twice) if you don't meet promotion requirements.
  
  
  
  Specific to commuting:
  
  
• Try coming to school earlier to avoid the traffic and get in some extra study time.
  
  
• Listen to audiobooks or read a book (not a text book) while listening to music.
  
  
• Practice Anki flash cards or do some light review. I wasn't able to effectively zone out the transit crowd well enough to actually study new things.
  
  
• See if a family member can drop you off closer to a stop/sky train or pick you up. I skipped a bus transfer (and saved time in the commute) by just waking up earlier and hitching a ride with a family member to a Skytrain station.
  
  
  
  And on the health side of things:
  
  
• Bring your home made lunch or eat healthy on the campus. As a commuter it might be tempting to eat junk food, but try eating healthy.
  
  
• Drink lots of water, and if you can handle the weight, bring a refillable water bottle.
  

Thank you so much!

I've only been at it for just over a month now, so I'm no expert by any means, but here's what I found works best for me:

this paper
UV spray
For Cutting
[I use this printer] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0798D6XBM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_taa_.neCDbCF0XZKP)

I started out using regular sticker paper with a cold-press laminate(it was the cheapest route), and they looked and felt really nice...at first. they didn't hold up against weather and water for very long. The laminated part was water proof, but it would get wet under the sticker, and eventually break the sticker apart. They were also hard to make without them getting all scratched up before you even cut them.

I like that vinyl paper a lot. There are a lot of options for it, but that is the most cost effective, and so far, it's been really fantastic. The paper is water resistant, so water doesn't get underneath the sticker and break it apart like the other ones. After I print a page, I spray it with that UV spray. It just gives a nice texture that I like, and keeps them from fading in the sun. I ran a sticker through the dishwasher before I sprayed it. The sticker part held on phenominally well, the ink ran tho. I haven't tried it with the coat, but I don't see myself washing many stickers.

After the spray dries (a couple of minutes), a run it through the Cameo 3. I started out with a Cricut. I actually like the Cricut machine better. It's designed to just work. However, the software is garbage. It's web based, and even worse, it automaticaly arranges your artwork on the page to be printed and cut. That sounds nice, but 99% of the time, it wasted more than half the page. I was throwing out so much paper. There are some workarounds I found online, but they were tedious, innacurate, and not worth the effort. I do not reccommend the cricut until they get their software in line. The Cameo takes a little more fiddling with, but it's more custumizable, and I arrange stickers on the page how I want.

My printer is just that low-end Epson. It works great actually. The only thing I would suggest is getting a printer that you can side-load. I feel like the the paper getting bent through the printer isn't good for the paper, and makes the printing inconsistent (also, it probably has to do with being a cheap printer too). I plan on upgrading, but I already bought a bunch of ink, and I want to get through that first.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, have fun!

Sorry about the novel!

I bought a Brother QL-700 and it prints amazing quality labels. It's a thermal printer, so no cartridges to buy, and no ink to smear, plus labels stay on the bottles really well. Only thing is that my labels are only one color, black currently, but I love the minimalist look. I buy label refills from a third party on eBay for dirt cheap. It prints in high enough quality to add images and make them super tiny, add warning labels, etc. Highly recommend it if you're looking for something to save time and money. It comes with software (Ptouch) to design your labels in a breeze and the printer even cuts them for you.

The printer I got is here for around $50-60
The labels I get are here - 800 of them with a reusable cartridge for $9


Brother is a great name in the printing industry and I knew I was making a good choice when I bought it. I LOVE it, such a breeze.

PS- didn't fully take in the post 'til now, but this kind of label making won't get you far and won't appeal to the masses, so skip over this, but I'll leave it up in case a small time DIY'er wants to make up some sweet labels for a super fair price.

The HP LaserJet P3015 might be an option. You get a modest speed bump to 42ppm, an option to use high-capacity 55X cartridges which last for about 12,500 pages, and a nice 500-sheet input tray. However, this printer weighs in at 35lbs, not including the toner cartridge. This printer will accept up to 53lb weight paper, but only through the multipurpose tray (limited to 100 sheets), otherwise it will accept 32lb through the large input tray. The good news is that you can easily find used units, professionally refurbished for under $200 on Amazon marketplace and eBay.

http://h71016.www7.hp.com/html/pdfs/CE526ALJ3015.pdf

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B002JE7FBW/ref=olp_f_refurbished?ie=UTF8&f_refurbished=true&f_used=true&f_usedAcceptable=true&f_usedGood=true&f_usedLikeNew=true&f_usedVeryGood=true&qid=1474510773&sr=8-1

Another option might be the Lexmark MS610. This gets you 50ppm speed, and toner cartridge capacity of 5k/10k/20k pages depending on your needs. It has a generous 550-sheet input tray, and weighs 35lbs, not including the toner. THis printer accepts up to 24lb through the large input tray, or up to 42lb through the multipurpose tray. There is one "New" unit on the Amazon market for under $300.

http://media.lexmark.com/www/idml/assets/asset_2157/media/en_US/pdfs/low.pdf

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B009SM8FG2/ref=sr_1_1_olp?ie=UTF8&qid=1474511258&sr=8-1&keywords=ms610dn&condition=new

I started with the toner transfer method and after getting ugly ground planes, no matter what I did, I decided to up my game and see how I could improve. The dry film photoresist method is great!

Stencil:

• Laser Printer: I got this one for $50,- at the time, price has gone up since then.
  
• Laminator: Cheapest and best laminator I could find - no modding or anything required.
  
• Transparency Film/Paper: This one seemed to work the best out of all the others I bought.
  
  Etch-resist:
  
  
• Positive Developer (Sodium Hydroxide): This stuff is dangerous - it's lye! The solution I bought was pre-diluted 10% and can be found here. My developer solution is roughly 1% lye. That means you need to dilute one part from MG Chemicals bottle with 10 parts water. This has yet to go bad for me.
  
• UV Light Source: I use this cheap one found on Amazon. Works well and is just big enough to fit my largest 4"x6" boards.
  
• Dry film photo resist OR pre-sensitized photo resist boards: Pick any that you find will suit your purpose. I found some lying around at my university and have no idea where it came from. I've heard good things about Riston (eBay), and we use the pre-sensitized boards made by MG Chemicals at my university.
  
• Other: Rugged rubber / "vinyl" gloves, safety glasses (you should own these already if you solder), a respirator if desired, lots of plastic containers such as Tupperware big enough for your PCBs, acetone to clean the copper boards and to remove the photoresist, reasonably heavy duty scotch brite pads, and glass from a picture frame to hold the transparent stencil onto the board.
  
  Etchant:
  
  Here it really is up to you. I use the hydrochloric acid (muriatic acid) with hydrogen peroxide method, but any method will work fine. Be careful that your etchant isn't too strong and will somehow inadvertently strip off your photo resistive etch-resist!
  
  I hope I didn't forget anything...
  
  ---
  
  Pros:
  
  
• Cheaper than a CNC by far.
  
• Cleaner results than toner transfer, if done right.
  
• Reusable chemical solutions - depending on your choice of etchants.
  
• Photoresist also allows you to make your own solder masks. Take a look at my previous post here for pictures!
  
• High accuracy depending on your printer. I can confidently get down to about 6 mil before I get nervous with my printer.
  
  Cons:
  
  
• Still somewhat pricey if you have no materials on the list at all - somewhere around $200.
  
• Dangerous chemicals which require proper storage, safe handling, and approved disposal.
  
• Will probably take a few trial & error runs to tweak your procedure in order get good results; same as toner transfer.

Thank you!

Yes, I agree that it would really be best if they let you print from whatever platform you use. I guess the companies that make them (HP, LG, Polaroid, etc) don't want to spend the extra money on additional software development.

I wonder if the Canon Selphy (Amazon) would work better for you.

Surprisingly, it's actually cheaper than the Polaroid Zip right now, but allows for a wider range of print sizes and reportedly has better quality prints. It seems like it can print (wirelessly) from your laptop, and as a backup it seems you can plug your camera's memory card directly into the printer itself. And it does look like they have a couple different sticky paper options.

The cons?

• The thing is enormous. While it is more portable than a regular printer, it's not what I'd call a "pocket printer."
  
• Ink is required, which may or may not be a negative for you. It seems like the paper comes with "just enough" ink for the number of sheets. Some people advise getting extra.
  
• It's unclear how or if you can print from a laptop while you're not on wifi.
  
  Hopefully that gives you a starting point!
  

Rollo Amazon Link

Rollo Printer

I like it overall. I ship a lot of 1st class labels and this definitely comes in handy. It can misprint labels at times. Also, if doing a good amount make sure you get the stand for rolls. The rolls aren’t the cheapest either but so much better then laser printer. I only use it for shipping labels, not sure if it could be used for anything else, kind of interested now with what else I could print. Nonetheless, let me know if you have any questions. Completely worth it and never have to worry about ink again! As far as wireless I’m not sure what’s the best and haven’t heard of any good ones. The Rollo has power plug and usb into back of computer. I have a Mac and was really plug and play. It’s small overall but the stand and labels take up more room than anything.

Those are both great printers. HP makes a pretty good printing machine. Another one you should look at is the Epson WorkForce WF-2540. Picking a printer should be based off what you think you will be using it for. Like i said, HP printers are great, and both your choices are great printers.

Thanks Sp3cia1K for doing this!! Also give your boss a big thank you too. <3

Oh man.. Something I REALLY want, and to brag about. That's really hard because I really want a Kitchenaid stand mixer <3 but that's way out of the price. :p

Personal: I need a new pillow asap. You... umm.. should see... my current .. pillow. ^^^it's ^^^yellow

Activity: The other day on Reddit, I read that they found a new planet within our solar system. This made me want to get a Telescope!. My #1 thing I want to do before I die is see the Aurora Northern Lights.

Activity: I used to have an Instant Camera, but that was over 15 years ago. I never knew what happened to it once digital cameras came out. It'd be cool to have one of these again.

College: While I'm still in school (3 years left majoring animation/illustration! :) ), something I really need and will always have a purpose for is a printer. I need a printer that prints in both color and monochrome. I don't really know which printer is better, but here's one and two.

College/Activity: I've never had a tablet before, but maybe this Fire tablet will help me pass the time between classes or even help me finish my classwork with.

Thanks for another awesome contest. I really need a printer for school. Also, that's my birthday so it would be soooo awesome to win! :)


Hello, Goodbye~.

Seconded.

I know it's like a meme by now, but everyone who is in a position to buy a laser printer should buy a laser printer. Of those, Brother printers have very good value, good drivers and support (imho - none of them are perfect). Automatic duplex printing is also convenient, as is the case for the device I linked.

I used to have a printer that also faxed and scanned. It may not seem like much to all you smart people, but once that broke, I was pretty bummed. So I found one at a garage sale - spent forever cleaning it and getting new ink and -- never worked. ;) I would love to have one again someday.

Hello, Goodbye~. <3 Thank you for the uber generous contest!!

No worries mate!

I'm sad to say that it looks like the ribbon cable for the front control panel and display (the crease to allow the screen to tilt is the giveaway for me)

The fact that it's making a sound when you try to power it on means it's probably not completely disconnected but no activity from the screen shows that it's not happy!

As this is an internal hardware problem Its not something that you will be able to fix via settings, you are going to need to get it serviced or have a go at fixing it yourself.

Based on the printer model I assume you are in the USA. Here in the UK we have service centres across the country. I'm pretty sure this is the link for the service centre providers in the USA:

http://www.service-center-locator.com/epson/epson-service-center.htm

I would recommend you search for your closest one, give them a call and tell them the issue. They will then let you know if they can fix it and how much it will be. With the cost of printers being pretty low these days it's doesn't always make financial sense to pay to get it fixed.

They may have your printer in stock or an equal alternative. The printer is still available on Amazon if you wanted the exact same model and the Epson centre was expensive. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/ol/B00SX0R6MO/ref=olp_tab_all

Once you have spoken to them you can then make the decision on whether to keep the machine. If you are going to bin it then I would recommend taking it apart and trying to fix it yourself first, before you spend any cash. I've managed to fix a few broken things myself with zero knowledge and not really anything to lose at this point right?!

Dont be too daunted. Go slow and take plenty of photos as you take it apart for reference and you might get lucky and manage to reconnect the ribbon cable or figure out if it's something else.

If not then all you have lost is a bit of time! I tried finding a video on YT to try and lend a hand but no such luck unfortunately.

Wish I had a concrete solution for you but thought I would share my plan of action if I was in a similar situation.

Hope you get it sorted soon!

I have a samsung ML-1630. I bought it used at circuit city when they were going out of business for $25. I think it was what they used behind the counter to print invoices and such, because it had pretty heavy signs of wear on the surface (scratches etc). It is very basic, but built like a tank. No flimsy plastic parts stick out of it so not much can break (it doesnt have a paper tray though). It is also low profile so you can stick it on a low shelf or stack other office stuff on top of it (sound receiver, phone, etc)

I used it my last 2 years of grad school. Printed hundreds of pages of research papers, manuals, even full textbooks from open courseware classes. (all on one toner cartridge, but thats standard for monochrome lasers) Even printed stuff for my friends since it was more reliable than the shit lab printers that get broken by every idiot with a student account and a PDF of their Calc I book. It's been through two moves and sat in the back of my car. I even let a friend borrow it for a while once I was done with it. Now I have it back and it still works great.

It rarely jams but it's easy enough to open. However the lack of paper tray means I have to clear a space in front of it or stand there to catch the paper as it comes out.

replacement toner is $50-70, they last about 1500-3k sheets

I literally just purchased the Rollo and I love it! I chose that over the Dymo because it doesn't require you to purchase proprietary labels. Other than that it may be a horse a piece. One ironic thing, as soon as I made my choice, I saw a notification that one of my Posh YouTubers was offering a fantastic deal on the Dymo. At least it looked fantastic though in reality once you saw the bottom line it wasn't that much savings. But anyway, I stuck with the Rollo. I didn't buy the label holder, I just keep them in the box behind the printer and it works peachy. This is what I bought: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MA3EYC5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I love that it doesn't need ink. Setup was super easy - it's not quite plug and go but the video is very easy to follow. Simple USB connection.

Get a laser printer. Make sure you can get cheap toner cartridges for it!

Put in an alert at Slickdeals.net and you'll get alerts when they go on sale.

I got a Canon imageCLASS MF247dw early this year for $110 on some great sale ($125 plus $15) as I applied some Citi points (or something) to make it worth it. GREAT PRINTER and it's priceless to have in the classroom!

With a $250 budget, for your use-case I would buy 2 printers: 1) a cheap monochrome MFP for color scanning and b&w copy/print, and 2) a single-function photo inkjet. This gives you the best of both worlds and provides you a backup. Canon MF247dw ($125) plus a Canon IX6820 ($136). If/when the inkjet clogs, you simply rip and replace, without interrupting your MFP workflow. Slightly more than $250 but way more flexible than a single inkjet burdened with doing all jobs.

If you must have only one box, the HP OfficeJets are good, especially for just standard letter-size printouts, but they lack rear paper feeds, which are typically better for card stock or photo paper, and also so you don't have to remove/re-add media out of just 1 tray. I'd look at the Brother MFC-J5845DW ($199) for starters.

One last point - the SD card slot. You see it offered on photo inkjets, but not on much else. Better to just get a USB adapter to plug the SD card into, then plug the adapter into the printer. The quality of the adapter's reader will often be better anyways.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MA3EYC5/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_i_Q6XwCbBG37DV7
Here you go! So far, I really like it! I choose this one over a Dymo 4xl because it seems like it has better customer support and it was cheaper, haha.

Hi there! I wanted to let you know that I purchased a Silhouette Cameo 3 and I used it yesterday with great results. The art I cut came out beautifully. Happy to provide more in-depth information if you'd like!

I'm personally a fan of this Cannon Imageclass
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BS6WYHC/

it does both Airprint and Google Cloud Printing. I have one for home and I had work just buy me one for my office since my HP finally gave out. I like the fact that I can airprint anywhere in my home or at work not to mention send items to it from google if needed. The laserjet printer is extremely quick and the scanner is nice. I would recommend this printer in a heart beat to anyone looking to get new one and looking to have a lot of functionality.

Brother DCP-L2520DW or DCP-L2540DW (ADF feeder).

Reliable, super cheap toner (works well with third parties) that only needs a little resetting to work best, and good with Macs, Linux, Smartphones, and Windows.

I found two printers but I prefer the second, but both meet your requirements

Lexmark MS610dn Monochrome Laser Printer. Good ratings, way under budget and it meets the requirements
https://www.amazon.com/Lexmark-MS610dn-Monochrome-Printing-Professional/dp/B009SM8FG2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=office-electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1492658678&sr=1-1&keywords=printer+50+page+per+minute&linkCode=ll1&tag=elvinele-20&linkId=5c2ed913aad343d893e5b6b4fd940930


HP OfficeJet Pro X451dw Office Printer with Wireless Network Printing, Remote Fleet Management & Fast Printing (CN463A) a bit more pricey but it has a higher PPM and free shipping :-)
https://www.amazon.com/HP-OfficeJet-Wireless-Management-CN463A/dp/B00AAHMGN2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?s=office-electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1492658678&sr=1-8&keywords=printer+50+page+per+minute&linkCode=ll1&tag=elvinele-20&linkId=ac8b551a5b6060362dce61558fb080fe

Any of you have the Canon Selphy CP1200 or CP910? I rarely print nowadays but wouldn't mind have a few pics of my daughter every now and then. I honestly don't have the room for a larger printer and if i'm going to do a ton of pics I'll just go through mpix but this seems like a fun solution for random prints.

I love my dad the most. He is there for me for everything. I'm kind of the black sheep of the family and he listens to me and appreciates me for who I am even though I'm different (not super religious, not too keen on getting married and having kids, etc.) from my brother and cousins. He doesn't want to pressure me into anything, just wants me to make the right choice and understands that what is right for me may not be what's right for my mom or my brother. He sees a lot of his parents in me and I think he favors me a little bit because of that, also because I'm the little girl he always wanted so I think that gives us a special bond. He's done so much for my family I can't even begin to phrase it. We moved around a lot because of his job. Working in the upper levels of technology, he was always getting laid off or fighting for positions he was over qualified for. He always apologized for making me move doing anything he could to make it up to me. I know he felt ashamed at times for not being able to provide for his family, but we were always proud of him. He never wanted to say no to us, but sometimes he had to and I know how much that killed him. Now that I'm about to enter into the adult world, I understand all of the decisions he made in life and even though they didn't seem fair at the time, now that I've grown up a little, I would have done the exact same thing.

Sketches I didn't think about the words being backwards, but I hope you can still read it.

I'm going to guess 284 for my number. And I would love a printer.

If you're looking for a B/W printer go with the MFC-7360 excellent for scanning and printing large quantities. I i have this one and it's great. TN450 cartridges are good and cheap.

I'd be wary buying a $40 printer with a 3-star rating from 10 reviews. Before I bought a label printer I researched pretty heavily and decided that the Zebra LP2844 was the best option for me. Brand new they are very pricey, but I was able to get one on eBay for $60 (which is a steal...lowest they usually go is $80-100). Pros: extremely easy to use (plug it in and install the drivers and you're ready to go), compatible with both eBay/Amazon, no ink, can handle multiple label sizes. Cons: I occasionally have to turn mine off and back on again before it will print, but I think this is either from me doing something wrong or just because this printer is old. It isn't a huge issue for me as it doesn't happen very often.

I use these 4x6 labels which you can also find cheaper on eBay.

The best part of the thermal printers is that they do not require ink as they just burn the image onto the label. If you can't find a cheap Zebra, I'd go with the Brother QL-700. That was going to be my backup option.

You can get a Brother laser printer for like $50.

Edit: Ok I like its more like $80 dollars. I got mine for like $50 on sale sometime.

http://www.amazon.com/Brother-HL2240D-Monochrome-Printer/dp/B004A16L2Q/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1375377960&sr=8-5&keywords=brother+laser+printer

I purchased the Rollo Thermal Printer and love it. So easy to use, works with any standard 4x6 thermal labels, prints fast, and support was good too.

​

I was hesitant to take the plunge but glad I did.

Im not sure if its allowed to ask about printers here, but lets try:

Would you recommend this printer? Its to print simple things like PDFs (text and simple images like charts)

Brother HL-L2320D Mono Laser Printer

and what's the difference to this one:

Brother HL-L2300D Monochrome Laser Printer with Duplex Printing

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LEA5EHO/?coliid=I1QWMRSEGBE9UY&colid=1CEG8SQ3FOV3G&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Honestly, if you're going to buy a printer go for a laser printer. Brother makes some very good cheap laser printers, like this one which you can get for only $70. The advantage if a laser printer is that the quality is better, they print faster, toner ends up being a lot cheaper per page than ink, and unlike an inkjet where the ink cartridge will dry out after a while, a laser printer doesn't care if it doesn't get used for 2 months.

While there are portable printers that directly attach to camera, it's a brand-specific thing. What you will find is portable printers that will accept an SD card, like this Canon. The problem you will run into is that the format/filesystem the camera likes probably won't be what the printer likes, so you can't just pop the SD card from the camera to the printer and print photos.

You might be able to get this to work if you save all of your photos into as low-resolution JPEGs as possible.

I would recommend against using a fulfillment service - they cost money and just aren't necessary for a lot of smaller projects. Comics have such small margins that it doesn't make sense to cut into your own bottom line.

Buy padded envelopes in bulk ( Uline or Amazon are fine, but there's probably a local supplier who's cheaper ), and a label printer. The Brother label printers come with a program called P-touch, which allows you to import data sets from Kickstarter into customizable templates.

We're based in Canada, so we used ChitChatsExpress, a US broker to do international shipping. In Canada, Packages below 500g and a within certain sizes can be mailed as a letter instead of a parcel, which is vastly cheaper. If you're states-side, there's probably a broker or service that will help reduce the cost of international shipping.

If you are just doing this split, go with USPS flat-rate.

Also, DO NOT trust the self-adhesive, use tape to ensure a good seal.

If you are planning on truly getting in on the box split game.

This is what I have:

• Scale
  
• Small boxes
  
• Large boxes - Whatever I find, mostly reuse Amazon boxes
  
• Labels - I will be moving to a this in the near future.
  
  I mostly ship First Class.
  
  

Any comments on this label maker? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MA3EYC5/

Also, it mentions free UPS labels, can you really get free thermal labels from UPS?

I get my soap labels from https://www.onlinelabels.com/

I use free boxes from USPS. Order them online from their website. I use regular butcher paper for packing the boxes.

The one expensive item I laid out for was a Rollo thermal printer. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MA3EYC5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and I get my 4x6 thermal shipping labels from Amazon as well.

Also, I ALWAYS use https://www.pirateship.com/ for pricing and creating the shipping labels.

Other idea [organizing]: gift cert to https://www.containerstore.com [even if you don't have one near you, they deliver - it is an organizer's dream] or giftcert to poppin.com.

In terms of label makers, as someone who has spent hours typing on one of those traditional ones with the keyboards on them, I recommend NOT doing that. If you want to get one, get something like this https://www.amazon.com/Brother-QL-700-High-speed-Professional-Printer/dp/B005TJMC0S/ that she can use w/ her phone or computer (so you do the design or typing for the label on a device you are more comfortable/faster with).

Even better:

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-ML-2525W-Wireless-Laser-Printer/dp/B002ZIPKQO

Small, wireless, quiet, cheap. Glorious laser printer master race.

I bought this one and love it. I have not used the wireless option yet but I plan to. They have two sizes of toner cartridge and I bought the larger one for when the starter cartridge runs out. Print quality is terrific for what I need but remember it is only black and white.

FWIW, I had bad luck getting the Zebra I bought to work, and even worse luck with the crappy Dymo. I returned both and bought a Rollo label printer and have been incredibly happy. It's fast, reliable, and works with any size and brand labels (I only use 4x6, but the fact that it lets me use off brand labels without empty warranty threats is nice).

The one downside to it is it does not integrate a spool mount. I rigged up my own, that worked well enough, but the last time I ordered labels I switched to fanfold labels and find them much nicer.

Edit: Rollo does offer an optional spool holder also. I didn't like it because it was pretty huge-- bigger than the printer it self. It is designed to be compatible with extra large rolls of labels, but it was a bit big for my tastes.

Yes exactly.

As for the label printer I've been very happy with the QL-700 but many others will do. Any label of ~62x35mm is ok.

I quite like my Samsung ML-1630 (amazon link). It's small, pretty, and gets the job done.

If money is no object, then you could buy one of the machines they use to actually make ID cards.

Then, just make one of yourself based on some existing design (there is special software for this, but Photoshop or similar should be fine) – student ID cards tend to be the easiest, because they tend not to have holograms etc.

Bonus ILPT: now that you have the machine, you can start your own fake ID business!

Buy a Brother laser printer and cable, install, done.

And yes, this printer supports printing on Linux. Laser printers have always worked better than inkjets, they never deserved being lumped together.

I use a label printer, this one. It's worked pretty well for me.

Switch to a Laser Printer, something like This : https://www.amazon.ca/Brother-HL-L2320D-Monochrome-Printer-Printing/dp/B00LEA5EHO

As for Adhesive Labels you can find plenty available as well : https://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Shipping+Labels


If you sell quite a bit then a Thermal Printer might be worth a investment though i'm not to keen on those.

I was reffering to something like this when I mentioned a cnc machine. Compared to the industrial counterparts, these vinyl cutters have become a lot cheaper, much like 3d printers have.

It's a low cost, low quality printer. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for.

Compare the specs of my printer, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00450DVDY/ to the one you linked, http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004BDMP8M

The Brother one can be connected via wifi, has a higher resolution, and prints about 50% faster. But, you're paying an extra 50 bucks for it.

So, it's all up to you. I'm sure the canon will be fine. The brother will be better.

Most colleges use a dye sublination badge printer or laminated card that are not horribly expensive that any group could use to imitate most colleges ID cards. The blanks are $15 for 100 on Amazon. And they generally don't use holograms and other security features that drivers licenses must now use.

Wish I could say I hand cut it, but I basically have mini sausages for fingers...

I put it together via software and cut it out on our mini desktop vinyl cutter.

Transferring each part over to the Quest was a bit tedious, but it was the perfect activity for someone having trouble sleeping haha.


You can find these cutting machines (paper, vinyl, etc) on eBay or Craigslist for $100.

Silhouette SILHOUETTE CAMEO 3, Cutting Machine

Thanks for all the replies! I can't decide between thermal or laser printer, which one would you suggest me? I will take one of those:

https://www.amazon.ca/Brother-QL-570-Professional-Label-Printer/dp/B000ZHEVZ8/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1491361089&sr=1-6&keywords=thermal+printer

https://www.amazon.ca/Brother-HL-L2320D-Monochrome-Printer-Printing/dp/B00LEA5EHO/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1491361083&sr=1-2&keywords=laser+printer

This Brother label maker would probably work perfect for your needs. Can print various size labels, and can also print various barcodes on your labels. I currently use this for my (non MJ) business.

Here's a link to a listing that has it http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B004QM99K0/ref=olp_sort_ps?ie=UTF8&condition=new&sort=taxsip

It's an interesting change because this actually hurts Amazon; it gives us small timers a spot before Amazon even at a higher price, as Amazon charges tax in many states.

A friend of mine who does frequent B&W printing likes his Samsung, it doesn't seem to give him much trouble and doesn't eat toner for breakfast.

At a certain point, you might as well just buy an on-sale laser printer (or similar) instead of paying inflated copying prices. This Brother is $99 on Amazon and includes a scanner.

Love our Brother printers - recently bought this one - 2240D- http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B004A16L2Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1397002810&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40
Low cost to operate, last a long time. Note that it's monochrome which may not work for you.

If you’re just printing black and white, get rid of the inkjet altogether, it’s a waste. Buy a cheap laser (can get for $70 from Amazon) and toner is cheap, off brand you pay around $20 and it’ll get you over 1000 pages easy.

Save the inkjet for color and photo printing.

We just purchased this one. Canon Color imageCLASS MF8280Cw Wireless All-in-One Laser Printer (Discontinued By Manufacturer) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BS6WYHC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_VJtMwbF8EX08Y

Discontinued so it's a steal. Has air print so ips devices work too and it's color laser which is nice.

You could be your own stencil guy if you ask santa for one of these

Cuts complex art perfectly in minutes. And if you screw up, just plot it again..

I use GIMP and Linux, but I just bought a thermal printer, Brother QL-700. The off brand DK1208 labels are the perfect size for juice labels. Brother provides drivers for LPR and a CUPS wrapper.

In the long run, this is way cheaper than the Avery method($9 for 400 labels vs $25 for 600 labels), and no ink or toner to replace. Only downside is that the labels will all be in black and white.

But if you really want to use this Avery method, GIMP has a plugin specifically for this. http://registry.gimp.org/node/132

Or you can just buy a laser printer. Not to be pedantic or anything, but it's the easiest solution to escape the "overpriced ink" bullshit. They're not even any more expensive than inkjet printers.

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-imageCLASS-LBP6000-Compact-Printer/dp/B004BDMP8M/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396031092&sr=8-2&keywords=laser+printer

We just started our online store and have been using the Rollo Label printer from Amazon.

So far, its worked flawlessly, especially with our Shopify account.

https://www.amazon.com/Rollo-Label-Printer-Commercial-Compatible/dp/B01MA3EYC5

An AirPrint Printer - our printer sucks! I makes me want to throw things. But you know, it's one of those purchases you can keep putting off! So it waits!

"Saving Private Ryan" Thank you!

Brother Wireless All-In-One Laser Printer (DCP-L2520DW) $79.99 @ BB http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product/brother-brother-wireless-all-in-one-laser-printer-dcp-l2520dw-dcp-l2520dw/10320576.aspx?path=a4b4f1020cca7d0daeb36061ceaacf58en02

Same price at amazon http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00MFG5854?k

I've been using a Brother QL-700 for the last 3 years and just bought a second one. First one I bought from Staples, but the second bought last week for under $70 CAD from Amazon.
It's thermal so no ink, high quality print and fast. The large shipping labels normally work out around 10 cents a label.

https://www.amazon.ca/Brother-QL-700-High-Speed-Professional-Printer/dp/B005TJMC0S

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HRG01A4

Or the slightly older model:

https://www.amazon.com/Brother-DCPL2520DW-Wireless-Multifunction-Replenishment/dp/B00MFG5854/

You won't find a better one for cheaper--unless this one goes on sale for $100 like it sometimes does.

I was thinking of the Cameo 3 which goes for $230, but the first version goes for $130 if you just want something a little cheaper and more entry point level. I've thought about getting one for some art projects I want to try out.

My recommendation is to investigate on-campus, student printing options first.

Epson Eco Tank Color @ $230

Brother black & white Laser @ $135

I have a Brother HL-2270DW standard laser (not a copier/scanner) and it works like a champ.
As a general concept I hate all inkjet printers. All of them.

The cost of printer ink is outrageous and completely unreasonable.

But the Epson eco tank series are probably the least offensive in that you can refill the ink tanks individually.

hmm I dont really need the fax option.. I was looking at the link you posted and there seems to be a Canon imageCLASS MF244DW. What's your opinion on that?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K9L6TS6?ref=emc_b_5_t

How are Samsung printers? I was also checking out the Samsung M2875DW.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IKPTI1E/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

You can get a label printer, or get some peel and stick pages that you can run through a laser or inkjet printer.

The label printer is going to be cheaper in the long run. I'm looking at getting this one

The general consensus right now for B/W budget MFP is the Canon imageClass MF244DW

https://www.amazon.com/Canon-imageCLASS-MF244dw-Wireless-Multifunction/dp/B01K9L6TS6/

I used this it comes in really handy.

These go on sale for around 90-100 every so often.

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00MFG57ZK?ref=emc_b_5_i

https://www.amazon.ca/Brother-DCP-L2520DW-Wireless-Monochrome-Networking/dp/B00MFG5854/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1491242265&sr=8-3&keywords=brother+laser

There are very affordable brother laser printers for less than $80. I've gone 2 years on the same toner drum

Edit: here is the model I was speaking about: http://www.amazon.com/Brother-HL2240D-Monochrome-Printer/dp/B004A16L2Q/ref=sr_1_7?s=pc&srs=2529075011&ie=UTF8&qid=1374841143&sr=1-7

Why not just use a cheap scanner with an auto document feeder?

I guess I wasn't thinking small-scale enough. Thinking about cutting multiple layers at once.

So basically 300$ and off you go. I guess.

I second monochrome laser printer. I have a Brother HL2240D and it is quite nice. Even has no trouble occasionally printing card stock paper.

Just to let you know that hubby tried the dymo printer with 3 different computers, bought the right paper, loaded it correctly and decided we have a faulty dymo. I contacted customer support and am returning the Dymo.

But their warranty is: I pay return shipping, they will try to fix my Dymo and if they can't fix it they give me a refurbished one instead.

Not a great experience.

Thinking of selling the Dymo when it comes back and buying this http://www.amazon.com/Brother-QL-700-High-speed-Professional-Printer/dp/B005TJMC0S/

I cut them out yesterday via this handy desktop vinyl cutter.

Silhouette Cameo 3: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I51ME1S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_8iKiDb15TDW94

But there are a ton of ppl selling them pre-made.
1 on amz, the rest are on various online stores (Etsy, etc):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N9TOFR7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_.kKiDbS490SEB

I use an older model of this: https://www.amazon.com/Canon-Selphy-CP1200-Wireless-Printer/dp/B0195JC9D2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466603177&sr=8-1&keywords=canon+photo+printer

You can't escape the proprietary paper. However if you could, the manufacturer would just charge more for ink. I don't think the costs are ridiculous though.

I call bullshit. $50 says this was cut using a cricut or silhouette.

https://www.amazon.com/Cricut-Explore-Wireless-Cutting-Machine/dp/B00TTESL18

https://www.amazon.com/Silhouette-SILHOUETTE-CAMEO-3-4T-CAMEO-3/dp/B01I51ME1S

Does anyone know where I can get myself a die cutting machine? Something like this:

Silhouette SILHOUETTE-CAMEO-3-4T Wireless Cutting Machine - AutoBlade - Dual Carriage - Studio Software https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I51ME1S/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_SDEJDbCA5NBP2?

I'm also looking for an affordable laminator if anyone has any recommendations!