Printer comparison: Epson vs Canon

I'm confused. I'm looking for a printer that prints on CDs and DVDs. All the Canon ip4500s I notice have no mention of printing on Cds/Dvds. Are there two types of these printers? Or did one run of these printers include the function and then the rest don't? Canon's own website doesn't mention it.

I think it might be safer to go with the Epson R280 even if it's not as good because at least there is no doubt about it. This feature or function doesn't seeem to be very popular as there's no other options?

For the U.S. model of IP4500 you have to buy the disk print tray and set it up to accept the print tray.Print tray and instructions and software download link available on Ebay.
Here one I found:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Canon-iP4300-MP9...742.m153.l1262

Okay, thanks. That will do.

What are the options for software then?

I want something 'freeware' or preferably, that will work in Linux.

If not, I can boot into XP or use a Virtual program and do it that way via XP. I guess the problem seems to be having it print exactly on the DVD/CD and have it centered?

I am flexible with the printing as long as the ink isn't washed out or that the ink doesn't smudge.

I watched someone use a thermal printer that prints directly on the disc except that the ribbon cartridges are extremely expensive so I was looking into using an inkjet printer.

I don't want to print labels on top of the CD/DVD but to print actual text on a thermal printable DVD or onto 'hub / inkjet printable' DVDs.

But, I am wondering what the software options are for that.

I've never had a Canon printer only Epson. Are the Epson's so bad not to recommend them?

My Epsons do very well printing to media. I have a R200 and a R800. I don't think either one does nearly as well just printing text and pics to normal paper like My HP 990 does, and they do tend to drink ink but I don't think they're horrible. I think that the lesser Epson was nicer looking in media print quality, the 800 uses different ink and is harder to get the color and black level just right, plus compatible inks are hard to find now.
Epson started suing evryone making compoatibles so that slowed down getting cheap ink for a while but it seems most of them are back now, except for my 800
I hate paying 70 bucks for carts that last a short time when I can get compatibles that are just as good for like 20 or so a set shipped. My first carts cost me more then I paid for the R200...

I found an Epson R280 and Canon IP4500 for sale, at the same store or different stores.

Regardless of store, the Epson is more expensive but it also comes with the CD tray.

I think once you account for ordering the tray off ebay, paying for it and shipping, it comes out to about the same cost total.

Which one do you recommend?

The printer's main use would be printing on CDs and DVDs.

I have a laser printer for text and right now, I haven't needed a printer for colour (sheets) but I suppose the ink jet could do it but I am looking at the Epson and Canon specifically for printing on CDs/DVDs.

There is a wealth of information on this at the front end of this thread posted by CDan on this question.
Please take the time to read it and view it.

Hey Dan,


I was wondering something: Why did you chose the R280 initially over the IP4500 for Pictures and Disc Printing?

I didn't. I bought it cause it was dirt cheap and I wanted to play with it. Now having an IP4500, I wouldn't want to live without one. But If I still needed a unit for just discs and photos, if it was under $80 I might go for an R280 again.
Even though it only lasted 9 months and used an obscene amount of ink. But I have a spare new IP4500 in storage, so I won't be needing an R280.

Hello, after the last post in this discussion I've managed to buy two used Canon pixima, one 4200 and one 4300, both of them with serious problems at the printheads but very cheap.

I didn't want to get a 4600 since the original cartridge seemed quite expensive, and I was confident to solve the printhead problems.

Now both the Canon were working fine , so it seems I made the right choice, and I can also try to share some tips about it to the valuable people reading this forum.

Just right after asking a little (and probably silly) question about direct disk printing.

I've seen in this discussion many beautiful scans of full disk prints, but with even the last version available of the software provided by Canon (CD label print V. 1.3.0) I was not able to print below the 33mm inner diameter line of the disk. Is there a magic hack to do that or do I have to use a particular software ?

And as promised, these are my tips :

NOTE 1) : Use these instructions at your own risk ! They suppose you know what to do and that your printer is already died for you.

NOTE 2) : As can be easly seen, I'm not commercially related to any of the suggested product I'm writing about, I give just my 2 cents about the question and about my happy ending.

- If you have printhead problems, and you don't have access to a chemical lab, go to the most famous bidding site on the world and look for a Magic unclog kit and instruction sold from portogal. You'll find a shop that sells only unclogghing kit and materials. If you buy something, You'll be probably very happy about it like I did. (the kit is very nice, low expensive and with all the necessary tools).

- If you do have the printhead problems and access to a chemical lab, you can still buy the kit and analyze the solvent like I did , and find that is mostly made of pure .22 µm filtered water with some isopropanol (you can find some in the spray used usally to defros the car glasses in winter).

The easiest thing to do without the kit and its instructions is to put some warm (not hot !!!) solvent in a dish and leave the pinthead overnight, for the other methods suggested I think it's better to use the kit and its complete instruction (as you buy something they give you a giant .pdf file with all the possible methods and solution regarding printing problems).

Best wishes to everybody



Gyxx

I think my question was not clear enough

You had both an R280 and an IP4500 at one time, both in working order. And you chose to dedicate the R280 to the pictures and Disc printing and the IP4500 for the regular printing stuff.

I was wondering if you felt the 280 did a better job at printing pictures and discs, hence you using it to print pictures and discs?

Gyxx, thank you for an informative post. I too have come to the conclusion that canon printers are worth the trouble but had to replace the print head in an ip5000 which I bought for £30 and well worth it.

If you still have the old clogghed printhead, try to harm up some distilled water (addicted with some shot of defrost spray) with microwave owen (I suggest 200ml or more, at 400 W for 30 sec) and leave the head overnight, then the following day replace the solution and repeat the process for another night.

Ater this treatment, wipe the eccess water below and use some adsorbent paper below, then you can try if it works again with the ink cartridges or stock the head as replacement in a sealed plastic bag.

By the way, which software do you use to print the entire disk surface ???

Bye



Gyxx

I for one like my epson RX 595 I've gone months with out using it and not having a single problem with the heads. I use Roxio Label creator, it has a option to print the disc core or no. my 2 cents for what it's worth any way

In the meanwhile, I've managed to get good CD/DVD print result with coverXP from http://www.cdcovers.cc/ . I had first to create a new template for the canon tray, that vas quite easy when i discovered the option to check the print surface area with the print preview command within the software, and results were impressive.

Still talking about full printable disks, I've notice for both the printer (4200 and 4300) that i had to deselect the option "automatically recognize when a printable disk is inserted in the tray" for full printable disks, else the printer reject them ...... I'm sure that it's not a printer fault since normal printable disks (not full printable) were inserted everything was OK.

Best wishes to everybody, and again thanks to Cr1ms0nGh0st for his suggestion, I'km gonna build a new PC and will give a try event to Roxio Label Creator ....


Gyxx

I have had an Epson R280 since Jan '09. It replaced an R220 which finally went kaput! The R280 does a much better job of printing DVD case labels and DVDs than the R220. Plus it is not near the ink hog the R220 was!

Yes, it takes longer to print a DVD disc versus a DVD case insert, but it does and excellent job and I am glad I purchased the R280. Plus I'm using refillable cartridges that are very easy to refill when necessary.

Six of one and half a dozen of the other or beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Doesn't matter which

I'll stick with the Epson today, I've used both companies for over 20 years, Epson's are still working, Canon's (plural) are in the barn gathering dust as is the HP. Not that they didn't work, just more costly to continue running.

Both are good companies, all have good products. My eyes are my own, what I see may be different from what others see. Printing on CD/DVD media whilst a relatively new idea in terms of years, was done a long time ago when both these companies had certain printers with flat paper feed paths and some made templates out of card into which a cd was placed long before the advent of printable cd media. I used an old HP95 for years as well to title my music cd's.

Can't say I used a wet finger to smudge any of them.

Not belittling the post, its valid to some extent and good advice to some. I think today, its a matter of cost, both initial purchase and running overhead that's the bottom line. Compatible refills whilst cheap sometimes do not have the same definition of color compatibility as the original manufacturer. One gets what one pays for. Research www.made-in-china.com, it'll blow your mind just how many make compatible supplies now sold in the US, same goes for Taiwan and India. My older Canon's did have a problem with continual cleaning if the printer was not used daily necessitating the use of a cleaning cartridge to flush the system. Added overhead.

Luck with whatever one buys.

I am using Epson R280 with clearview refill ink system from ufosystem.net.
The print out is as good as Epson's original. The ink costis at 7 dollars for 100ml which is 10 times more against Epson's original. I decided to use their system after I saw their your tube video clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-qEifOBU3w&fmt=22

I knew the Canons had a smudge problem and as I'm in the market for a new printer I thought I would look at Epson but based upon these examples I think I would stick with the Canon.

I've googled for various printer reviews and they all concentrate on PPM or cost of ink, two items I don't care about. One of my key drivers is output quality (and minimal smudge ). Can anyone direct me to reviews of the current range of multi function printers that talk about quality. I notice that the new ones seem to have multiple black ink cartridges and have done away with some of the colours. I'm also interested in seeing what this does to the output quality.

Thank You

Smudging has more to do with the media than the ink.

I've yet to see any compelling evidence that multiple color systems, (extra cyan and magenta), produce any real benefits. The benefits of having both pigment and dye based blacks are real, especially when you wish to print both documents and discs.

I do use reugulary Tayo Yuden CD and Verbatim full printable white DVD, after drying i do apply Prodye acrilic spray, never had any smuge problem, when i had tried to print on a 3M DVD that I had at work and forgot to use protector i saw some smuge after a while.

This is my 5c




Cheers

Gyxx

Hi, can you give me the link of Prodye acrilic spray?

I read so many post here about good printers, I know that IP4500 is a good printer but I search all over here in my place but nothing sells this anymore. Even IP4600 price at $145 brand new but I can't even get it no stocks.

I found Epson R230 brand new cost around $160. I am not in for the price I only want is the quality and I will never use it for CISS either. I wanted only to print on quality CD/DVD printable disc thats all and use original ink.

Is Epson R230 a good quality printer in terms of printing CD/DVD disc? If not then I will be waiting for a longer time to buy IP4600 not longing for IP4500 because I cant find it anymore.

Advice pls. is very much appreciated. Thanks to all of you...

Ed

Disc printing does not require a high quality printer. Most any model that is disc capable will be fine in terms of quality. The R230 and R280 are excellent in that regard.

Well, I've no idea where you live, but buy.com has the 4600 for $74.95, with free shipping....