new printer purchase - comparing brands

[gizmo-au]

Hi

I have previously used HP printers on Linux and been impressed with HPLIP - I get full functions including on-screen ink gauges, duplexing works, scanning works, all in a nice GUI. If anything it is a better setup than a Windows install for HP printers, with all the unwanted bloatware that comes with an HP printer instalation.

I currently have a C7280 which has worked well both Windows and Linux, but the print head is failing, repeated attempts to clean the print head haven't worked and it is streaky in black. My last few printers have been HP and have all had too short life. This time I am considering Brother and maybe Epson inkjetall-in-one, or maybe a laser all-in-one. As I'm on solar power and lasers use a lot more energy than inkjet, I'm inclined to stay with inkjet. Also I do occasional photo printing where inkjet is better.

I am concerned about Brother and Epson and their Linux support. Are either of them as easy to set up and as full featured as HP? From a quick google search it seems I have to do a bit of fooling around in a terminal to set up Brother, which isn't a good start.

I really would like FULL feature support in linux - eg: on screen ink display, duplexing, easy wifi setup, and so on.

The HP C7280 I can enter a web address for it (192.168.1.XXX) and read a helpful status display, wifi config, in supplies, and so on.I don't want to go backwards in that respect.

Is there an equivalent to HPLIP and HPIJS for Epson or Brother printers?

[doktor5000]

Ẁell, for Brother the setup is not really that complicated. Install printer and scanner driver via RPM packages, and maybe you need to add a line to a file to be able to scan as normal user. My parents use a pretty simple model, a DCP-195C which does the job nicely. Although it's not full-featured at all, I mean I've not looked yet for some GUI like it's available for HP, but AFAIR there's no such thing. Cannot comment on wifi setup, but reading some threads seems they talk to the printer as if it were a simple IPP printserver.

Cannot comment on Epson, only thing I remember is mostly they use permanent printheads. Their driver support is also pretty good,
recently they migrated their linux driver site to http://download.ebz.epson.net/dsc/searc ... ch/?OSC=LX
That was previously only provided via Avasys, somee japanese partner(?) company of Epson.
You may have to look here in the forums for experiences with Epson printers.

What I can recommend is the HP Officejet Pro line, depending how much you print.

[isadora]

For what it's worth, i've never had any better experiences, then with HP.
Once in my lifetime i tried a Canon, this was a living nightmare to get working.

[jiml8]

I use a Brother MFC9970CDW color laser over the LAN. I have drivers installed both in my Mageia host and in a couple of Windows virtual machines that I routinely run within my Mageia host.

I am able to print to the laser from Mageia, and I can set various print options. However, I cannot control the printer beyond the basics. I've never attempted to scan with it (I also have an HP Photosmart all-in-one connected locally and I scan with that instead).

In comparison, my Windows 7 VM has a full-up control interface to the Brother laser, where I can control it as completely as I could using the panel on the printer. This includes scanning, fax, and email integration (which I don't use because I don't usually let Win7 out on the net).

If we assume this laser is typical, then yes you can use it from Linux. You just don't have as much control as you would have from Windows. It might be that control can be added; I haven't worried about it because I have the Win7 VM at hand and usually running.

Edit:

After posting this, I investigated further and found this at the Brother site: http://welcome.solutions.brother.com/bs ... index.html

So it looks like there are more tools available than I have installed.

[doktor5000]

After posting this, I investigated further and found this at the Brother site: http://welcome.solutions.brother.com/bs ... index.html

So it looks like there are more tools available than I have installed.

Well, they only offer printer and scanner drivers, and also a simple scanner application, but that's more commandline IIRC.
Apart from that, only special stuff like PC-FAX drivers and drivers for their label printers.

[yankee495]

I use a HL-2280DW Laser Printer/Scanner with Wifi.

The Brother site makes it look complicated but half of that is 32 or 64 bit and different .deb file info. We use either 32 or 64, not both and RPM's.

After you sort through it, I think there are 4 commands. Mine is setup on Wifi and works great to scan and print from any computer on my network.

My friend who also runs Mageia bought a Canon Laser/Scanner and it only prints, no scanning. I've never been happier.

I have not checked if Canon has fixed his scanning.

[wintpe]

the epson xp-412 works well with m3

just installed it using the epson drivers

its a printer and a scanner

ink levels and ink changing not reported in mageia.

but it has its own lcd screen at the front that reports levels, and change options.

regards peter

[doktor5000]

ink levels and ink changing not reported in mageia.

Check mtink - does it help?

Code: Select all

[doktor5000@Mageia4 ~]$ urpmq -i mtink
Name        : mtink
Version     : 1.0.16
Release     : 10.mga4
Group       : System/Printing
Size        : 1294348                      Architecture: x86_64
Source RPM  : mtink-1.0.16-10.mga4.src.rpm
URL         : http://xwtools.automatix.de/files/
Summary     : Status monitor and configuration tool for Epson inkjet printers
Description :
Mtink is a status monitor which allow to get the remaining ink quantity,
printing of test patterns, changing and cleaning cartridges.

I've just added this as a Suggests to task-printing-epson metapackage.

[FreeBiker]

The Brother DCP-J4110DW with WiFi works fine and is easy to install, printing and scanning

[gizmo-au]

I have now bought the Brother MFC-J4510DW.

It is working nicely with Mageia linux. (Printing so far, I haven't tested scanning yet.)

It is working via wifi and works beautifully.

Only hassle I'm having is that when I try to set it its default settings to print A4, duplex, on plain duplex paper, those settings don't save and it reverts to Letter, single sided print on plain paper. For some weird reason it won't allow duplex print on plain paper, it demands a setting of "duplex plain paper."
I can print duplex successfully by setting it for each document, but I can't seem to change the defaults.

For what its worth, I really like this printer, too.

[ghmitch]

My past experience with printers includes both HP and Epson. In terms of Linux support, both are outstanding. In terms of cost, about equal. On the Epson side I have only ever used inkjets. On the HP side both inkjets and lasers. Epson excells in quality, a realm where it is pretty much unmatched. HP, on the other hand, excells in durability. Some of the more expensive HP products simply never die. I have an old HP Laserjet III that still works like new. You really just can't kill some of these beasts. On the other hand, Epson printers are fragile. Once the inkjet mechanism is damaged or worn out, the printer is toast. They are not like the HP inkjets where you just change everything out with the cartridges. For some time now I have been only using HP laser printers as they are far less expensive to maintain and operate in my experience than ink jet printers.

Beyond HP and Epson, there are others out there like Brother that provide good Linux support, but HP and Epson are the leaders.

Brother: http://support.brother.com/g/s/id/linux/en/index.html

Additionally HP, Fujitsu and Samsung are top level members of Linux foundation and most of their printers work on Linux by default.

Ricoh, Panasonic, Lexmark and Epson are also Linux foundation members and their printers generally seem to work well with Linux also.

WHENEVER I buy a printer from anywhere except HP or Epson, I first Google "<printer model> linux" and observe any interesting information that comes up just to make sure I am not going to get burned and it is a practice I highly recommend.

[wintpe]

built another PC for a neighbour

they already had a HP photosmart 6520.

Im still only deploying MGA3, for now as its so stable, in my opinion.

this printer/scanner worked without issue on mga3, via USB for printing and scanning.

regards peter

[madeye]

I have a Brother DCP-J925DW. Been using it for a couple of years now. Never had any trouble with setting it up on neither Linux nor Windows. (Using LAN connection)
The only thing I can think of that is missing, is the ability to scan to a FTP server. But for me that feature is in the nice to have categoy. I usually scan to a USB stick anyway. And that works great

My next printer will be a Brother again. At least as long as they support Linux

One printer brand I won't buy again is Canon. For some reason it used up the ink even if I didn't print on it for a couple of month?!

[doktor5000]

One printer brand I won't buy again is Canon. For some reason it used up the ink even if I didn't print on it for a couple of month?!

FWIW, Brother inkjets do that, too as long as they're attached to power. It helps preventing the printhead/cartridges from drying. Actually that's a good thing.
Either you end up with empty ink cartridges but working printer/printhead, or there's still some ink in there but printer is not working anymore as everything is dried.

[ghmitch]

I have my own reasons for despising Canon. Over the years they have been very hostile toward the Linux community on the printer and scanner side of the business. They are one of those companies whose mantra is "we do not support Linux". For sure some of their printers do work OK with Linux, but the company itself is almost never helpful. I prefer to support those vendors who will stand up and say openly "we support Linux". Ideally I would like them to be part of Linux Foundation, but at least they should offer official substantive Linux support on their corporate websites.

[wintpe]

i am with you on canon, a friend had a lpb-1120, i installed the CAPT driver via urpmi

thought this is nice, did not expect to find such good support for, what is the worst type of printer in linux, ie a windows GDI printer.

sent a print, but nothing, no activity on the printer at all, dont where this printer driver is sending the print.

so one to avoid i would say if you see one going cheap.

this friend has quite a few old printers, he collects them as he works on printers.

he also had Samsung scx-4200 and again mageia has in the repos a SpliX driver, which is similar in a way to the CAPT driver, in that its not autodetected
by the add printer wizard, but once installed the samsung sprang into life and worked fine.

again all this with mga3, experience may be different with mga4, if the drivers have increased in revision.

regards peter

[David_Batson]

I have a Brother HL-2270DW B/W laserjet printer with wifi and a Canon MG8120 color injet printer/scanner with wifi. I just set up both printers on 3 new linux installs. Mageia 4 KDE, Fedora 20 Gnome, and Archlinux Enlightenment. I was able to get both printers working well with just the Gutenprint drivers in all three distros.

I like both printers for what they do. They each have their strengths and weaknesses.

I have used the official printer drivers from Brother and Canon in the past, and they work very well, but the Gutenprint drivers are definitely easier to use.

For using the scanner on my Canon MG8120, I have always used scangearmp from Canon successfully. I have not yet tried to set up the scanner in these new installs yet.

Regarding Canon, some printers, scanners, and multi-functions are supported in Linux, and some are not. One needs to do their research before purchasing a Canon. Canon's Asia website has linux drivers that cannot be found on the USA site.
http://support-asia.canon-asia.com/?personal
That said, I like my Canon multi-function printer. Its much less irritating to use than the HP multifunction I have to use at work.

AFAIK, Brother printers and scanners are pretty well supported by linux.

EDIT: One more thing, If a printer fails to print, that's often the result of a faulty URI (in my experience). Also, a URI that works in one distro, may not work in another - however that other distro probably does support a differently formatted URI.

[ozky]

Check this site it have list of working printers in linux and prices.
http://linuxdeal.com/printers.php?page=2&page=1

[doktor5000]

Check this site it have list of working printers in linux and prices.
http://linuxdeal.com/printers.php?page=2&page=1

Some of them seem to be pretty expensive compared to their actual market price I'd say.

Brother HL-2040 599.99$ -> its successor HL-2240 costs around 150.00$ - brandnew

[ozky]

Yes they are i noticed it too that site is not very good one.I found another site this time it's linux foundation list of working printers in linux,but no prices you need to find them from countrie local stores.
http://www.openprinting.org/printers

[doktor5000]

Yo - that's pretty much the only definitive ressource - and they even usually list all drivers, be it vendor-specific proprietary or more generic open source drivers, including comments from users and recommendations. For pricing, I'd say ignore it - we're not here to sell stuff. Everybody should know how to use ebay or amazon, no?

[David_Batson]

Yo - that's pretty much the only definitive ressource

Looks somewhat lacking to me. My Canon MG8120 (which is a year or two old) is not listed, but it is supported, both by Canon and Gutenprint.

I suggest that perhaps a better site to look at for drivers would be the site for Gutenprint supported printers.
http://gimp-print.sourceforge.net/p_Sup ... inters.php

Or perhaps one should look at both sites...

TurboPrint drivers are another option (for $).
http://www.turboprint.info

[ozky]

Yes those sites are lot more better to check working printers.

[DiBosco]

Some really useful stuff here, thanks! I'm looking to get a printer for my partner's dad to run with Mageia. (Windows 8 has packed another user running to Mageia! ) Thanks for all these suggestions. I'd never had thought of looking at Epsom. I've always used HP - tried a Xerox once and it was rubbish, but have always run lasers, never inkjets. Also, with him wanting an all-in-one, it's another new thing for me to find out about.

One of thie big things they're also asking about is running costs. Can't remember what they currently have, but they were saying it is unfeasibly expensive to run!

[wintpe]

ive just bought a new printer, so i thought id add it to this great thread.

its an HP laserjet 200 pro.

this is a colour laser printer.

priced at around £145 off amazon, you would think it was cheap and nasty, however this is not the case.

there is a reason that this is that cheap, it does not have wireless , just a 10/100 lan port and USB.

the included toner is not the full ticket, and will only last for about 700 pages.

the official print toner cartridges from HP are a horrendous price, at £70 for black and £96 for each colour if you go to staples or PCworld.

however there are a large number of suppliers supplying compatible cartridge packs on amazon and ebay, starting at as low as £49 for the
4 cartridges with approximate print runs of somewhere in the 1500 to 2200 range per set of cartridges, depending on print content of course.

milage may vary as with all compatible brands, but i got the goink ones at £59, ill let you know if i have any issues when i change them.
#############
NOTE/UPDATE: 31/03/2015 I have now run out of black and replaced the black cartridge with the goink version.
it worked immediately and gives compatible quality to the HP cartridge.
so with that I ordered another backup set plus an extra black, all for £70.

this should give me a capacity of at least 5000 total color prints , for a total price of £280

compare that to how many prints you get out of an inkjet realistically over time including allowing for wasted ink during cleaning.
#############


its a really solid and well built printer.

spares beyond the guarantee period also seem to be readily available on ebay.

just thought id share this, as this offers an affordable alternative to the constant cleaning/replacing of ink cartridges for not too big a leap in cost.

and of course i would not be sharing it here , unless its mageia support was there, which it is with hplip.

regards peter