Good 4x6 photo printer

[strep3241]

So I am looking for a printer than can print good quality 4x6 photos. This printer will not get used that much, hard to say how many photos we will print with it. The main use for this would just be 1 day a year, it will get used other times of the year but not that much. We will be running a Christmas store, selling trees and crafts, for the first time and looking at doing a picture day with Santa. I know we could just get the photos printed at a walgreens or where ever but was wanting to be able to print them out right away while the customer is there and not have them wait.

Is there a place like best buy where you can test printers? It would need to have a usb port and sd card slot.

 

[lxskllr]

With the caveat that I gave up on printers years ago...

Your use case is the worst way to use a printer. Ink dries up, heads clog, and the whole thing's a clunky mess. Unless you're ok with possibly buying a new printer every year(business expense), I'd get it done by a print shop.

 

[OlyAR15]

Will 2nd that advice. Using a printer so infrequently will cause you nothing but headaches. Chances are it will fail to print on that one day that you need it.

 

[strep3241]

It would get used other times of the year besides that 1 day. I realize not using a printer very often is not good for them. How often should a printer be used to keep it working fine? Once a week, once a month?

 

[Mike64]

It would get used other times of the year besides that 1 day. I realize not using a printer very often is not good for them. How often should a printer be used to keep it working fine? Once a week, once a month?

There's no guarantee this would work, but if it makes enough financial sense in your specific circumstances to "waste" the rest of a cartridge or set of cartridges if necessary you might get away with literally using it only once (or twice, or thrice) per year by starting with fresh ink, removing it when you're done for the time being (whether that's a day, a week, or whatever, of relatively continuous use), thoroughly cleaning the print head, and then packing it up until the next time you need it. Otherwise, you should plan on printing something, even if not a full photo, that uses at least a little of every color of ink and hits the entire print head, a few times a week.

 

[esquared]

I don't know about this particular model:
https://epson.com/For-Home/Printers/Photo/Epson-PictureMate-PM-400-Personal-Photo-Lab/p/C11CE84201
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014KU0RIA/ref=psdc_172646_t2_B0009EUFI4

but I still have and use an Epson Picturemate deluxe from around 2005, or so.
https://www.amazon.com/Epson-PictureMate-Deluxe-Viewer-Printer/dp/B0009EUFI4
The ink and paper sell for around 30.00 for printing over a 100 pictures.
https://www.amazon.com/Epson-Pictur...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=4RYEPPRXW9CPXFV5WQ13
I always got maybe 10 more pictures from the ink cartridge.

The ink is still available to buy and the pictures it prints are excellent.

Here's what looks like a cheaper version of the PM-400
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002R0DWYM/ref=psdc_172646_t1_B0009EUFI4

 

[sdifox]

Rent a commercial grade printer for a day?

Something like this. Example, not recommendation. Dye subs are what you find in the kodak walk up print stations you find in walmarts.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/132349520485

Rental example. This is Canada so more expensive than in the US.

https://www.vistek.ca/rentals/detai...-printers-snap-lab-digital-photo-printer.aspx


Or buy one of these

HiTi P525L Compact Dye Sub Photo Printer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L9U850G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_bj-kAb1F7MSBG

DNP DS-RX1HS Photo Printer + 3 YR WARRANTY INCLUDED https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XDBTZPK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_do-kAb8C8NQSB