What is the ideal printer for small flyers?

[LarryDavis]

What is the ideal printer for mass reproduction of flyers? I want a high quality print, where photographic images come out fairly detailed, but being it that the same image is going to reproduced over and over, speed is by far more important....i'm willing to spend around $1,000 on the printer....any suggestions you guys might have?...should i look at an offset press? or am i better off with a photo printer since my images are going to be small 3" by 6"?...i am also a beginner, so if you could list some websites or books that could be of help for me, thatd be great....thanks for any feedback

[BlasR]

look at HP 8250.

BlasR

[Brian Gilkes]

Larry,
Economics of scale will only favour DIY over send off to offset if runs per issue are fairly low.
It depends on how many flyers you intend to produce over what time frame.
Larger printers cost more initially but bulk ink is cheaper , remembering that ink is a major expense.
HP printers may require specially coated HP papers. Your flyers may only require a much cheaper but nice coated stock.Dyes are cheaper than pigmented inks and should last long enough for flyers.
Thermal printers are much faster than piezo printers, and quality is now quite good , but not for fine art.-yet.
Hope this helps
Brian
www.pharoseditions.com.au

[LarryDavis]

its funny blasR mentioned the HP 8250, by pure coincidence, i already own one and was currently using that printer, but I can't get the black in my prints to come out they way i want them to. The black comes out more on the blueish side. I think it may have something to do with the paper i'm using, as I am using low quality everyday computer paper for the flyers. I don't intend on spending mass amounts of money on special glossy HP paper. My question now is, why is the color black in my prints coming out a very dark blueish? Is it because of my settings on photoshop? I've already tried to apply more of a reddish color to the black part of the flyer using the magic wand tool, but the color i want to change remains roughly the same. Does it having something to do with the inital scan of the flyer i'm using? (i use an Epson perfection 4490 scanner) Any feedback is greatly appreciated...

[Brian Gilkes]

I have no experience with HP printers but I do use Epson scanners and think it highly unlikely the problem is due to scanning. Using non coated paper is always problematic, but you can often get away with it . Saturation is nearly always down though. The bluish blacks may be due to greater differential absorption of yellow dye. I suggest you try some other papers. I find if I use a clay /gelatine coated stock the results are better than on the cheap uncoated stock. I'm still talking office paper , but of a better quality. Here that means about $25AUD compared with $5 AUD/ream ( 500 sheets). The flyers will look swisher too.
Hope this helps
Brian
Pharos Editions
www.pharoseditions.com.au

[Brian Gilkes]

I have no experience with HP printers but I do use Epson scanners and think it highly unlikely the problem is due to scanning. Using non coated paper is always problematic, but you can often get away with it . Saturation is nearly always down though. The bluish blacks may be due to greater differential absorption of yellow dye. I suggest you try some other papers. I find if I use a clay /gelatine coated stock the results are better than on the cheap uncoated stock. I'm still talking office paper , but of a better quality. Here that means about $25AUD compared with $5 AUD/ream ( 500 sheets). The flyers will look swisher too.
Hope this helps
Brian
Pharos Editions
www.pharoseditions.com.au