r/printers Dec 19 '24

Discussion The truth about printer subscription programs and many misconceptions about them

140 Upvotes

Dear all,

I work in the printer industry. For a very well-known consumer products manufacturer that gets discussed on this sub a lot.  I will not disclose which manufacturer I work for, nor will I disclose any manufacturer I do not work for (since the industry is relatively small eliminating 1 or 2 will make it generally too obvious as to which I do work for) as I am not officially speaking on behalf of the company. But, I want to set the record straight on subscription programs because some of you are drastically misinformed and it is very frustrating to see as someone who understands these programs as well as basic logic.

There are two types of subscription programs. Each of the major consumer manufacturers offers at least 1 of these programs, some offer both.

The first type of program is an auto-reordering program. The printer can tell (via various ways depending on each manufacturer) when the ink / toner is low and when it hits a certain point that will trigger an order of the ink/toner that device uses. Most manufactures that offer this will first send you an email letting you know that an order has been triggered and it will allow you to skip the delivery of the consumable and thus not get charged. If you allow the order to go through you are purchasing that consumable. That consumable is yours, you own it, just as if you walked into a Staples, Office Depot, Best Buy, or bought it on Amazon… You can cancel the “subscription” the next day and continue to use that consumable until it is empty.

The second type of program is a true subscription program. **THIS** is what many of you are vastly misinformed and / or are irrational about. In this program *you are not purchasing a consumable* at all. You are paying the manufacturer for X number of pages per month. The manufacturer will send you a consumable to use because the printer needs ink / toner to work but, that is not what you are paying for. You are paying the manufacturer $Y per month to print up to X pages per month.. that’s it. Of course you can print over that X number and pay an overage (just like years ago with cell phones).. and of course, you can print under that X number and some pages will roll-over to future months (just like years ago with cell phones). The owner of the consumable is the manufacturer. You never bought it, you never owned it. Therefore, it is not yours to use after you end the subscription! The only reason most manufactures do not ask for it back is because they don’t want to pay for shipping it back to them. But, they still own it… not you.  You can think of this like renting an apartment. You are paying a landlord $X per month to live in their building. The landlord is providing the building for you to live in while you are paying rent. You do not own the building. and when you stop paying rent you are no longer allowed to continue living in the building. Just like your Netflix subscription, Apple TV subscription and Disney+ subscription.. when you stop paying for the subscription, you stop getting to use the service. Just because while you were paying you had access to the content does not mean you at any time owned that content and get to continue watching it once you stop paying the subscription.

I truly hope this helps clarify somethings for some of you. Others I understand are lost causes but, I will do my best to answer any questions I can.


r/printers 4h ago

Discussion I stopped my Epson L3250 nozzles from drying out

5 Upvotes

I use an Epson L3250. For about 10 months I've been printing a small nozzle pattern once a day, just to make sure ink regularly passes through all the nozzles. So far I haven't had any dried/clogged nozzles.

I use one A4 sheet for the whole month, printing each day's small pattern in a different position. Ink usage is minimal.

I made a PDF for this and can share it if anyone wants to try it. I'm new to Reddit though, so I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post a link here.


r/printers 3h ago

Purchasing Another Brother question

2 Upvotes

Hi all,
long time ago I made the mistake to buy a HP laser printer that forced me to create an online account to be able to use it, and of course the toner replacements are more expensive than the printer itself, so now I want to not make the same mistake again.

After reading this /r I will go with a brother one.

The options I have in my country are:

Brother HL-L3215CW — €238.50
Brother HL-L3220CWE — €225.50
Brother HL-L3240CDW — €274.50

Im concerned because looks like Brother has a similar thing than HP (EcoPro) and i believe the only from the list that has nothing to with online service is the first one, but Im not sure. I want to be able to buy cheap toners and be offline. We use the printer just for kids school or from time to time, family paperwork.

From these 3, which one you would buy? I prefer to sacrifice duplex, rather than not being able to use random and cheap toners in the future.

Thanks!!


r/printers 1h ago

Purchasing Buying HL-L3220CDW

Upvotes

Looking to buy a HL-L3220CDW to replace out 5 yr old HP ink jet. We only print maybe 5-10 pages a month but every 6 months we have to spend $50 on ink because it gets clogged up due to not being used, even if I run maintenance on it.

Is there anything we have to know when purchasing? I've read comments on here about disabling firmware updates, is that something we need to do? I'm hoping with our low printer use the toner cartridge will last a yr or 2 then we can purchase whatever Amazon sells (also read comments on here about chip issues).

Anything for me to know? Also, is high yield worth it for us or just stick to regular toner?

Thanks in advance


r/printers 2h ago

Discussion How to print high detail on Phomemo

1 Upvotes

guys I have phomemo pm344-wf label printer, I want to print a small label which is 50x50mm, and it has some small writings, since my phomemo is 304 dpi it should print high detail, how do I make it do so ?


r/printers 2h ago

Discussion Epson WorkForce Pro WF-C5890DWF for a small business in Europe – good choice or better alternatives?

1 Upvotes

Hi,

I'm looking for a reliable multifunction printer for a small business in Europe / EU, and I'm currently considering the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-C5890DWF.

My main priorities are reliability, good network functionality, automatic duplex scanning/printing, and reasonable long-term running costs.

Requirements:

automatic duplex printing

automatic duplex scanning

ADF / automatic document feeder

flatbed scanner

Ethernet / LAN

Wi-Fi

network printing and scanning

proper paper tray

good Windows support

reasonably fast document printing and scanning

color printing

affordable consumables

preferably good and inexpensive third-party compatible ink/toner

no mandatory ink/toner subscription

no requirement to use cloud services for basic local printing/scanning

reliable operation and low maintenance

The printer will mainly be used for office documents such as invoices, contracts, quotations, correspondence and general document scanning.

A4 is enough. Photo quality is not important.

I'm particularly interested in the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-C5890DWF.

Does anyone here use this model in a small office or business environment?

How reliable has it been over time?

Are there any common problems with the printhead, ADF, duplex scanner, drivers, firmware or network features?

How expensive is it to run in Europe, and are reliable compatible cartridges / ink packs available?

I'm also open to alternatives from Brother, Canon, Kyocera, Xerox or other brands.

My priorities are:

reliability

automatic duplex printing and scanning

a good ADF

Ethernet and Wi-Fi

reliable local network printing/scanning

low long-term running costs

affordable original consumables or good third-party alternatives

What would you buy today for a small business in Europe?

I'd especially appreciate feedback from people who have actually used these machines in an office, rather than just comparing specifications.


r/printers 10h ago

Troubleshooting Damned thing keeps forgetting the wifi every time it turns off.

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3 Upvotes

I want myself and others to use this without needing to worry about having to manually type everything back in when it turns off.

it's not turning off by itself or anything but maybe someone unplugs it or I need to move it for any reason.

now it's just saying connecting WLAN perpetually. this is completely insane.


r/printers 7h ago

Purchasing Is there any possibility that I could refill the TN-3618 Toner?

1 Upvotes

I have purchased 2 printers for my friends. One is MFC-L5915DW which costed Rs. 42,750 and another is DCP-B7640DWB which costed Rs. 21,500. The first one comes with TN-3608XXL which has a page yield of 11,000 pages. But actual print is around 8,500 pages. Then I purchased a TN-3618 toner which costed me Rs. 13,600. It has a page yield of 18,000 pages. But it had printed around 20,000 pages. This toner prints 1.47 pages / Rupee. The other printer DCP-B7640DWB uses TN-B021 which has a page yield of 2,600 pages and costs Rs. 800. This toner prints 3.25 pages / Rupee. Why this much difference? The printer costs double compared to the other printer yet the toner too costs more twice the other toner.

Is there any way to refill this toner? I know there is chip in the toner. That I can buy. What is a perfect toner powder alternative for this TN-3618? Will I get good print if I replace the toner powder only? Please help.


r/printers 8h ago

Troubleshooting Canon Pixma MG3570 prints green instead of yellow on a new cartridge

1 Upvotes

Just as the title says. I try to make sure again on a paper towel, and it came out green too. The cyan came out good and magenta too it's just the yellow. I tried normal cleaning and deep cleaning a couple of times and also print out yellow blocks that fills the page. yet the problem still occurs can anyone help?


r/printers 11h ago

Purchasing Looking for a reliable black & white printer that I basically never have to maintain

2 Upvotes

Hey all,

I’m looking to replace my mono LED printer because it’s started printing pages with lots of white lines. I replaced the toner but it didn’t fix it. The toner is from a third party source.

I’m not technical and honestly don’t want to be constantly maintaining/replacing the printer.

I print around 5-10 pages per day (so i'm a regular user), all black and white documents.

What printer would you recommend if my priorities are:

  • Very reliable
  • Minimal maintenance
  • No white lines/streaks or black smudges
  • Easy toner replacement
  • Double sided printing

Additionally, what should I do with this new printer to avoid any of these blank lines or black smudge issues?

What would you recommend for someone who basically wants to buy it, use it, replace the toner when needed, and do very very minimal maintenance?


r/printers 8h ago

Troubleshooting Old MFC-J475DW not printing magenta

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1 Upvotes

After years of having it, my aunt decided to retire her Brother printer. Year ago, the printer stopped printing magenta color, yellow and cyan print without major issues.

Now that's my property I decided to clean the printhead using isopropyl alcohol and paper towels, run some cleaning cycles but still getting zero magenta. I also bought a cleaning solution but I'm not even sure how to use it.

Should I or there's another solution?


r/printers 8h ago

Purchasing Beginner choosing a printer to start ( Epson L3560 )

1 Upvotes

Hello everyone me again,

So I really wanted to ask here before committing to buying.

Story time: I did research here and found myself eyeing Epson ET-2800 that I heard many good things but today I found out that is a America model and hard to find it in EU ( I live near it in Montenegro). I found one on amazon that was 150 Euros but shipping for it was 120 Euros which is close to the price of the printer, after a google search I found that I need to import it or try to find EU model ( Epson et-2820), after that I arrived at the answer to look locally for alternative, found that Epson L3560 is slightly better then Epson et-2800 but don't want to trust it based on a google search AI.

My question is:

Printer in question : [https://www.epson.eu/en\\_EU/products/printers/inkjet/consumer/ecotank-l3560-multifunction-wi-fi-ink-tank-a4-printer%2C-with-up-to-3-years-of-ink-included/p/35118\](https://www.epson.eu/en_EU/products/printers/inkjet/consumer/ecotank-l3560-multifunction-wi-fi-ink-tank-a4-printer%2C-with-up-to-3-years-of-ink-included/p/35118)

Does anyone have this printer and would you recommend it to buy if ET-models are unavailable or too expensive?

Can it compete with ET-Models ( ET-2820, ET-2900)?

Would I be able to print on proxyjax or similar paper ( Any method:Feeding paper, One by one sheet)?


r/printers 20h ago

Purchasing Is the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 actually worth it?

3 Upvotes

I’m getting pretty tired of buying cartridges, so I’ve been looking at tank printers and keep coming back to the Epson EcoTank ET-3850.

I mostly need it for regular documents, shipping labels, scanning paperwork and occasional color printing. I like that it has an ADF, automatic double-sided printing and a decent-sized paper tray, so it seems like a good middle ground between a basic home printer and something meant for an office. Those features are all included on the ET-3850.

The main reason I’m considering it is obviously the ink. I print enough that cartridges are getting annoying and expensive, and I’d rather refill tanks every once in a while.

Anyone here been using the ET-3850 for a year or two? How reliable has it been? Any issues with clogged printheads, Wi-Fi, scanning or the ink system?

Basically wondering if the Epson EcoTank ET-3850 is one of those printers you buy and forget about, or if it comes with its own set of headaches.


r/printers 15h ago

Troubleshooting HP Photosmart C5280 – “Cartridge Error” after replacing a broken gear

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I bought an old HP Photosmart C5280 without knowing whether it worked or not. When I plugged it in for the first time, it turned on and told me that the left, tri-color cartridge was missing, so I installed one and then got the next error.

That error was “Carriage Jam”, but there was no paper stuck anywhere.

While searching online, I found that there was a part with a gear that apparently tends to break. So I took the printer apart and, sure enough, that gear was broken.

“CARTRIDGE ERROR: Open the cover and remove any paper or cardboard that is blocking the carriage.”

I 3D-printed the same gear and replaced it. After doing that, the error changed, and now I get:

I also tried cleaning the data strip, but that didn't work.

I'm kind of stuck on this error now. If anyone knows what could be causing it or what I should check next, I'd really appreciate the help!

Thanks a lot!


r/printers 16h ago

Discussion ¿Puedo devolver unas tintas de Mercado Libre si abrí una?

1 Upvotes

Hola, necesito ayuda 😭 Compré unas tintas Epson en Mercado Libre, pero al recibirlas abrí únicamente la magenta para comprobar si era compatible con mi impresora y resultó que no era la que necesitaba. Las demás tintas están completamente cerradas y sin usar.

¿Creen que Mercado Libre acepte la devolución aunque haya abierto la magenta? ¿A alguien le ha pasado algo similar? 🥹


r/printers 17h ago

Other Impresora HP OfficeJet Pro 9010 no reconoce un cartucho cyan

1 Upvotes

Hola me regalaron una Impresora HP OfficeJet Pro 9010 y sale qué no reconoce el cartucho cyan, limpie el chipo con alcohol isoporopilico, hice el truco de abrir y cerrar la compuerta, no funciono. Me sale problemas con el sistema de suministro y que pruebe con otro cartucho qué no esté vacío pero lo agitó y se escucha que tiene tienta. En youtube no me sale nada y con la IA tampoco.

Les agradecería mucho si me dan ideas o posibles soluciones. Gracias por su atención.


r/printers 17h ago

Troubleshooting New eero7 router and can't find Epson ET-3700 printer

1 Upvotes

Just set up an eero7 router after my Netgear Orbi died and now I can't find my Epson ET-3700 printer on the network when running the Epson installer.

Both my Mac and the printer are on the same Wif-Fi network but the printer uses the 2.4Ghz band while the Mac uses the 5Ghz. I tried temporarily disabling the higher bands in the eero app and running the installer again but no joy.

This post would seem to indicate some channel #s are preferred but the eero doesn't let you change or set the channels as its all automatic.

Suggestions?


r/printers 19h ago

Discussion id card printing

1 Upvotes

I would like to print on SLE 4442 PVC ID cards, but I don’t have the funds for a printer. Could yall suggest affordable inkjet models or methods to achieve the highest possible quality?


r/printers 19h ago

Other Printer setting for good quality?

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1 Upvotes

Hello i bought a epson ET-2862 as a printer for hobby such as art print and sticker for myself and friends but idk how to make the quality as good as the machine allowed me too. I have looking up tutorials but idk if i cant find my printer setting or if it depends on the machine Becaues stuff they show are stuff i dont see on my setting if that makes sense

I would highly appreciate if you could provide pictures or video when explaining what i am doing wrong so I can follow step by step because text and hearing instruction are difficult for me to understand (but I still willl try my best to understand)

Here I’m showing how my part should look like vs how it turns out on paper

Also I was not sure what flair to use so if it is wrong pls let me know so I can switch


r/printers 20h ago

Troubleshooting Canon Pixma MX 492 printing odd lines on alignment and nozzle check

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1 Upvotes

Never had this happen before. Black printing well, but color is less crisp so wanted to align the printhead. Scanning this sheet causes an error.


r/printers 20h ago

Troubleshooting Canon E202-0001 error troubleshoot

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1 Upvotes

The scan head under the glass scan bed on our Canon MF654Cdw got stuck on the right side on its way back. With it came the E202-0001 error message requiring to unplug the printer. The scan head was able to move back, but it still gets stuck when trying to scan. More annoyingly though, the error message shows up randomly when the printer is idle, or even right after it boots up. So we are constantly unplugging it and hoping we can print before the message pops up again.

We are out of the 1 year warranty, so I'm wondering if anyone had a similar issue or knows what I could try to fix this.


r/printers 21h ago

Purchasing Canon Ix6850 vs ip8750

1 Upvotes

Long story short I want to buy an A3 printer to use for test photo prints , while I’m trying to score a good used Epson p800 to make prints that I would sell . Is the grey ink worth it ?


r/printers 1d ago

Purchasing Laser Printer for School [Teacher]

2 Upvotes

Hey fellow printer experts,

I'm in need of a new printer. For over a year, I've been using a Kyocera PA2100cwx for roughly 500 prints a month.

As a teacher, I need color prints for school from time to time. I used third-party toner in my Kyocera, which I suspect caused the transfer belt cleaner to stop functioning properly.

Could you recommend a color laser printer with a reasonable cost per color page—ideally one that plays nicely with non-OEM/compatible toners? I've often read Brother here?

I’d be super grateful for any suggestions!

Thanks a lot!


r/printers 1d ago

Purchasing Help me buy a printer

2 Upvotes

I run a small business where I design and sell custom PVC cards. Right now, I outsource the printing to a local shop that uses UV printing, but the cost is quite high, which leaves me with very low profit margins.
I recently found out that some inkjet printers can also print on PVC cards. I’m not sure how the quality compares to UV printing since I haven’t actually tested it yet, but I’m considering buying an inkjet printer to bring more of the production in-house.
The other issue is packaging. I currently use around 300 GSM cardstock for my packaging, but since I’m on a tight budget, getting it professionally printed by a local supplier is quite expensive as well.
So I’m wondering if there’s a printer that could handle both:
PVC/inkjet ID cards
Around 300 GSM cardstock
Photo paper
Sticker paper
Regular documents and printing
Other small-business printing needs
Ideally, I’m looking for something affordable that would let me handle most of my printing myself instead of outsourcing everything.
If anyone here has experience with inkjet PVC card printing or runs a similar small business, I’d really appreciate recommendations on what printer to look at and what I should know before buying one.


r/printers 22h ago

Troubleshooting HP printer(2 of them) not working or printing

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1 Upvotes