I need a printer for text and some photos, as noted in my first post. I spent many hours reading reviews and there was no stand-out. Several days ago, my SIL sent a photo she printed at home of an online image of an oil painting. It was so outstanding, I could hardly believe my eyes. Hers is a Canon Pixma mg5320. I ordered an updated version, Canon Pixma mg6320 which has a gray cartridge for better b/w photos. This printer is mainly for text but I was really wowed by her photo, esp as she is not a tech person.

A couple of things to think about in buying a printer: - The printer is sold pretty much at margin; the profit is in ink (and, to a lesser extent, photo paper). If you're looking for the best pictures an ink-jet (bubble-jet) printer can make, you need to match the manufacturer's ink with their paper. You can get decent results out of a "mismatch", but the very best results come when the strengths and weaknesses of the ink are complemented by the paper. Check the cost of the "consumables". And know that some manufacturers only put "starter" cartridges in the printer box, without a full ration of ink (I know HP does this; not sure about others). - Some older or cheaper inkjets and all-in-ones use one cartridge for colors. It's cheaper in the long run to have separate cartridges for each color; it's worth spending a little more on the printer to get the ability to use separate cartridges unless you know 90% of your work will be black ink. In truth, if almost all your work will be done in black ink, a low-priced laser printer will be much cheaper to operate than an inkjet. - Keep in mind that some printed inks will last longer than others. This may not matter much if you're printing schoolwork or documents which will be kept in a folder somewhere. But if you're printing your own artwork or digital photos, you don't want colors shifting or fading after a couple of years. Look for lightfast inks or some indication of how long a print should last (and under what conditions they reached that figure). I bought my Epson Stylus Photo about four years ago primarily because I've had good experience with Epson in the past and because, at the time, their ink lasted far longer than anyone else's. HP and Canon have made huge strides since then. - If you're serious about printing your own artwork or digital pictures, strongly consider getting a "photo" printer with six or seven ink colors in it. The extra colors make the transitions between colors more realistic. "Photo" printers also tend to have longer-lasting inks. - All-in-ones are amazingly inexpensive considering all they do. But if any part of one breaks, you may lose the rest of the functionality of the unit. Scanners can be quite small and easy to use (Canon's LIDE series comes to mind); unless space really is at a premium near the computer, buying a separate printer and scanner is a better choice.

Tired of HP 3in1 printer having paper jams and low on ink. Would a wireless work in closet 30' away? If I stay hard wire I want ink jet with small footprint and primarily used for simple printing and copy on occasion. Want to pay around $100. Any recommendation on brands or models. I am left confused after trying to find a good site for comparisons .

I think this might be the new brother color model that replaced my version. They come out with new versions regularly. This one has a bigger touch screen mine is not a touch screen, just an information screen. But this is a great price. It looks almost exactly like mine except for the touch screen, mine has a regular screen there. It uses led light source instead of the laser light source. From what I've read it's very similar, both use toner cartridges. http://www.adorama.com/BRMFC9130CW.html?hotlink=t&svfor=5m&gclid=CNDfnpa1jMoCFQaJaQod74QB-A