This printer is presently parked in the garage awaiting attention. Just finding a way into it will be an achievement, with all the torx screws etc. Given that the integral (but plug-in & removable) power supply works fine, but the printer is dead with no sign of life at switch-on, it could just be a connection that's come adrift - a plug on a PCB or whatever. Paradoxically, I think there's a better chance of resuscitating it than if it was working after a fashion, but malfunctioning.
Having looked at a lot of printers in recent months, and their claimed media printing capabilities, the Photosmart 6520 does have a transparency setting, which Epson printers such as my SX525 doesn't and is quite hopeless with acetates on any setting. Really, I should have stuck with HP. My aging Photosmart printer that died on me a couple of years ago printed superb acetates for PCB masks - totally opaque and a really thick coating of ink which dried in minutes.
How the 6520 would perform I've no idea, but there is the added advantage with the 6520 in that HP ink cartridges are far cheaper than Epson, so genuine HP carts are an option. A set of four HP 364 carts is just £20.00 (or less) and a genuine HP XL black cart is £13.00. True, a set of four HP compatible carts is only £2.69, but I’d be happy with genuine HP ones at their prices. Genuine Epson carts for my SX535 on the other hand are £39.00, so it’s no surprise that like many others Epson users, I buy compatibles, and it printed no better with the genuine ones anyway, because I was expecting it to do something it wasn't capable of doing, as admitted by Epson - print onto acetates.
Typical Amazon review comments echo my sentiments about Epson compatibles that I buy:
“I was surprised how quickly the original Epson cartridge ran out and when I searched online, I saw that this was a major issue amongst Epson printer buyers.
Not wanting to add to Epson's profits any further, I gave these a go”.
“Always had reservations about 'compatible inks' but these products is excellent, the quality of the print has not been affected at all.
I have recently been printing an awful lot and there are no problems with the amount of ink per cartridge, which I have found in the past. All in all an excellent buy”.
In closing, it’s worth saying that only decent ink-jet printers will print PCB acetates well - acetates printed on laser printers are useless for PCB masks in my experience. I asked my former Secretary recently to print some for me to see how they came out on her office laser printer. She tried all the settings and none of the prints were any good for PCB masks – nothing like the density needed. I guess that’s why so many constructors are using the iron-on magazine paper laser printing technique (albeit I've heard mixed results about that technique). Really, I make so few PCBs these days that it’s not worth losing sleep over. I mostly only use my printer for printing off web pages and word docs, which it does well enough. I have printed the odd snapshot off (I won’t call them ‘photographs’ because that would dignify the pictures I take!) and they're adequate for my needs.
Iron-on laser printing PCB techniques using magazine paper as the print medium:
http://www.riccibitti.com/pcb/pcb.htm
http://fullnet.com/~tomg/gooteepc.htm
When/if I get time to have a furtle around with this HP 6520, I'll see if it's beyond hope. Not worth spending to much time on it given that they're now just under £90 with a 2-yr warranty from JLP.
http://www.johnlewis.com/hp-photosmart-6520-e-all-in-one-printer/p231735224?kpid=231735224&s_kenid=2e74cbfb-29d9-1308-6a26-0000574f8b58&s_kwcid=128x50620&tmad=c&tmcampid=73
Note the spec, confirming printing onto transparencies:
Paper format Information: Paper (brochure, inkjet, plain), photo paper, envelopes, labels, cards (greeting), transparencies
Maybe the reason that Epson don't support acetate printing is that the use of acetates for presentations (using overhead projectors) is almost extinct, with most presentations these days being via laptops and digital projectors. Can't be many old buffers around like me, faffing about still making PCBs - "You do what? There's no call for that sir". The clock is ticking and I can almost hear the grim reaper erecting the scaffold!.
Prattled, opined and dribbled Yorkie.
Having looked at a lot of printers in recent months, and their claimed media printing capabilities, the Photosmart 6520 does have a transparency setting, which Epson printers such as my SX525 doesn't and is quite hopeless with acetates on any setting. Really, I should have stuck with HP. My aging Photosmart printer that died on me a couple of years ago printed superb acetates for PCB masks - totally opaque and a really thick coating of ink which dried in minutes.
How the 6520 would perform I've no idea, but there is the added advantage with the 6520 in that HP ink cartridges are far cheaper than Epson, so genuine HP carts are an option. A set of four HP 364 carts is just £20.00 (or less) and a genuine HP XL black cart is £13.00. True, a set of four HP compatible carts is only £2.69, but I’d be happy with genuine HP ones at their prices. Genuine Epson carts for my SX535 on the other hand are £39.00, so it’s no surprise that like many others Epson users, I buy compatibles, and it printed no better with the genuine ones anyway, because I was expecting it to do something it wasn't capable of doing, as admitted by Epson - print onto acetates.
Typical Amazon review comments echo my sentiments about Epson compatibles that I buy:
“I was surprised how quickly the original Epson cartridge ran out and when I searched online, I saw that this was a major issue amongst Epson printer buyers.
Not wanting to add to Epson's profits any further, I gave these a go”.
“Always had reservations about 'compatible inks' but these products is excellent, the quality of the print has not been affected at all.
I have recently been printing an awful lot and there are no problems with the amount of ink per cartridge, which I have found in the past. All in all an excellent buy”.
In closing, it’s worth saying that only decent ink-jet printers will print PCB acetates well - acetates printed on laser printers are useless for PCB masks in my experience. I asked my former Secretary recently to print some for me to see how they came out on her office laser printer. She tried all the settings and none of the prints were any good for PCB masks – nothing like the density needed. I guess that’s why so many constructors are using the iron-on magazine paper laser printing technique (albeit I've heard mixed results about that technique). Really, I make so few PCBs these days that it’s not worth losing sleep over. I mostly only use my printer for printing off web pages and word docs, which it does well enough. I have printed the odd snapshot off (I won’t call them ‘photographs’ because that would dignify the pictures I take!) and they're adequate for my needs.
Iron-on laser printing PCB techniques using magazine paper as the print medium:
http://www.riccibitti.com/pcb/pcb.htm
http://fullnet.com/~tomg/gooteepc.htm
When/if I get time to have a furtle around with this HP 6520, I'll see if it's beyond hope. Not worth spending to much time on it given that they're now just under £90 with a 2-yr warranty from JLP.
http://www.johnlewis.com/hp-photosmart-6520-e-all-in-one-printer/p231735224?kpid=231735224&s_kenid=2e74cbfb-29d9-1308-6a26-0000574f8b58&s_kwcid=128x50620&tmad=c&tmcampid=73
Note the spec, confirming printing onto transparencies:
Paper format Information: Paper (brochure, inkjet, plain), photo paper, envelopes, labels, cards (greeting), transparencies
Maybe the reason that Epson don't support acetate printing is that the use of acetates for presentations (using overhead projectors) is almost extinct, with most presentations these days being via laptops and digital projectors. Can't be many old buffers around like me, faffing about still making PCBs - "You do what? There's no call for that sir". The clock is ticking and I can almost hear the grim reaper erecting the scaffold!.
Prattled, opined and dribbled Yorkie.
Regards, David.
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club Member 1339.
'I'm in my own little world, but I'm happy, and they know me here'
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club Member 1339.
'I'm in my own little world, but I'm happy, and they know me here'
