Small photo printers: should consumables influence model choice?

Sales of small photo printers were higher in November & December 2005 than the rest of the year combined, helping them to account for 32% of all printing devices sold in the UK over that period. According to marketing agency GFK (www.gfk.co.uk), sales of these printers have remained strong in 2006 with a +18% year-to-date rise in volume. With all the major manufacturers heavily promoting their respective ranges, a bumper Christmas is in prospect.


Each of the five major manufacturers: Canon, Epson, Lexmark, HP and Samsung currently hold over 10% of the overall market each, and with around one in five of all small photo printers having a retail price of less than £50 the cost has now reached the point where replacement ink cartridges and paper can equal or exceed half the value of a new printer.


Of the major manufacturers, Canon, Epson and Samsung have all developed cartridge and paper packs which are unique to their respective models of photo printers. Unfortunately, these packs tend to be very restrictive, as no choice of type of photo paper is allowed. Epson and Samsung only have one size of paper available, and although Canon has a range of three sizes of photo paper, all are sold in packs complete with cartridge. HP & Lexmark utilise inkjet cartridges and paper that can be used in other models of printers across their ranges and there is a variety of paper available for use in these models.

Cheaper, compatible cartridges are already available for the more recent models of HP branded printers and it is anticipated that compatibles for Lexmark will be available on the market in due course. Compatible cartridges for Epson, Samsung and Canon, while on the market, are less widely available.


The major manufacturers recently launched a range of printers onto the market, including the Canon Selphy ES1 which has been heavily advertised on TV; Epson Picturemate 100; Lexmark P350 and the HP Photosmart 335. Samsung entered this market in the autumn of this year; however Samsung dealers have been plagued by short supplies of consumables since the launch.


There are many online-based firms, such as Cartridge Concept, who provide low cost compatible ink cartridges and photo paper. While the best prices for compatible consumables for your particular brand and model of printer can be found via the internet, such websites can also often provide an insight into each printer's performance and can help to calculate the running costs involved for the latest models of printers available from the major manufacturers.