• Pat_Riot@lemmy.today
    30·
    7 days ago

    My windows computers always fought with printers, but since I switched to Linux Mint both printers in my house have just done what I asked. Maybe it was never the printer that was the problem.

    • balsoft@lemmy.ml
      14·
      7 days ago

      Oh how the turntables

      Printing on Linux used to be a massive pain because CUPS, until I learned that I can just yeet PDFs at network printers with nc.

      I can’t fathom Windows printing being worse than CUPS somehow. But then again I’m pretty sure last time I printed anything on Windows it was via a parallel port.

      • InputZero@lemmy.world
        4·
        7 days ago

        I have always had decent success with CUPS and old printers, so like printers that are 15+ years old. It just works. Now with newer printers you’d have to be a sucker for punishment to go that route.

      • Passerby6497@lemmy.worldEnglish
        7·
        7 days ago

        I fucking hated when places like HP stopped putting out basic drivers and forced the bloated print and scan app on everyone who wasn’t using it over the network

        • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
          3·
          6 days ago

          Their plotter printing software is the worst. Not only is is proprietary bullshit, but it alsonhas like zero options. If you’re printing to a plotter you probably have enough technical knowledge to want some fucking settings.

    • Bytemeister@lemmy.worldEnglish
      7·
      7 days ago

      Same. Biggest eye-opener for me. My printer was located and installed automatically during setup. Same for all my other devices. It just fucking worked, and I legit cried a bit because I’ve wasted a significant portion of my life dealing with printer and driver issues on windows.

    • morto@piefed.socialEnglish
      5·
      6 days ago

      My father migrated to linux (mint) a couple of years ago and some time after, he said that he got a printer and asked if I could help him configure it when I got some free time. He then never mentioned it again, until I remembered and asked him. He said that he didn’t need help after all, because it was very easy on linux.

  • jj4211@lemmy.world
    23·
    7 days ago

    To make the fairy tale work out:

    • Brother laser printer. It’s there, it works, and I don’t have to think about it.

    On the other extreme, inkjet is just busted. I’ll give ecotank some appreciation for not having an ink resupply problem, but clogs like crazy and have to spend forever trying to unclog it if I have to use it.

    Then there’s HP, a brand that just works every day to think how to screw over printer purchasers to get more money out of them microtransaction style.

    • mrgoosmoos@lemmy.caEnglish
      3·
      6 days ago

      yeah I’ve got one that sits in my basement and gets used every few months. basically no issues, and when I do have an issue it’s pretty much always because of my shitty Wi-Fi

      100% would recommend

    • Raiderkev@lemmy.world
      2·
      6 days ago

      There were some stories about them enshittifying a few years back. Iric they were adding DRM like all the other shitcos making printers. Apparently just the older ones are good now.

  • Allero@lemmy.today
    12·
    7 days ago

    Bought a 20-year-old used Brother printer for $25, and it runs just fine! Bought it when I planned to print my thesis and figured straight up buying it is cheaper than going to the print shop.

    It still prints all I ever need to print, and I never had to change or even refill anything. I did have to install drivers as the printer is not supported in CUPS by default, but drivers are still available on the official site (as well as AUR, my Arch friends), and looks like even some spare parts are still available for purchase.

    It also doesn’t have any connectivity except USB, which adds some peace of mind.

  • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
    11·
    7 days ago

    Half the time my printer refuses to acknowledge that it even exists. Windows lists it as an unknown device quite a lot of the time.

    I’ve started to think it might be easier to 3D print a printing press and just do it manually.

      • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
        2·
        6 days ago

        USB-A to USB-B. It’s probably just a driver issue but I can’t be arsed fixing it because I barely ever use the damn thing.

        I knew the score if I needed to print with any degree of regularity I would just bite the bullet and buy a brother printer but I probably only print five documents a year so it’s not worth it.

    • cRazi_man@europe.pub
      8·
      7 days ago

      OP is right. Brother laser printer will never let you down. It will also never run around or desert you.

      • AliasVortex@lemmy.worldEnglish
        4·
        7 days ago

        Kind of. Some of the newer models use chip identification and refuse to print if they think the toner is out. The L3765CDW has been something of a nightmare…

  • yermaw@sh.itjust.works
    10·
    7 days ago

    Ive got an electric brick in the shape of a printer because apparently if you stop paying for the ink subscription it just stops working.

    • _stranger_@lemmy.world
      2·
      6 days ago

      I replaced my original monochrome no features brother laser printer because it was physically destroyed in a move. The brother MFC that took its place lasted almost 13 years before a power surge knocked it off the network permanently. So now that one is an offline “print a huge thing and let it run all day” printer we only rarely use, and now have the most modern MFC they make, which I hope lasts another decade+. They’re awesome.

      • blargh513@sh.itjust.works
        2·
        6 days ago

        I used my first brother MFC laser printer for probably 12 or more years. I passed it on to my brother and lost track of it. I replaced it with a color laser MFC.

        I rarely use it anymore so the fact that it works without issue is hardly a surprise. However, I would never own a printer that is not a laser printer. I’ve had three laser printers in the last 26 years. The current one is about 2 years old. They last.

  • cley_faye@lemmy.world
    8·
    7 days ago

    I have a printer that works. B&W laser printer from Samsung. It survived multiple windows update, and still works on Linux.

    Guess that’s why Samsung discontinued their printer business and sold it to HP.

    • 8oow3291d@feddit.dk
      5·
      7 days ago

      I have a printer that works.

      I love how this is a statement that is said in all seriousness.

  • FireWire400@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    7 days ago

    I never had any issues with Canon or Brother printers at work, but HP printer are almost always unnecessarily complicated and frustrating all the way through, starting at the initial setup.

    • Tiral@lemmy.world
      6·
      7 days ago

      Yeah, HP is currently in several lawsuits for their printers. They remotely disable them and a bunch of crazy stuff.

    • badgermurphy@lemmy.world
      2·
      7 days ago

      I saw this color laser HP printer at work some years ago where the toner cartridges were in this “Ferris Wheel” apparatus and were moved to the paper, rather than the paper moving past them.

      I couldn’t believe it even worked for a week.

  • Nickelalloy@lemmy.world
    6·
    7 days ago

    Some years ago I worked in a place thst had several Canon printers, it hit me after several years that I had never had any problem with them (except a stuck paper on some rare occasion)

    Later at a metal festival i talked to a man who worked for Canon, I assuned he worked with cameras but still menetioned how good of a brand it was when it came to printers.

    Turns out he worked with canon printers after all and according to him they have way more reliable up-time than the competitors, which he also worked for before.

    So yeah, a proper office printer from Canon is something diferent!

  • itsgroundhogdayagain@lemmy.ml
    4·
    7 days ago

    Right now I’m the only one in the house who can print without issues and it’s only from my phone via WiFi. The desktop and another phone cannot print at all. A 3rd phone can print but has to select the paper tray on the touchscreen every time.