Greetings all;
This is my first posting here so, if you would, please bear with me if I miss a point of protocol or etiquette. I have about a dozen musical CDs in release and out there at most of the major sites. I can't afford going to manufacturers for my printed sleeves. There are so many different sleeves that I need and I don't need hundreds and thousands of each. I have purchased a CD duplicator and now I need a printer. Ink is a big question, given the costs and I am planning on the one hand to purchase what is needed to refill my cartridges from Precision Color and on the other hand it is no problem. What I mean is that I am torn between getting the Canon Pro 100 or the Canon G-4200. I know that the Pro 100 will handle heavier cardstock. I do not know what the limits of the G-4200 are. I have seen where it will print 64# cardstock but I suspect it might well handle 20 or 30 more than that and I will be hand feeding each sheet. I'm not that concerned with quality of image on the sleeve. Adequate is fine with me. My bigger concern is the ease of printing, whether it be 5X5 stock or bigger sheets that I would construct the 5X5 out of. I know it's a lot of work but I have a lot of time.
If the G-4200 will handle cardstock between 80 and 100 I think that is sufficient for making sleeves. I am stunned that in the weeks I have been researching this labor, I cannot find anywhere that someone has detailed the process. I can't find sleeves for printing; meaning sheets of paper designed for this purpose. Some paper, like Red River is very expensive. Surely there is a cheaper alternative? If I can get the G-4200 and it will do the job then I want that because the ink thing is covered. I know I am getting a much better printer with the Pro-100 and it will handle much larger paper formats, allowing me to get several 5X5's out of each sheet. I don't know whether pigment or dye matter in my case.
I have put years into composing my singer songwriter works and I am dedicated to the message that is contained in the songs. I want to try to reach a wider audience now as I don't know how many years I have left, or how much longer my voice and capacity will remain acceptable. I don't mind the work involved. My time is my own now. It's all very confusing. I see where certain Epson and perhaps Brother printers offer me much more facility for what I want to do, like the Workhorse line and such but I am a DEDICATED Canon fan. I Love Canon and want to stick with Canon; whether it is my camcorders or whatever I might have, if Canon makes it, I buy Canon but... sometimes Canon is expensive, like with their inks and paper. This is why I would prefer if the G-4200 would suffice for my needs. I'm not interested in the other G-tank models. I want the high end one.
I don't want to bother with ink refilling of cartridges but I will. From what I hear, it is not difficult and the Pro-100 looks fantastic for so many things and I could do large art photos of the album covers and performance shots for my wall. People say the G-4200 is very noisy and slow. I'm not sure either of those concerns matter to me if it will do the job and print cardstock of a sufficient strength and thickness. For all I know, 64# is thick enough. I will be going to Staples to see if that is the case. I just don't know at the moment. I hope there is someone out there knowledgeable enough about my problem and how to proceed.
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So... if you have an awareness of these two printers and how each of them might serve my needs, or any answers to getting less expensive cardstock, or heavy paper, or if there is a manufacturer who makes sleeve templates on the stock I would really appreciate your insight.
Thank you for the time taken in reading this.
Les Visible
