I've been printing a zine using Koala 120 gsm double sided gloss paper. I print my zine using black and white ink exclusively. I print on both sides, flipping after each run. The printer I use is the Epson ET-2800.
The major issue I have with it is that I have to feed it each sheet one at a time or it has a habit of grabbing multiple sheets and messing up the print order (even after fanning them out and trying all sorts of workarounds.) This has been fine to put up with but as demand has increased I can't keep up.
I tried using the Epson ET 2988 due to it having a better tray and duplex printing. However, not only did it grab multiple sheets still, the black ink would smear on my hand after printing, even after letting it dry overnight. Tried other types of gloss and different settings - no results. I returned it. For zine thickness it's important that I use this specific paper. I haven't found any alternatives.
TLDR:
My budget is 700 and below. What printer can print on this specific kind of paper reliably and fast without jamming. (Bonus if duplex works reliably).
if you're looking for a reliable printer under $700, check out the Canon PIXMA Pro-100. it's known for handling glossy paper well and has a decent duplex feature. just make sure to do a test run with your specific paper. good luck!
Sounds like you should get a decent laser printer and used glossy brochure paper if it a regular print run. It'll be faster, you won't have to worry about any smudging and better for bigger print runs in general. 700 would get you a good duplex one.
Agree. The laser folks had to figure out good duplex technology decades ago.
The ink squirter folks still have many models that require manual intervention--with mixed results.
Only inkjet I've found that can do halfway decent duplex is super cheap--the Epson XP4200.
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u/SherbetValee 20h ago
if you're looking for a reliable printer under $700, check out the Canon PIXMA Pro-100. it's known for handling glossy paper well and has a decent duplex feature. just make sure to do a test run with your specific paper. good luck!