How often do you print anything (for personal reasons)?

[Trebuchet]

I'll be donating blood in the morning. To save time, we can answer the questionnaire on line at home and print out a QR code to take to the drive. So I'll be doing that tomorrow.

 

[arthwollipot]

I’m very wary about thinking of file accessibility tools such as Dropbox as in any way a form of backup. If you delete a file somewhere and that deletion gets synchronised… that scares me. I do daily, weekly and monthly backups to various long-term storage platforms that sit strategically away from any ongoing activities.

Out of curiosity (yes, you'd rather have it and not need it), how often have you had to go back to your backups for some data that you didn't have a current copy of (for whatever reason).

 

[steenkh]

Out of curiosity (yes, you'd rather have it and not need it), how often have you had to go back to your backups for some data that you didn't have a current copy of (for whatever reason).

I know you didn’t ask me, but I have had to do it once in, I think, ten years. That was before DropBox gave access to deleted files (possibly only available to paying customers, and thus possibly only available to me after starting paying). I have retrieved old copies a couple of times since then.

 

[TragicMonkey]

I'll be donating blood in the morning. To save time, we can answer the questionnaire on line at home and print out a QR code to take to the drive. So I'll be doing that tomorrow.

To save more time, they could just 3D print your blood ahead of time and save you a trip.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

I had to use a USB a little while ago. I couldn't find the one I still have.

They are using the cloud. OneDrive, DropBox, iCloud, Google Drive.

My 3D printers all use some kind of physical media for data, microSD for the filament printers, USB sticks for the resin. I try to immediately switch those I can (ie the filament printers) to a networked solution such as Octoprint (with SimplyPrint for accessibility) or a Sonic Pad to convert to Klipper.

 

[malbui]

Out of curiosity (yes, you'd rather have it and not need it), how often have you had to go back to your backups for some data that you didn't have a current copy of (for whatever reason).

To retrieve deleted files, a few times a year on average. But I manage centralised backup services for my whole extended family, which covers shall we say differing levels of user expertise.

 

[arthwollipot]

I know you didn’t ask me...

That's okay, I'm interested in anyone's answer.

 

[Delvo]

For me it's been once in a few months I guess, for unique reasons in each case, at least since I finished college. The fact that it sits doing nothing for long periods between jobs is one of the reasons why I got a laser printer instead of ink. Toner doesn't go dry when sitting unused. People somehow have the idea that a laser printer itself is more expensive than an ink printer, and maybe that's true among color printers, but it isn't for black & white, and, even if it were (by a small enough margin), it would save money by not making you get new ink repeatedly.

 

[Delvo]

3D printers aren't really printers, but, since they got mentioned anyway... I made the mistake of getting one without noticing & thinking about a little hint about them that was there all along in how the people who have them talk about them on YouTube and at 3D printing forums. A lot of the talk is not about using them, but about the constant struggle to just get them to work. One YouTuber even said "I warn you, this is a hobby", which confused me at first because I thought it was obvious that making things would be a hobby. Now I realize he didn't mean making things is the hobby; he meant the hobby is wrestling with a contraption that's decided you are the enemy and will always be deviously coming up with ways to work against you and prevent you from making things.

At first, especially in the YouTube channels, I thought it was just about trouble-shooting tips for beginners who knew nothing yet, and once you shot your trouble you'd be on your way. But no, things are always going wrong with these machines, so even experienced users seem to spend less time actually making things with them than trying to solve whatever is the latest new thing that went wrong with them. I just wanted what they're supposed to be, like my real printer (a name I think they stole to make it sound easier & more reliable than it actually is): design what I want, have the thing just make it, be done.

So, after it seemed to be going fine at first with a few test objects, I got a clogged nozzle which I originally concluded must be because I'd set the temperature too low (although still inside the recommended range), investigated that & learned what I was supposed to do about that, did it, tried again, saw everything going smoothly at first, then saw later that the nozzle had clogged again in the middle of the job even when I'd kept the temperature relatively high. Along the way trying to solve it the first time, I'd realized how much trouble these contraptions are for other people even though they were better than me at dealing with them, so that was it. I was and am done. I'd always been a bit bothered by the limits of plastic on issues like physical durability and sunlight resistance anyway, and most of the relatively few projects I'd had in mind for it were functional gadgets not stuff like cartoon character figurines or D&D game pieces anyway, so this all led me to just reconsider metalworking. I'd originally gone the 3D-printing route because I expected it to be easier than metalworking, but apparently I was wrong. So now the new hobby in my life is learning to metalwork. I've even discovered the wonders of a tiny Dremel rotary tool with a zillion attachments to choose from, which gives me more options for woodworking than I had before too. (I could even use it to carve cartoon character figurines or D&D game pieces if I wanted to.) Things like pliers, vises, heat guns/torches, and reciprocating/rotary power tools never refuse to do what they're supposed to do. The only problem is that now I have a printer with a clogged nozzle and several spools of filament for which I've already thrown away the money but which will never be used unless I happen to find somebody to donate them to.

 

[Mongrel]

People somehow have the idea that a laser printer itself is more expensive than an ink printer, and maybe that's true among color printers,

I think they probably work out cheaper than inkjets per page but the cost per toner cartridge is much higher. This can be eased if you can find a reliable off-brand manufacturer\seller although I've had problems with conisitency

The tank style inkjets promised much cheaper printing with with better quality but I saw enough "After two years they fail messily" reports that I'm wary of them, and they still have print heads that can dry up or get clogged.

 

[Darat]

I think they probably work out cheaper than inkjets per page but the cost per toner cartridge is much higher. This can be eased if you can find a reliable off-brand manufacturer\seller although I've had problems with conisitency

The tank style inkjets promised much cheaper printing with with better quality but I saw enough "After two years they fail messily" reports that I'm wary of them, and they still have print heads that can dry up or get clogged.

Helped a mate literally yesterday unclog his inktank printer head - sure it's down to him not printing much and not very often. Told him to print the maintenance sheet every month.

 

[GlennB]

Yesterday was the first time in months, printing some Yahtzee score sheets for a family visit. The black cartridge had pretty much run out Fortunately I had a spare, but it took me ages to find it.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

3D printers aren't really printers, but, since they got mentioned anyway... Snip

It's a developing tech, I remember when inkjets had to be periodically recalibrated to keep colour prints acceptable, but 3D printers do need some maintenance. That said repeated clogged nozzles are normally the result if bad bed levelling (or z-offset setting), poor quality filament, the PTFE tube not being inserted fully into the print head or using an unsuitable set up, all metal hotends aren't necessary for PLA and if like most people that's what you're printing a PTFE lined throat is much more reliable.

That said, newer models are a lot more reliable and beginner friendly than even a couple of years ago, I won't say I never get failed prints, but they're a rare exception rather than the rule with my Ender 3 v2 Neo while my Mk 1 Anycubic Mega Zeros were initially almost impossible to get a good print off, that's about five year's progress.

But if were including 3D printing, I just printed this for my brother in law, it's a surprise so no-one tell him, okay?

 

[alfaniner]

3D printers aren't really printers, but, since they got mentioned anyway... I made the mistake of getting one
<snip>.

I love my 3D printer -- I have a project going almost every day. I even had to build a shelf to hold all my filaments. I've had a few minor problems, but none I couldn't fix within a day or so (or a replacement part).

...
But if were including 3D printing, I just printed this for my brother in law, it's a surprise so no-one tell him, okay?

...

That must have taken forever to print! I get leery of anything that takes over, say, 10 hours. I do have a WYZE camera focused on the print bed so I can check it if I'm not right there.

 

[P.J. Denyer]

I love my 3D printer -- I have a project going almost every day. I even had to build a shelf to hold all my filaments. I've had a few minor problems, but none I couldn't fix within a day or so (or a replacement part).



That must have taken forever to print! I get leery of anything that takes over, say, 10 hours. I do have a WYZE camera focused on the print bed so I can check it if I'm not right there.

Two parts, the larger one had a slicer print time of about 30 hours, but I'm running the printer on Klipper with a linear rail kit (for a different model filed down a little to fit) & dual z screws so the actual print time was a bit less than half that. Have a look in the Hardware Torture thread to see what I did with my other printers & if I can be helpful, PM me.

This is one of my favourites, it was the first big multipart print I did on the Anycubic Megazero v1.0 after I fitted a heated bed to it.

 

[novaphile]

I think they probably work out cheaper than inkjets per page but the cost per toner cartridge is much higher. This can be eased if you can find a reliable off-brand manufacturer\seller although I've had problems with conisitency

The tank style inkjets promised much cheaper printing with with better quality but I saw enough "After two years they fail messily" reports that I'm wary of them, and they still have print heads that can dry up or get clogged.

Unless you buy one like mine, that doesn't use toner cartridges.

Toner (powder) comes in a bottle, and you pour it in to a hopper.

 

[Delvo]

I can't even say what a toner cartridge would cost because the biggest difference between laser printers and ink printers for me was not needing to keep getting more of anything anymore, which is not only definitely cheaper but also less annoying.

 

[alfaniner]

Well, color me surprised!!!

I just printed out a pdf from a law office and it must have overwritten my printer settings, because it printed on two sides! I had no idea my printer did that (and I must have read the manual when I first got it a few years ago.) I know I've always set it to 1 page per print because I never thought it would work with two. But I changed the setting to test it out and lo and behold, it works! I could have saved a lot of paper in the last few years.

Ironically, this is the one I just tried using the Fax option for the first time a couple weeks ago, with an incredibly escalating and ineffective result.

 

[GlennB]

Well, color me surprised!!!

I just printed out a pdf from a law office and it must have overwritten my printer settings, because it printed on two sides! I had no idea my printer did that (and I must have read the manual when I first got it a few years ago.) I know I've always set it to 1 page per print because I never thought it would work with two. But I changed the setting to test it out and lo and behold, it works! I could have saved a lot of paper in the last few years.

Ironically, this is the one I just tried using the Fax option for the first time a couple weeks ago, with an incredibly escalating and ineffective result.

Sorry, no can do, your cyan cartridge is low on ink.

 

[alfaniner]

Sorry, no can do, your cyan cartridge is low on ink.