I'm relatively new to Photoshop and loving it. Recently a sever thunderstorm blew out my scanner and I've been thinking about replacing my printer as well. So many choices....any particular recommendations ? Prices are flexible. Thanks.

I do not know what scanner you should purchase, but I would definetly stay away from Microtek. Those scanners seem to give me nothing but problems. When deciding which printer to purchase, make sure you check out the specs online before purchasing. Both HP and Epson, make excellent printers. If you are looking at buying an ink jet printer, however, make sure the printer heads are built in with the ink cartrages. Some of the older Epson printers have their heads seperate from the ink cartages. This becomes a problem when the heads need to be replaced because they are very expensive. I do not know if Epson has changed this for all of their new printers, but I would definetly check it out first.

ahouston,While Epson is most known for their printers,their scanners are flat out amazing. With high resolution,bit depth,great drivers,and good scanning softwear at a price that is very resonable...you really can't go wrong with them.Spend a few extra dollars(20.00-30.00)and get the "photo"version of whichever model you look at.That will give you a built-in film scanner...(not as good as a dedicated $1500.00 film scanner)...but still gives good results for non-critical work. As for printers...I'm not a big fan of desktop printers in general...but two things to look for are; 1)Most printers are designed to give the best results with their brand of paper and inks....so see which papers and ink you like/prefer,based on what pleases you "look-wise",price,and availability. 2)Choose a model/brand that lets you replace individual ink cartridge as opposed to models that have all three or five color inks in one cartridge....VERY COSTLY. SWAMP

ASTRA

These folks are the oldest and most reliable company and the cheapest overall for scanners. They make them for many of the larger companies and put those larger companies names on them. The only difference is the name. Like Cooper Tires... ...they do contract work for Goodyear and many of their tire casings are Goodyear, so why spend the extra dough? Advertisement! Thats all you are paying for.

My favorite printer has been the HP Desk Jet Ink Photo Quality. My daughter was trying to pinch my pennies too hard when she bought my last one. Steer Clear of the 3820, it's junk! Spend the extra dough for the top portion of their line, you'll be much happier.

I recently got a Epson 3200 Photo scanner which really is amazing and a Canon S9000 tabloid-size printer which is equally amazing. I heartily recommend them both. Together they'll set you back about a grand, but you didn't seem to be too concerned about cost. Having said this I also strongly recommend you search the web for reviews of any gear you plan to buy -- I find lotsa them thru Google. Bill

I agree with Epson scanners. I have an Epson Perfection 1200U Photo scanner that I would highly recommend. The model I have is about 1-2 years old so it is probably not available now. Great quality and scan speeds. It scans much faster than a few other USB (1.1) scanners I've tried.

Printers? I only have an HP Laser (b&w). I would definately buy another one in the future. I don't have a color inkjet, so I can't make any recommendations there.

Good luck, Matt

any brand that makes film scanner and printers HP is ok cannon is cool too, I've found this wicked brand that scanned film like a drum scanner (out performs flat-beds LOW gamma)when I have 2 grand i'll get it.. hehehe