printer question

chrismoore

Hi, I've always stayed away from printing my own photos because a) I think BayPhoto does a great job and b) the price of the printers and ink cartridges for high end printers is astronomical. I read a thread in a blog I follow this morning that references the HP Photosmart D7560. They cheered its 9600 x 2400 dpi resolution and at a price point of just over $100 it almost sounds too good to be true. I don't know that much about the ins and outs of printing but was wondering if anyone has used this printer, and am I being misled into thinking that its quality is on par with professional prints?
Thanks

Miguel Delinquento

It's good but so is most everything else
Chris,
this is a pretty standard dye-based consumer printer. Similar technology from HP, Epson, and Canon has been around for the past 5 years. It will do a fine job, but some of that depends on how precise your personal workflow is.

Don't be too swayed by the price of most of these printers. They all follow the razor blade model in that they'll pretty much give away the printer hardware to sell inks and paper. Don't be swayed by the output resolution numbers either, all consumer printers are pretty much the same for prints under 12x18. The size of an HP dot is likely different from the size of an Epson dot.

A smart approach for you to follow is to determine what your printing needs really are: output size, archival properties, abilities to use a variety of third party printing papers, consumables costs, color management capabilities, and image intensity. The latter category references the difference between dye-based and pigment-based printers. Dye-based printers provide a brighter more saturated image; pigments are generally more archival with more paper types, and are considered more professional for selling in galleries. You also have to decide how large an output size you will regularly be needing. If you really only need an 12x18 a few times a year, then outsourcing to the lab is a good idea.

I don't quite know what you mean by something being on par with professional prints--that's as much of a software issue as an output issue these days. This particular HP printer should provide an image equal to a department store and with proper workflow, superior.

M

chrismoore

Thanks for the advice, I'll probably stick to BayPhoto for now as I am very happy with the quality there, takes just a few clicks and I don't have to worry about ink, paper, etc. I did consider getting a printer earlier this year and was looking at the Epson 3800 but as I said the cost of the printer and supplies put me off; seeing good reviews of something less expensive just got me thinking about it again, but I think for now I'll stick with Bay. Thanks again.