Printer at home

Ptish

I have bee scoping out the internet looking for a printer that i can print matte and canvas pictures on at home. I wanted a larger format one so i can print large canvas. BUT i am getting so lost, LOL.
I find a large format printer that is 10,000 bucks then i'll check somewhere else and there 1200 bucks. What the heck is the difference? And is it worth going for the big bad expensive one right up front or is it better to start small?
Pls help! Also keep in mind i am a complete beginner, lol.
:huh

David_S85

bump

colourbox

If you are a beginner it would be best to start with a modest printer as you perfect your printmaking skills. Ink is expensive. Paper is expensive. Wasted supplies are really expensive. Large format supplies only come in large packs that cost a heck of a lot for a home user; many of those large format printers are really priced for shops. You should start small.

Don't know what is up with the price difference. Maybe you can post a couple of examples. Some may be office printers, some might be CAD plotters, others may be fine art photo oriented with inks built for accuracy and longevity.

pathfinder

Printing at home - for professional prints - is not for beginners. And it costs more than a good on line lab charges, unless you use non-OEM materials, and compromise your images.

What is the maximum size you want to print? For many of us, printing 16x24 at home is sufficient.

Bear in mind that many very large format printers may not print as small as 8x10.

If you really do need to print at home, the Epson 3880 is hard to beat. I print with an Epson 3800 and have no plans to upgrade at this point.

Zerodog

I wanted to do some high quality prints at home too. I ended up getting an Epson 2880. It will do up to 13x19 or come off of a 13" roll. 13x19 is pretty huge. If I need to go bigger, I will go to the lab. I got it on some super rebate thing last summer and it ended up being $400something bucks. Not too bad. We have used it quite a bit this last year for gifts and things. And I won a local photo contest with a print I made with it too. I think I won it because the print looked so good.

Paper is REALLY expensive. So is ink. And so is the Color Munki that you will need for getting your monitor and printer profiles correct so you get good prints.

jovitta

Hi all
I have the Epson 3880, and yes it is amazing printer, and when using only Epson paper the images are great. Also the great thing about this printer is it comes from the factory already calibrated for Epson papers. so it does not require calibrating, although I have a color munki that I bought to keep my previos Epson R2400 calibrated, I do keep my moniter callibrated.
The ink containers are about $60.00 for each, but they are very efficent I have printed several prints from 8.5x11 to 17x24 and still have a lot of Ink. If I had printed the amount of prints on the R2400 as I did on the 3880 I would have well exceeded the $500.00 worth of ink between those two printers.
Thanks Jovitta

www.jeffovittphotography.com

pathfinder

I use mostly Red River paper with my Epson 3800, using the profiles supplied by Red River, and have been quite pleased as well. i am certain the Epson paper and profiles work nicely as well.