Does anyone do their own photo printing?
Thomas Lawrence
Registered Users Posts: 17 Big grins
I used to until I discovered it was easier and cheaper to have Walmart or Shutterfly do it. Lately thought I've had second thoughts. At least some of the prints I want to do myself, if only for the satisfaction of making a beautiful print.
I currently have an all in one HP printer which really was not made for printing photos. I'd like to know some of the good ones. I've heard Canon's are good because the company also has been in the camera business a long time, but haven't had the opportunity to find out for sure.
I figure at a site like this, someone would know something. Wouldn't you think?
Let me know your thoughts on this.
Thanks.
I currently have an all in one HP printer which really was not made for printing photos. I'd like to know some of the good ones. I've heard Canon's are good because the company also has been in the camera business a long time, but haven't had the opportunity to find out for sure.
I figure at a site like this, someone would know something. Wouldn't you think?
Let me know your thoughts on this.
Thanks.
0
Comments
Legitimate photo printers (like the Canon Pro 9000) are pretty pricey. And that's before you buy the ink. In my opinion, you really have to want a lot of satisfaction from printing yourself to justify the cost.*
There are lots of threads about printing that you can find with a search. Search around the forums for "print" and you'll see lots of other opinions.
(*There are some business cases for self-printing also - like on-site fulfillment.)
I was lucky and right out of the box my colors on the prints match my screen pretty much exactly.
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I have an Epson 3880 that I really enjoy. The ink is expensive, but when you look at the cost per print, including paper, its a great deal cheaper then many labs I've looked at.
Personally printing has taught me a lot about photography. The fact that people have gotten so use to to their pictures on the web has also stunted peoples knowledge of printing. I've learned a great deal about a strict color managed workflow and other factors to get the print to come out nice.
Plus then you get to start playing around with papers. There are so many fantastic papers out there its fun just trying them with your pictures, using different textures and such. Having Costco or somebody crank out a print just doesn't seem like you are doing it justice.
However, I also think that applies a lot more when you are doing something like fine art. Other types of printing are probably just a easily done commercially to save time, effort and possibly money.
Truth be told though, when you watch your first 13x19 print roll off the printer, its a grand experience!
Lenses: Nikon 70-200 f/2.8 VR II | Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 | Nikon 50mm f/1.4
Lighting: SB-910 | SU-800
The only thing I miss is the ability to print 16x20 prints, but, then again, you can not have every thing!
Joe
PD maybe I can convince my wife of letting me buy a printer that can print the 16X20, the only problem is the cost, over $1000!
A former sports shooter
Follow me at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bjurasz/
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I like the control of printing on my own. I also like the cost effectiveness for larger prints. (this doesn't take into account for the purchase of the printer) For small prints, you can't beat the price of a lab like bay photo. You just have to price prints so you don't loose your butt either way. I print all of my own flyers, biz cards, print samples, etc. I love the flexibility of it. I always just wish I could do even bigger prints. But that is much more $$$ all around. If I could just do 24" But if I could do 24" I would just want to do 36" and 48" So next printer will be a giant.
And I don't agree that paper is cheap, either! Every time I hit the 'print' button, a cacophony of cash register bells start ringing.
But I still like the control I have.
Yes, I could have spent a little more time fine tuning my output with the print lab, but the Epson rebate was in effect and I wanted more control of my fine art prints...not to mention immediate gratification.
I like playing with papers, and I find myself now developing the images with the final media in mind.
As far as costs are concerned, 8x10's and smaller on standard paper are breakeven to cheaper with a lab.
With larger prints I save between $5-$10 per print, but I loose some of that advantage when taking into account ink switching between matt and photo black and managing plugged ports.
You will need to print routinely, both using the photo and matt black to keep the ports from plugging. I recently went 6 weeks without printing a matt image, and I had plugged ports this week when I switched to my Entrada paper.
I also print more than I ever did, so there are additional costs there. And you will need to get a nice stock of paper in various types, so there is inventory to front.
With all that being said, I am loving my epson and the printing freedom I now have.
The epson rebate offer is still going on. So you could get an Epson 3880 for under $385:
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="92" width="192"><colgroup><col style="mso-width-source:userset;mso-width-alt:4169;width:86pt" width="114"> <col style="mso-width-source:userset;mso-width-alt:2852;width:59pt" width="78"> </colgroup><tbody><tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td style="height:15.0pt;width:86pt" height="20" width="114">Amazon</td> <td class="xl65" style="width:59pt" align="right" width="78">$1,114</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td style="height:15.0pt" height="20">Less Included Ink</td> <td class="xl65" align="right">-$480</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td style="height:15.0pt" height="20">Less Rebate</td> <td class="xl65" align="right">-$250</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15.0pt" height="20"> <td style="height:15.0pt" height="20">Printer cost</td> <td class="xl65" align="right">$384:D</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
I found Luminous Landscape a good resource for printers.
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Plus, there are some legitimately professional bulk ink products out there that are tested, reviewed, and equal to or better than Epson ink. Lyson Cavepaint is one of them, and is I think 1/3 the cost of Epson ink. It has nearly all the gamut, fade resistance and fade life expectancy too. Its been awhile since I've looked into bulk ink, so there are probably more companies making better ink formulas now than before.
There are plenty of numbers a couple of posts above...
Once you start printing archival quality material 16x24 artwork for $4 each it gets really fun
I think they might mean when you factor the cost compared to the quality.
I got some 4x6's the other day for 9cents from sn@pf!sh. It was awesome till I opened the package and realized how shitty the print quality was.
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I didn't realize they were that cheap, wow. I downloaded the profiles from Costco and do most of my quick 4x6 and 8x10 stuff there. Quality is good, especially for proofs and fun shots I give away to friends. .13 per print for 4x6.
I think MamaZ did a nice job of laying out the costs. Basically for a 4x6 or even 5x7 which, as Zerodog said, I probably wouldn't consider a professional presentation then the Costcos or Walmarts can't be beat cost wise. That is assuming you can spend a few minutes to get acceptable prints. Can't discount the individual store also and how they maintain their machine.
When you get larger and want more control and the option to use a lot of different papers it might be cheaper to do it at home, but there is a time commitment. A larger commitment to get proficient at it and then an ongoing commitment to do the printing. And if you don't print regularly don't forget maintenance on dried out nozzles, etc. PITA.
To answer the printer cost question is a bit harder. How many prints per year will you do? How long does a printer last, or until you want to upgrade? Assuming you print on a $1,000 printer for your larger or presentation quality stuff and you use it for 3 years before upgrading. You might print 200 prints per year or 2,000, who knows. Doing the math your printer cost might be 5 cents per print or 50 cents, your mileage may vary. I have an older Epson R1800 that still prints a beautiful image and cost about $400 8 years ago, but a higher volume pro would wear this out quickly and it is a bit slow.
I would agree with the "redacted" comment regarding not ignoring the printer cost, but the printer contribution to per print cost is highly variable by user as compared to other components. So the answer is don't ignore it, but do your own math to be accurate.
My car is paid for, so I don't factor in the cost of my car when calculating my monthly operating expenses.
Same for my Epson 7900 printer. Like my car, it's paid for, so I only factor in consumables (ink, paper, shrink).
I don't have a wattmeter on the printer so I don't factor in the power to operate it either.
700ml's of ink at a time (one cartridge) averages $225/cartridge or thirty three cents / ml rounded up.
Epson premium luster is $96.80 for 200 sq. ft. or 27 cents per 8x10 or $1.08 for a 16 x 20, and $2.90 for a 24 x 36. This is the only the paper cost. Ink costs vary according to coverage.
Shrink drives these costs up somewhat, and is dependant on the volume you are printing.
But you certainly can factor in mileage on that car, the wear and tear the business puts on it. That is a REAL COST, whether you realize it or not. And sorry, but not factoring in the cost of a large expensive printer into your cost of doing business is just short-sighted. Sorry but the dude is right, not factoring in the cost of the printer into the cost per print of doing it at home is not a valid comparison.
A former sports shooter
Follow me at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/bjurasz/
My Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/mercphoto?ref=hdr_shop_menu
I compare this to developing film and making prints. Most people sent or still send this to a lab and they are fine with it. Others feel the need to be envolved in the process and build darkrooms. They develop their own techniques and process. It is an art. I like my digital darkroom. There is so much too it. You first get a nice printer, then figure out that your prints are the wrong color. Then you need to calibrate your monitor, find out about profiles, paper choice, handling. Oh and then you need to cut the paper! It was a real PITA to learn and it cost a lot to get set up. I stuck with it and figured it out. There is nothing like making prints yourself. Some people don't see it that way. But I love it.
It is a lot of work. Also, printers are harsh mistresses. You REALLY have to print A LOT so the ink doesn't dry up, and you often will make many, many mistakes at the beginning, and any time you go more than a week or so without printing.
I found it wasn't worth the effort or frustration for me. I had an Epson 3800 for about 20 years, and over that time I made about 10 prints that I hung up. Then I sold the printer for about $1000 less than I paid for it.
Like owning a boat: The best days are the days you buy it, and the day you sell it
Seriously, though… if you enjoy the process it's worth it. It's probably a better call economically and quality-wise if you go with something like Bay Photo, though. And you can't make metal or canvas prints on a printer.
Yeah I've never had any clog problems either... I've gone 4 months without printing before on an R2200 and ink expired 2 years past date, and it worked just fine. Same for my Artisan 710 office printer with a generic bulk ink system. Also the printers when I went to college, most of them worked even after a month between semesters (I talked to the lab assistants a lot)
I think certain machines might have problems with repeated dry outs, but most of them don't. Like, once a little ink starts to dry, its like a blood clot and snowballs and makes future dry outs much more probable, if not completely cleaned out. Or maybe a micro flaw in the nozzle that causes it to be more probable to clot... you'd never know though unless you replaced that
However. After several years of using it I find that it is expensive for the home/hobbyist like myself to use. If I am printing more than 10 8x10's I will usually go to WHCC.
What having the unit at home is great for is coming home from a days shooting and processing and printing your 24x36 masterpiece on any paper you like, including canvas.
You might also find that if you order a large format print from a lab they usually are printing then on the large Epson's so they must be cost effective. Otherwise they would not be in business very long.
For me it is the convenience, not the costs.
Monte