Photo Printers? You like um? You use um?

havoc · Sep 18, 2003

How many of you like to print out your work yourself with a photo printer?
What printer do you use? (There seems to be a daunting amount of photo printers to choose from) Who is loyal to HP, Epson or Canon?

Anyways any comments about Photo printers are welcome. I am new at this, just curious to learn more about them....

voodoocat · Sep 18, 2003

Well aside from brand, the thing you want from a printer for printing photos is the seperate color cartridges. Cyan, Yellow, Magenta and Black (CMYK) Even better is to have cyan, light cyan, yellow, light yellow, magenta, light magenta and black. Then you will be looking at the picolet size. Smaller the better.

crystalview · Sep 18, 2003

I like printing many of my photos. I however bought a fairly cheap printer/scanner/copier type of deal. I have been researching quality printers recently though. I have the lexmark 5150. It works fairly decent for multi-purpose unit. I scan things quite a bit also for a side business so it works fairly well.'

Let me know what you have found i looking at printers as far as quality.

urameatball · Sep 18, 2003

I've been reading up a little on printers lately and the trend for true high quality printing is epson... and canon's a close second.

As for me, I'll pay my 25cents to get it printed at the local digi print shop.

doxx · Sep 18, 2003

I have used Epson's forever and love 'em.

photong · Sep 18, 2003

mm..epson rocks. i may be vias because that's what my school had. however they had one of these:

http://www.vistek.ca/details/detail_over.asp?eCode=208536&TYPE=&Specs=N&Box=N

and its amazing! and it has all the seperate inks and such. but it's 12k..eep! (this website is in canadian btw)

i have yet to try on my home printer..its old..an old canon. prolly sont do a good job. and right now i just have kodak paper.

and to letcha know. with whatever porinter you get, you'll want to experiment with different papers (brand etc). because that epson printer does NOT like glossy kodak paper (maybe any kodak paper)..the ink chips off..oops..

as well, settings (in the program you print from) seem to really matter.

voodoocat · Sep 18, 2003

I want this can be bought for $185

I have an HP950 that is ok... bought it a few years back.

doxx · Sep 18, 2003

well, while we're on it... I'm looking for a used Epson 1280 (totally rocks with Ultrachrome inks

), the 2200 sounds interesting - but I've heard a lot 'bout clogged printheads

uke:

voodoocat · Sep 18, 2003

What's the best archival quality you can get from an inkjet? It's my understanding that if you want something that lasts, you get it done from a dye-sub printer.

I should get one of these

photong · Sep 18, 2003

Arent those expensive? like ink (ribbon was it?) and paper and whatever. I forget hoe dye sub works

i dont recall muhc from school :/

MDowdey · Sep 18, 2003

i have the epson 960 or 980 i cant remember, but it rocks the damn house down... word.

md

doxx · Sep 18, 2003

Dye Sub lasts, but inkjet quality is better

terri · Sep 18, 2003

I have an Epson 2200 and I am smitten. I'd be lost without it. Main reason for spending the $$ was so I could have the archival inks and use high quality inkjet artist paper for the digital photo restorations I do. The photo quality of that printer is astounding. I use photo oils over those inks with nary a smudge - who'da thunk??? I've fed 300# artist paper through the manual feed and it glides through like butter.

Yeah, the cartridges aren't cheap. B&H sold packaged deals for a while where you could get a discount, but they seem to have discontinued that, the sob's!! :? They're pigment-based inks, as opposed to dyes, and they have a high archival rating (don't know what it is off the top of my head), but they still lead the pack. It won't take long for HP and Canon to follow suit, I'm sure, and who knows? They may be less expensive.

Doxx, the Epson supposedly does a kickin' job with those Ultrachrome inks, and for those hand coloring artists who shoot digital, they swear by that combination. I personally haven't tried it on mine. The Epson inks are quite fab. I haven't had one single incident of clogged printheads, btw. Every month or so you just run the little utility to clean them. Works like a champ.

Also use the Epson 2450 scanner, it has the negative holder thingies, and darned if they don't work like a charm. I didn't know anything about scanners when I bought it, just figured I'd keep the peripheries "all in the family", so Epson won.

I'd also love to have a 1280 as a backup photo printer. No special reason, aside from its ability to do inkjet transfers, and to give the big mama a rest, I suppose. :sillysmi: k, nuff babbling....