Do you print it or get someone else to do it?

[Sime]

I'm just posting about two new printers on the dPS blog. It raises a question in my mind - Do you print your own images, if so, what with? Any horror stories?.... Or, do you have them printed by a company / lab - again, who? Are they online? What are they like?

Here's my little article online



I'd love to hear your printing stories and opinions!

Sime

[jprime84]

If I am only printing a few things, I do it myself. If I am printing dozens of photos, I usually send them to www.snapfish.com and the results have been good.

For printing at home, we just have a general use Epson inkjet. If you use premium photo paper and print from good photo editing software, and use correct print settings (paper, resize or not, quality, etc) the results have been good enough to frame. at sizes up to 8 x 10

Edit: id recommend a good paper cutter though! Scissors are surprisingly hard to cut straight lines with.

[SusanH1970]

For my own general use and when I'm only printing a few shots, I'll print my own using my HP Photosmart C4280. It's not perfect, but for that particular use, it's fine.

I've been hearing good things about mpix and whcc. I signed up with whcc but haven't completed the registration yet (need to send them 5 pics for samples). I also just placed my first order with mpix to start putting 8x10's in a portfolio. Remind me to let you know how I make out with them! Speaking of which, I need to find something to put them in...an actual portfolio, not some crappy walmart photo album, LOL.

When I eventually start doing paid shoots, there's no way in hell I'll print client's pics on my own. Does anyone do that?

[Murtasma]

I am debating if I just want to ditch the whole printing thing and strictly go with 3rd party services. I don't print very often. The problem I keep running into with ink jets is if you don't use the toner it dries up on you. That stuff is not cheep. If you want to have really great prints you need to have your monitor and printer properly calibrated together so you don't waste paper, ink and time. A calibration tool however is not cheep.

To me there is just too much cost involved if you want accurate prints if you don't print very often. I find it less expensive to have a printing service do them for you, they can print just about any size you need with all sorts of different paper types.

If I spend a few hours working on an image I want it too look good on a print. It can be chore to further tweak the image so it prints correctly on the printer. Not to mention making large prints use a lot of ink. Manufactures use stupid chips in their cartridges that expire on you and cause you to buy new ink when there is still ink left.

I think it's a big scheme they make all their money off ink. They will give you a nice printer for free but the cartridges can only pump out 10 - 15 8x10s before you need to spend another 15 bucks on cyan. You do some more prints and the next color runs out now you need to go to the store again. If you decide to stock up on ink and don't use it for a period of time you mine as well just lite your wallet on fire.

I find working in the darkroom to make black and white prints much more economical for my type of work. Unfortunately I have yet to experiment with color enlarging.

[Nicole]

Yes

It depending on the purpose of the printing actually. If it's a big print (larger than A4) then I have no option but to get it printed. I like the various papers that printers offer, although the selection in NZ seems to be quite a bit smaller. I've used AdoramaPix and Mpix within the US. The problem with this though is that if I print using one of these services I can only pick them up about 1x per year when I visit the US

For my photo printer, I have a Canon iP4200. The thing that I like about that one (compared to old printers and even some of the other Canon printers) is that it does have the individual colours. It has 5 ink tanks (2 black tanks so it's convenient when I'm printing text documents that I'm generally not using up my Photo Black cartridge). I tend to use it if I need to get some photos done quickly or I'm not looking for them to last forever. I have a whole wall of photos (4x6's and A4's) in my office that I've done with this printer and they look good.

So, ummm, yes.

[Sime]

Right, over the glitch - article online HERE

Opinions? Do you print it yourself? Do you like to be in control of the entire process?

[jamrock]

I only ever use Stourport: http://www.stourport-photo-centre.co.uk/

I ftp or sendspace them a zip file (1 or 2 or hundreds) and the service and the speed and the quality is amazing. I used them for wedding photos after a Pro who only ever uses them told me about them.

[dcclark]

I always have my photos printed by either AdoramaPix or mpix. I've been very happy with them, and it saves me the trouble of trying to find high quality papers and inks up here in this very isolated area. It also forces me to stop, think, and pick my very best photos before I order a batch.

(But in the end... I'm just lazy... and willing to pay someone else to make great quality prints!)

[fletch]

I use my home printer, a HP 4180 very rarely to print photos. The few time I have it has just been for testers/drafts to see if I want to spend the money to print larger. I use Boots if I'm printing a load of 6x4s for an album etc, is that bad? I will use a lonline ab to print larger but I'm not there yet. I did recently get a photo printed on 36x21 canvas whcih looks great, used a company called Canavs Designs.

[Drax]

I generally print my stuffs myself, unless they are more than A4, then i turn to a my favorite printing service "Photo planet" here in Germany.

I bought me a Canon MP600 All-in-One & Multifunction Printer. It's just awesome, inexpensive, and deliver good quality and clear prints; and it is fast. I have synchronized the color profile of my monitor, a Samsung SyncMaster 2053 BW, with my printer. So, i pretty much get what i see on my screen.

My problem now is how and where to store all the prints. LOL!!!