AFFORDABLE PHOTO PRINTING

self | DECEMBER 04, 2009 | swampsniper

[SWAMPSNIPER]

I take a lot of photos, I've completely worn out 4 cameras in the last 8 years. I've gone through as many printers, all of them really too expensive to feed on my budget.

I installed a constant ink supply system recently, and I've tested it enough to predict that it will last. My greatest expense item is now the photo paper.

Print quality is excellent, I might get better results from a pro print shop, but not much better if at all.

I'm a big fan of HP printers but those little cartridges are just too expensive!

This is still a moderate volume home printing set up but it more than meets my needs.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

http://www.supersmartelectronics.com/servlet/StoreFront

[freedumb2003]

My image files are stored in the computer, the printer puts them on paper, just like a commercial operation.

Why would you want to do such a thing? Do not your potential recipients have devices to read image files?

Is there no Photobucket? Is there no Imageshack?

:)

[SWAMPSNIPER]

You can get a device which allows you to shoot negatives and slides with a camera. I don’t know much about the process though.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

“Why would you want to do such a thing? Do not your potential recipients have devices to read image files”?

---

I just printed a set of bird prints for the local humane society fund raising auction. The image files I used were much larger than those I store online. The 800X600 files I have on Photobucket will make a decent print at 4X6 inches but for really nice larger prints you need more file data. You’ve always got to consider that when you reduce the physical size of an image file you are discarding data and you can’t get it back. The files I save for printing are in TIFF format, they don’t deteriorate like JPG files will. A printer can only reproduce the data it gets, the more the better up to a point.

[Randy Larsen]

Thank You...

[dalereed]

Get a color laser printer.

I have an Okidata and it prints glossy color on plain paper.

The only thing that doesn’t come out glossy is pure white.

I’ve had it about 2 years and run probably 8 reams of paper and i’m still working on the origional toner cartrages.

To buy the toner for all 3 colors and black is about $100 and laste a long long time.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Inkjets beat laser printers for image quality by a good margin.

[GSP.FAN]

Jeez i had to read all the comments twice to figure out what you are talking about.
I am still confused why do you need a second supply of ink, when the first one runs out can you just change it?

[Kirkwood]

You should someday think about upgrading to an HP DesignJet with 12 ink cartridges. 4 shades of black and 8 different colors. It gives very accurate red hues.

[Richard Kimball]

I get asked about these system all the time but have never had a teat by a real user.

Heh, heh, heh. The jokes write themselves.

[Kirkwood]

Get an HP Advanced Profile System. You get a colorimeter to measure your LCD output and that way you can calibrate an HP printer to match what you see on the screen. Much less waste of test prints.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

When you buy OEM cartridges the ink can cost as much as $8000.00 a gallon.

If you are an average user a set of cartridges might last a long time. I can use up $70.00 worth of cartridges just messing around, in a couple of days. The ink in the tanks will last me close to a year, hundreds of prints.

http://www.popsci.com/gear-gadgets/article/2008-02/grouse-inkjet-refill-racket

[SWAMPSNIPER]

I have a Pantone Huey Pro for monitor calibration. It keeps my edit output pretty close to what the printer needs. The HP monitor I have will try to self calibrate if it isn’t blocked, as will Photoshop. You have to disable the Adobe gamma feature in Photoshop. The Pantone program works great.

[skr]

Ahhh, thank you very much!

[crazyhorse691]

I am sitting here looking at my HP Ps7450(it was a demo model at 60% off)that I used to make 8 massive family photo albums a couple of Christmases ago and I am jealous(yes, I covet thou printer). I tried off brand photo paper and ended up with HP Premium Photo paper because the colors stayed truer. It upped the cost, but, if you factor in the cost of the printer I figured I squeezed every cent out of the project. I know that throw away things is not P.C., but, it worked for me.

[Let's Roll]

Agree re inkjet.

[GSP.FAN]

Ok i got it. I do not have a printer and did not understand the price of ink (jeez it is more expensive than gold)my wife goes to Walmart and gets the pics done while she shops..

[dragnet2]

Very impressive.

[Richard Kimball]

Been down the printing road for a while, and here's my 2 cents. For the price of the printer, it might not be that big a deal, but aftermarket inks sometimes have problems. They sometimes clog the holes of the printer. They may be of a different type which does not work with the paper. These inks frequently change color over time. Most printing companies, particularly Epson and Canon, which compete for the high end market, design their papers to work specifically with their inks. Because I sell almost everything I print, I went with an Epson 2200. It cost something like $700 new, but has worked for over five years with no problems. It has a pigment based ink that lasts significantly longer than the dye based inks. For any volume printing, I usually use an online store. In Texas, I use Precision Camera out of Austin. The professional printers like them are more consistent than the outlets. I almost always print on a photo luster or matte paper, rather than a glossy. The glossy papers don't hold the ink as well and the dye changes color more quickly. They're particularly problematic with reds. For black and white prints, I always use matte papers. Coated papers tend to go blue on black and white prints, although the newer generations of printers have supposedly fixed this. Prints on matte papers are very fragile to the touch, but hold their color well over a long period of time.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

The D5460 isn't an expensive printer, I'm considering another one for backup. Check Amazon's prices.

If you get a printer and intend to use a CIS system use up the original cartridges first. Some of the original cartridges contain additives to break in the new printhead. You may also need to transfer the OEM chips to the system cartridges.

Printers with the printheads built into the cartridges aren't practical for conversion, the printheads don't last very long.