Posted by Pat Warfield on May 23, 2007 at 11:56 AM
This should get a rise out of some of you, ha!
I have given up on getting photo quality - 'photo lab' quality that is - out of desktop printers. Early into digital, I thought that in-house printing was the optimal work flow for a digital studio. Consequently, I believed the advertising hype about easily producing high quality color. I have spent hundreds of $s on the best printers & paper & ink. And, countless hours trying to get 'natural' color in portraits & in general photography. (I did produce some very nice prints for several years - but at a high cost.) I found that many problems are in the available PAPERs. There are few papers available in stores that give professional results. Premium paper like Moab gives very nice results - but still not as good as a commercial photo lab print. Then there is the INK system - such a rip-off in pricy cartridges. Clones work pretty well but are inconsistent.
During this frustrating printing fiasco, I began looking for Photo Labs that specializes in the Digital market. Finally,I found an excellent Lab in Dallas - gives 1 - 3 day full service with uploads to their site - 50-80 meg files - no problem. Prices are good. The paper is heavy & the colors are spectacular. I have several 30x40s from enhanced scenics. I have a PhotoArt show in preparation - have about 50 medium to large prints & am amazed at the quality. So now, I use the desktop printers only for office stuff or quick solutions.
However, I have to say, I long for one of the newer generation large format printers - 24" to 48" wide which 'sound' excellent and would offer great possibilities for murals & decorator prints on a variety of medium - I would love to have one on site to try.
Don't mean to step on anyone's toes - I'm sure everyone has good & bad experiences & favorite printers. But economically (time & money) I can't recommend buying the 'latest & greatest printer & 'doing it yourself'.
Pat
Pat, by and large most prints displayed in galleries and exhibits today are produced on wide-format inkjet printers. With sufficient expertise you should be able to make prints that are as good and often better than any pro lab.
And no, it's not necessarily "easy", but the equipment will not be the limiting factor.
Well...I'm glad you found what works best for you.
My experience has been the complete opposite. I recently purchased a pigment ink printer (HP 9180) and I am finally getting the prints that I want. Previously, I used a well regarded digital lab for my printing. With my inkjet, I am able to test print extremely fast and to make modifications immediately. As a whole it fits my workflow much better. It also has a superior gamut, significantly better neutral colors, and the sharpness is by far superior. The paper choices are vast and I can finally print on what I want. Side by side comparisons favor the inkjet prints without exception on virtually all of my images. For me, it was money well spent - the control and quality are exceptional.
I added an Epson Stylus Pro 4800 to my Epson 2200 and have been very pleased with the results. I'm also experimenting with a local prolab for larger prints and flush mounting and like what I've seen so far. Different approaches for different presentations, but quality seems good with each.
Discussion
4 repliesI have given up on getting photo quality - 'photo lab' quality that is - out of desktop printers. Early into digital, I thought that in-house printing was the optimal work flow for a digital studio. Consequently, I believed the advertising hype about easily producing high quality color. I have spent hundreds of $s on the best printers & paper & ink. And, countless hours trying to get 'natural' color in portraits & in general photography. (I did produce some very nice prints for several years - but at a high cost.) I found that many problems are in the available PAPERs. There are few papers available in stores that give professional results. Premium paper like Moab gives very nice results - but still not as good as a commercial photo lab print. Then there is the INK system - such a rip-off in pricy cartridges. Clones work pretty well but are inconsistent.
During this frustrating printing fiasco, I began looking for Photo Labs that specializes in the Digital market. Finally,I found an excellent Lab in Dallas - gives 1 - 3 day full service with uploads to their site - 50-80 meg files - no problem. Prices are good. The paper is heavy & the colors are spectacular. I have several 30x40s from enhanced scenics. I have a PhotoArt show in preparation - have about 50 medium to large prints & am amazed at the quality. So now, I use the desktop printers only for office stuff or quick solutions.
However, I have to say, I long for one of the newer generation large format printers - 24" to 48" wide which 'sound' excellent and would offer great possibilities for murals & decorator prints on a variety of medium - I would love to have one on site to try.
Don't mean to step on anyone's toes - I'm sure everyone has good & bad experiences & favorite printers. But economically (time & money) I can't recommend buying the 'latest & greatest printer & 'doing it yourself'.
Pat
And no, it's not necessarily "easy", but the equipment will not be the limiting factor.
Guy
My experience has been the complete opposite. I recently purchased a pigment ink printer (HP 9180) and I am finally getting the prints that I want. Previously, I used a well regarded digital lab for my printing. With my inkjet, I am able to test print extremely fast and to make modifications immediately. As a whole it fits my workflow much better. It also has a superior gamut, significantly better neutral colors, and the sharpness is by far superior. The paper choices are vast and I can finally print on what I want. Side by side comparisons favor the inkjet prints without exception on virtually all of my images. For me, it was money well spent - the control and quality are exceptional.