I state in advance that I always sent my photos to print in a laboratory. But it seems that the majority of photographers print their pictures at home. If this is true the reason must be that their pictures look better in this way. Or not? Before thinking about investing money and time I bet you, home printers, to tell me honestly if I may hope for works of better photographic quality, studying and making the necessary experience.
I hope for your help, thanks.
Posted by David Bostedo on January 16, 2008 at 6:19 PM
Gigi - In my case, I think I might get better prints from a lab. But if I just used the lab, it would be a lot harder to try many color variations, different papers, black and white versus color, and different sizes. That's the main reason I print at home. The other reason is that I enjoy the process - it's fun watching a print come out, and getting everything done yourself. It can also be cheaper, if you do lots of large prints, but I think it might be more expensive in my case.
Posted by Bill Chambers on January 16, 2008 at 6:35 PM
Gigi, I would guess it all depends on the lab you're using. I've gotten some prints from labs that I wouldn't p*** on if they were on fire. If you're dealing with a reputable lab, such as West Coast Imaging you can pretty much rest assured you will get a top-drawer print if you give then a top-drawer file.
I print my own prints up to 13x19, then use West Coast for larger. I print my own more for convenience because it takes a while to get a print from WCI. I ran a test comparing one of my prints against WCI's and couldn't tell the difference, but I probably spent a small fortune testing, calibrating, squiggling and juggling all the variables to where I can now get pretty darn consistent results printing my own, but the learning curve was VERY STEEP for me, and there's still the occasional image that will drive me crazy!
If you decide to print your own, be prepared for the learning/testing process to take longer than you expect and cost more than you wish before you get results you're pleased with.
Posted by Dan Borzynski on January 16, 2008 at 6:39 PM
Here is my personal experience. Many years ago, shortly after the introduction of the Epson 1280, I bought that, Photoshop Elements 1 and the Nikon Coolscan. I had no clue what I was doing and the 1280 is, compared to today's printers, almost barbarian technology. I didn't even know about stuff like profiling the monitor. I was getting prints I was happy with.
After a few months, I began to wonder... Would I get better prints sending them out? So I did. I was happy. My work was far better.
Flash forward to today. The quality of printers is far, far higher. There are better papers and much more of a variety of papers. Decent monitor calibration equipment is inexpensive and good. Photoshop has advanced and the thought of even opening Elements 1 to work with fills me with terror. With the addition of experience, my prints are far better than anything I can get from labs, short of an EXTREMELY high end printing company on a traditional photo paper. The only reason for that qualification is that I haven't made a test in years but have seen print comparisons from people whose printing ability I respect. Once you know what you are doing, it is pretty easy to do high end work.
Having said that, I don't think I have addressed the issue which lies behind your question: Is going to a home printing system right for you? There is a learning curve. You do need to profile the monitor and have profiles for the printers and papers you use. Different images may look better on one type of paper rather than another, and this takes some experience to learn. Inks can be expensive. Paper selection can be a problem because there are so many good choices out there. And last, it is more time sitting in front of the computer rather than shooting.
If you only print 2-3 prints a month, it might be better to continue to send out your work, especially if you are happy with the results. The inks are relatively expensive and some models are especially prone to clogging. Clogging is an issue primarily for printers that are rarely used, and use a fair amount of ink to unclog.
But on the bright side, if you purchase a home printer system, you will probably find that you are printing more often and changing up prints far more often. There is also a nice ego boost when an especially nice image comes off the printer and you can go "Wow, I actually did that!".
Geez Bill, you made me spill me coffee I was laughing so hard
Gigi - I'll state in advance that I'm not in the same league as many of the photographers on this site so I'm not really concerned about needing to please clients or enter shows. I've sent some things out to be printed for family and friends but never really for myself.
I just bought an Epson 3800 because I've a disk full of images I've only ever seen on the screen and was beginning to feel a real disconnect with my idea of what photography is and what I was doing, which has become more like "image collecting".
I developed prints in a wet darkroom in highschool and missed the feeling of completing the circle of creativity if you will. As I read more about Ansel Adams and his work on his images I realized that, for myself, I was missing out on a process that might be just as enjoyable as pressing the shutter.
My results are not nearly as consistant as a Lab's and if I had money or reputation riding on an image I'd probably just send it out. On the other hand I've improved my ability to do local corrections and soft-proof images tremendously. My eye for what will turn out to be a nice print and what I just can't salvage is also improving. The list of things to experiment with and learn is constantly growing. This isn't for everyone but beginning to print my own images has revitalized my creative drive, and frankly it's just cool to see a nice new print roll out of your printer.
I'm certainly not saving any money but I regret not going this route earlier.
The creative process of photography is only complete when the final print is made. The print making process is just as important as the composition of the scene, the exposure, etc....Ansel would pre-visualize the final print before making the exposure.
One of the great pleasures of photography is that it only involves two people, the photographer and the viewer, as soon as you add a lab into the process, you have another person invovled and it is no longer as personal of a process. Having been a custom print maker for over ten years, I know that I would put some of my own creativity into my clients prints.
The great Brett Weston on his 80th birthday burnt all of his negatives, why? because he knew that only he could print his work the way he had invisioned it.
Thanks to all. Just for checking if I have been a good pupil and I have correctly understood: home printing is not a guarantee of better stamps, it does not save money, it surely steels a lot of time, asks more time and effort for studying and experimenting ... but the pleasure of looking at the printer while the colored sheet rolls out is a wonderful feeling, a magic moment that rewards all the printers. I begin to like home printing!
Posted by David Bostedo on January 17, 2008 at 3:03 PM
One more note, Gigi : It does save some time in terms of not having to wait a few days to receive a print back and see if you like it. Because of this I also find that I have a lot more prints now than I probably would have ordered - and more unique prints.
Posted by Wayne Rhodus on January 18, 2008 at 10:16 AM
Gigi, I print at home and always have for anything up to 13 x 19. As mentioned, the ability to print at home has resulted in me printing far more images than I would have ever sent to a lab, making it more expensive. However, I liken the ability to see the proof image rolling off the printer and making an immediate evaluation of the quality, to the ability to review a shot taken in the field on my digital camera's LCD. That allows you to make adjustments or optimizations right then to get the results you want for your printed image.
Enjoy your new venture into the world of printing!
Like the others here, I print a lot more of my work since I now do prints up to 13x19 at home. For larger prints I use West Coast Imaging.
When I had access to a wet darkroom, one of the great pleasures was watching the image form on the paper and seeing the finished print after it dried. In this digital age, seeing a fine print roll off the printer gives me a similar thrill.
Just like working in a wet darkroom, doing your own printing requires the best tools you can afford, testing to get your system dialed in, and careful attention to craft. That, in and of itself is a great experience! Also, if you do your own printing but have need for a larger print from a bureau, you will be better able to work with the technician to get the quality you need.
I started doing my own printing about five years ago and have never looked back. As this point, I can't imagine not having the satisfaction of doing it myself. Earlier in this thread, several people have described the satisfaction of seeing the final print emerge, and I concur; there's nothing quite like it.
There is, undoubtedly, a learning curve to the process, but once that's mastered the process is relatively straight forward.
Well, I must say that I have been influenced by your enthusiasm for self printing! I feel in your words something magic, creative in a process that I supposed to be only a matter of tecnical skill. I think I will join the party of the home printers in some months.
Thanks very much to all.
Gigi, I think you are so creative that you will enjoy the process. For all the reasons given above, you can't beat it for the creativity factor and the satisfaction of making your own photos, start to finish. You GO! boy.
Posted by John Klotz on January 23, 2008 at 12:31 AM
For me, making the print is the final part of my "vision" or pre-visualization of what I saw through the veiw finder. Watching the image emerge from the printer is the same kind of magic I saw in my darkroom safe light as the image emreged on the paper in the developer tray.
John
Posted by Greg Barteluk on January 29, 2008 at 6:24 PM
Gigi:
Printing is such a vital part of the creative process you shouldn't put it in someone else's hands. You can get excellent results from modestly-priced 13X19 printers. The economics of printing yourself involve many variables but they are a couple of steps I highly recommend that will save you a lot of wasted materials. Number one, you MUST calibrate your monitor, otherwise getting the colours you want is a true crap shoot. Second, go to the Luminous Landscape site and purchase the brilliant "From Camera to Print" series of tutorials. In fact, I recommend viewing this tutorial first, because they provide information that will be useful in selecting a printer.
And I echo remarks from above, there's nothing like watching one of your photos emerge from the printer. Like taking fresh bread from the oven. Regards.
Discussion
15 repliesI hope for your help, thanks.
I print my own prints up to 13x19, then use West Coast for larger. I print my own more for convenience because it takes a while to get a print from WCI. I ran a test comparing one of my prints against WCI's and couldn't tell the difference, but I probably spent a small fortune testing, calibrating, squiggling and juggling all the variables to where I can now get pretty darn consistent results printing my own, but the learning curve was VERY STEEP for me, and there's still the occasional image that will drive me crazy!
If you decide to print your own, be prepared for the learning/testing process to take longer than you expect and cost more than you wish before you get results you're pleased with.
After a few months, I began to wonder... Would I get better prints sending them out? So I did. I was happy. My work was far better.
Flash forward to today. The quality of printers is far, far higher. There are better papers and much more of a variety of papers. Decent monitor calibration equipment is inexpensive and good. Photoshop has advanced and the thought of even opening Elements 1 to work with fills me with terror. With the addition of experience, my prints are far better than anything I can get from labs, short of an EXTREMELY high end printing company on a traditional photo paper. The only reason for that qualification is that I haven't made a test in years but have seen print comparisons from people whose printing ability I respect. Once you know what you are doing, it is pretty easy to do high end work.
Having said that, I don't think I have addressed the issue which lies behind your question: Is going to a home printing system right for you? There is a learning curve. You do need to profile the monitor and have profiles for the printers and papers you use. Different images may look better on one type of paper rather than another, and this takes some experience to learn. Inks can be expensive. Paper selection can be a problem because there are so many good choices out there. And last, it is more time sitting in front of the computer rather than shooting.
If you only print 2-3 prints a month, it might be better to continue to send out your work, especially if you are happy with the results. The inks are relatively expensive and some models are especially prone to clogging. Clogging is an issue primarily for printers that are rarely used, and use a fair amount of ink to unclog.
But on the bright side, if you purchase a home printer system, you will probably find that you are printing more often and changing up prints far more often. There is also a nice ego boost when an especially nice image comes off the printer and you can go "Wow, I actually did that!".
Gigi - I'll state in advance that I'm not in the same league as many of the photographers on this site so I'm not really concerned about needing to please clients or enter shows. I've sent some things out to be printed for family and friends but never really for myself.
I just bought an Epson 3800 because I've a disk full of images I've only ever seen on the screen and was beginning to feel a real disconnect with my idea of what photography is and what I was doing, which has become more like "image collecting".
I developed prints in a wet darkroom in highschool and missed the feeling of completing the circle of creativity if you will. As I read more about Ansel Adams and his work on his images I realized that, for myself, I was missing out on a process that might be just as enjoyable as pressing the shutter.
My results are not nearly as consistant as a Lab's and if I had money or reputation riding on an image I'd probably just send it out. On the other hand I've improved my ability to do local corrections and soft-proof images tremendously. My eye for what will turn out to be a nice print and what I just can't salvage is also improving. The list of things to experiment with and learn is constantly growing. This isn't for everyone but beginning to print my own images has revitalized my creative drive, and frankly it's just cool to see a nice new print roll out of your printer.
I'm certainly not saving any money
One of the great pleasures of photography is that it only involves two people, the photographer and the viewer, as soon as you add a lab into the process, you have another person invovled and it is no longer as personal of a process. Having been a custom print maker for over ten years, I know that I would put some of my own creativity into my clients prints.
The great Brett Weston on his 80th birthday burnt all of his negatives, why? because he knew that only he could print his work the way he had invisioned it.
Something to think about.
Enjoy your new venture into the world of printing!
When I had access to a wet darkroom, one of the great pleasures was watching the image form on the paper and seeing the finished print after it dried. In this digital age, seeing a fine print roll off the printer gives me a similar thrill.
Just like working in a wet darkroom, doing your own printing requires the best tools you can afford, testing to get your system dialed in, and careful attention to craft. That, in and of itself is a great experience! Also, if you do your own printing but have need for a larger print from a bureau, you will be better able to work with the technician to get the quality you need.
-PB
There is, undoubtedly, a learning curve to the process, but once that's mastered the process is relatively straight forward.
Best of luck.
Thanks very much to all.
John
Printing is such a vital part of the creative process you shouldn't put it in someone else's hands. You can get excellent results from modestly-priced 13X19 printers. The economics of printing yourself involve many variables but they are a couple of steps I highly recommend that will save you a lot of wasted materials. Number one, you MUST calibrate your monitor, otherwise getting the colours you want is a true crap shoot. Second, go to the Luminous Landscape site and purchase the brilliant "From Camera to Print" series of tutorials. In fact, I recommend viewing this tutorial first, because they provide information that will be useful in selecting a printer.
And I echo remarks from above, there's nothing like watching one of your photos emerge from the printer. Like taking fresh bread from the oven. Regards.