Posted by Pat Theis on September 21, 2008 at 4:55 PM
Hello All,
I was in an outdoor fair yesterday taking photographs and then printing them quickly for customers.
I am using a HP Deskjet 5440 and ok, I admit it, forgive me please - off brand generic glossy photo paper. (4x6 prints)
While no one complained, it did take a bit of time for the ink to dry before I would hand off the photo. A good 15 minutes before the photo's were not tacky to the touch.
As I want to do more of these events, I'm looking for a way to speed up drying time. Is there a setting type spray I can use? I'm hesitant to use a hair dryer because as it's outdoor, electricity is limited.
Thank you for any suggestions
Pat
Posted by John Mumaw on September 21, 2008 at 5:01 PM
Posted by Dan Borzynski on September 21, 2008 at 11:08 PM
I can't comment specifically about the HP inks, but when I was first using the Epson Ultrachrome inks, there were a few third party papers where the inks didn't dry immediately on glossy papers. You make want to look at HP-specific papers or other third party papers to test this characteristic.
Another possibility, depending on what you are after, is to go to a matte paper. Those should dry almost immediately but they also have a different look to them.
If these are outdoor events, the inks will dry a lot slower if it very humid.
As a customer, I wouldn't be very impressed if I saw you using a hair dryer to dry the prints. Definitely find another option.
Maybe this is going backwards, but (anyone?) is there a dryer that was used with film developing and wet printing that would work? Of course, you'd have to have that electricity (which you seem to already have to drive the printer!). Too much heat could also affect the color of the ink and the paper!
Another method might be to set the customer expectation. Take your photo now, I will have it for you in 15 or 20 minutes. Tell them up front you want to allow enough drying time so they won't damage the print on their way home. But the extra 15 minutes might lose you some "spur" of the moment" sales.
I would back up the comment to try HP paper for the HP ink and the HP printer.
I believe any "setting" spray requires that the print be dry already. If you block the "air" that is already "setting/drying" the ink, it may never dry under the coating. I do not know anything about this, so I am talking off the top of my head.
You do not mention what kind of ink you are using and whether it is archival or not. I do not know what ink that printer uses - it could be pro ink or it could be "consumer" ink. Same with the paper. Maybe the kind of prints you are doing at the fair do not need to be archival quality. Otherwise, you should be matching your paper and ink for best results.
I do not do glossy prints (I'm a matte guy), so, I am unaware how long it takes for a glossy to dry. If people at home doing their own 4x6's with the gear they bought at Circuit City dries instantly, then folks are not going to understand why yours take so long. Humidity is a factor.
Another VERY important issue is the setting you are using on the computer when printing (unless this is a printer that prints straight from your chip with no control). You must tell the computer which tells the printer what kind of paper you have. And elsewhere you should be telling the system which ICC to use - different ICC's will give different results for the same type of paper setting. It could be your system is laying down too much ink for the paper.
Good luck!
Troup
Posted by PHEROLD on September 22, 2008 at 1:31 PM
I was involved in wet processing for years, and I am unaware of anything that would fit the bill. Those kinds of dryers use a lot of electricity, like 220 amps and such.
It definitely sounds like a printer > ink > paper combination problem. If the paper can't handle all the ink that is put down on it, it will take a while to dry. If you are really set on saving money, you can try a different generic glossy paper. Different papers will react differently, and another brand might hold the ink better.
The other option would be to try a different media setting in the printer driver. "Photo paper glossy" would theoretically use less ink than "Premium paper glossy" - and then yes, you would need to use the ICC profile that goes with that paper.
Discussion
4 repliesI was in an outdoor fair yesterday taking photographs and then printing them quickly for customers.
I am using a HP Deskjet 5440 and ok, I admit it, forgive me please - off brand generic glossy photo paper. (4x6 prints)
While no one complained, it did take a bit of time for the ink to dry before I would hand off the photo. A good 15 minutes before the photo's were not tacky to the touch.
As I want to do more of these events, I'm looking for a way to speed up drying time. Is there a setting type spray I can use? I'm hesitant to use a hair dryer because as it's outdoor, electricity is limited.
Thank you for any suggestions
Pat
Another possibility, depending on what you are after, is to go to a matte paper. Those should dry almost immediately but they also have a different look to them.
If these are outdoor events, the inks will dry a lot slower if it very humid.
As a customer, I wouldn't be very impressed if I saw you using a hair dryer to dry the prints. Definitely find another option.
Another method might be to set the customer expectation. Take your photo now, I will have it for you in 15 or 20 minutes. Tell them up front you want to allow enough drying time so they won't damage the print on their way home. But the extra 15 minutes might lose you some "spur" of the moment" sales.
I would back up the comment to try HP paper for the HP ink and the HP printer.
I believe any "setting" spray requires that the print be dry already. If you block the "air" that is already "setting/drying" the ink, it may never dry under the coating. I do not know anything about this, so I am talking off the top of my head.
You do not mention what kind of ink you are using and whether it is archival or not. I do not know what ink that printer uses - it could be pro ink or it could be "consumer" ink. Same with the paper. Maybe the kind of prints you are doing at the fair do not need to be archival quality. Otherwise, you should be matching your paper and ink for best results.
I do not do glossy prints (I'm a matte guy), so, I am unaware how long it takes for a glossy to dry. If people at home doing their own 4x6's with the gear they bought at Circuit City dries instantly, then folks are not going to understand why yours take so long. Humidity is a factor.
Another VERY important issue is the setting you are using on the computer when printing (unless this is a printer that prints straight from your chip with no control). You must tell the computer which tells the printer what kind of paper you have. And elsewhere you should be telling the system which ICC to use - different ICC's will give different results for the same type of paper setting. It could be your system is laying down too much ink for the paper.
Good luck!
Troup
It definitely sounds like a printer > ink > paper combination problem. If the paper can't handle all the ink that is put down on it, it will take a while to dry. If you are really set on saving money, you can try a different generic glossy paper. Different papers will react differently, and another brand might hold the ink better.
The other option would be to try a different media setting in the printer driver. "Photo paper glossy" would theoretically use less ink than "Premium paper glossy" - and then yes, you would need to use the ICC profile that goes with that paper.