Printing?

[tigerroar]

Is it cheaper to print my own photos or use an online service? What is the best 'cheapest' printer?

[robertwgross]

Many photographers here will put the quality issue first, and cost comes later.

I recommend not to purchase a home printer on the basis of initial cost. Many really cheap printers will end up costing a lot in terms of ink. Before you make such a purchase, you need to know your expected usage, and then with some estimates on ink use, you can eventually figure out the best way to go. Ink use will also vary with paper type.

Just for round numbers, I estimate that I put about one dollar's worth of ink on every square foot of premium glossy paper.

The intangible value is that I can print a proof of my best shot of the day while I am sitting at my home computer. If there is any problem, I can correct it and reprint it a few minutes later.

---Bob Gross---

[Jesper]

If you're looking for the cheapest way to make prints, then a home printer is not it!

The printer itself might be not really expensive, but photo quality inkjet paper and ink is. I don't know what the prices in the UK are, but here good quality photo paper costs about 1 Euro per sheet (size A4), and you have to add the cost of the ink too, which is priced like it's liquid gold.... :(