Inkjet Printer or Lab?

[askohen]

Hi. I'm fairly new to 'serious' digital photography. I had a advanced point and shoot before, but just got a canon 20d. It's amazingly responsive! In the past, I would shoot, process via photoshop and then send my files to a decent lab for printing. I am wondering, though, what you recommend. Should I print at home, or send my pictures out to a lab. Though I am technically 'able' (work in high-tech) I am not too fond of messing around with printers, expensive ink/paper etc, but will do so if that will get me the best results.

Any advice? Thanks.

[gramps]

I would go for you own printer........in the long run the cost of it will be back in your pocket. The big plus (to me) is the control of the prints, especially if you want to go bigger that what the stores will print for you. I'd look at the Epson 800, 1800 or the Canon I9900.

[UncleDoug]

If you are printing for yourself, I say go with an InkJet.
Sounds like a minor learning curve for you but lots of help in this forum.

If you are printing for clients, use a lab.

[etaf]

i quite like the dy-sub printers the HI-TI730PS prints out at 6x4 7x5 8x6 - they are working on A4 for next year - you at least know the price per print - excellent quality - some sellers send out samples and will also print from one of your images

[askohen]

Thanks. Any more printer recommendations for a guy on a budget? Let's say $300 or under? I'd like to print 8X10s.

[UncleDoug]

Thanks. Any more printer recommendations for a guy on a budget? Let's say $300 or under? I'd like to print 8X10s.

Check out the Epson or Canon lines.

Dye-subs that are worth a darn are a bit over your budget.
Plus the "creative box" a dye-sub will confine you within will be limiting.

[Gary_E]

Thanks. Any more printer recommendations for a guy on a budget? Let's say $300 or under? I'd like to print 8X10s.
beleive it or not i have a hp6210xi all in one and it does awesome photos up to 8x10. there is an epson for 300.00 that will go to 13x19 i think and uses seperate color cartidges so for instance when the cyan dies out you dont replace all 3 colors

[Rick Baker]

get an inkjet. Epson or Canon.

[AjP]

I have Canon ip5000 and love it, definately not for mass client printing, but small, presentation prints is awesome quality. for clients ONLY Lab prints

[guitarman]

Thanks. Any more printer recommendations for a guy on a budget? Let's say $300 or under? I'd like to print 8X10s.

I love my Canon IP 8500. Exactly the same as the i9900 except the biggest size you can do is 8X10. Since that was as big as I needed to go I saved the cash and went for the 8500 instead of the i9900.

[robertwgross]

I think you'll find that the vast majority of photographers here use either an Epson or a Canon inkjet printer of some type.

It can be quite satisfying to spend the day shooting photos, then getting home to the computer to edit them, and then to print up a few proofs right then and there at the computer. I print my proofs at two on one sheet of 8.5x11 paper.

Now, you don't have to print up everything you shoot. Most of us do most of our photo viewing through the computer, but for some fraction of them you will want to print them out to see how they look. If you get some amazing shots, then you can decide whether to buy a more expensive printer or to do lots of business with the big print shops. For a very crude estimate, I think my home prints cost me about $1.00 for ink and about $.50 for paper for every square foot. So, printing up to Super A3 size doesn't make sense unless you are shooting some really good stuff.

---Bob Gross---

[askohen]

Thanks for the advice. How do you control for color, though, when you use a lab? Is there a way to embed a profile or something?

[robertwgross]

You might try to just take a chance on it and see how it goes.

Otherwise, you need to do some research and find out what kind of machine your intended vendor uses. Profiles are available for nearly all such machines. Embed that profile in your image before you take it in.

---Bob Gross---

[Bob_A]

I use a Canon Selphy CP600 dye sub for 4x6 proofs (excellent results IMO) and use a pro lab for anything larger.

[tim]

I have a Canon ip5000 that I use for proofs for myself and occasional snapshots, and it does a pretty good job of that. There's some small horizontal lines in the prints, but only if you look really closely. Anything going to a customer goes to a professional lab.

[Curtis N]

Plus the "creative box" a dye-sub will confine you within will be limiting.I don't understand that statement. What is it about a dye-sub printer that is limiting?

[UncleDoug]

I don't understand that statement. What is it about a dye-sub printer that is limiting?


Media selection and size of media.
Keeping within reasonable budgests here, you have more flexiblity with an inkjet.
In one day I may print on hi-gloss film, gloss canvas, rag paper and semi-gloss.

[Bob_A]

Media selection and size of media.
Keeping within reasonable budgests here, you have more flexiblity with an inkjet.
In one day I may print on hi-gloss film, gloss canvas, rag paper and semi-gloss.

That's why I chose to go with dye sub for only doing proofs. It does a great job for making glossy 4x6's, but for anything other than that I use a pro lab. If I wanted to do all of my printing myself (any size, any finish) I would go with inkjet.

[UncleDoug]

That's why I chose to go with dye sub for only doing proofs. It does a great job for making glossy 4x6's, but for anything other than that I use a pro lab. If I wanted to do all of my printing myself (any size, any finish) I would go with inkjet.

Good point for the proofs.
Prints off of inkjets are not exactly "pass around the dinner table" prints.
Dye subs with the overcoat stand up to handeling much better.

[askohen]

Ok. If I wanted to send my images to a decent lab, where would you all recommend? Remember I am not a pro, but I do appreciate decent prints and would like to work with the lab to find out the equipment they use, so I could embed the proper profiles. Are there any higher-end labs like this that I can download my pictures to (I mean apart from snapfish and sites like that that are highly impersonal)?

My main goal is to get good quality 8X10s/5X7s to frame, matte and put up in the house and/or give to other people. Thanks!

[etaf]

no trying to hijack this post - but if when anyone answers askohen last post - if they have any UK advice as I would love to do the same - and will be getting a dysub in next few weeks and then use a lab for the good quality 10x8's for framing

[Bob_A]

In Canada there are labs like TheLab in Vancouver that will work with the customer to get exactly what you want ( www.thelabvancouver.com ). I'm sure there are similar labs in every major city that will do the same.

They print without auto corrections/enhancements, help you with profiles, etc.