Home Printing vs Lab Printing

[britt777]

Hello all. My ? is which is better home printing or lab. I here lab doesn't use ink, it uses chemicals and therfore last much longer. I have printed hundreds of pictures at home all 4x6 but very happy with the results. I have the Epson R320. My other ? is, is it cheaper to print at home or the lab. Any tips or suggestions would be great. Thanks so much....=)

[Curtis N]

It's a complicated question. If you search this section a bit you will find some previous discussions on the subject.

The cost of home vs. lab printing are close enough that it probably shouldn't be your decision criteria. If you have a lot of shots to print, you will find it time-consuming to do it yourself, and maintaining paper & ink inventory may become a frustration. With some experimentation, you will soon learn when it's best to print your own and when you should visit the lab.

[Desertraptor]

I just had a couple of 8x10 prints done and I must say if you go to a lab make sure it knows what it's doing :( My shots were to go up in a gallery but they are stained so I wont be using them again :( No professional phot shop out here just a few people who thought they could buy the outlet and run it with little to no knowledge of photography or care for quality. I guess since most of their work are simple snaps.

Atleast doing them at home means you can print and reprint till you are happy.