Tournament Printing

I've got the opportunity to some Baseball and Soccer tournaments. I'm currently looking at which printers to buy. For large format prints, I've been leaning towards the Epson Stylus Pro 3880 for a little while now, but I'm also considering the Canon Pixma PRO9500MkII as well as the 9000 mkII. The 9000 mkII does do 4x6, but I'm not even sure if I'm going to make 4x6s available. If I do offer 4x6s, I'll just get the smaller Pixma, so that doesn't need to be taken into consideration.

Does anyone have experience with these printers? I want high quality images, but I'm not just concerned about the print quality. I'm also concerned about the printers performance within the elements since I will be outside most of the time.

We have always used a sub dye printer from mitzubishi. I can't recall the model. But I could find out for you. We use it at almost every single state high school championship.

They do on site printing for states? Ah, if only...

I've never seen 4x6's offered - only a sheet (two 5x7 or 8x10). Personally do it all online, just not worth the printing, hiring staff, etc. to do it on site in my evaluation. One thing you're going to want to do is have those printers covered somehow, have a tent set up, or in a building - especially baseball, you don't want them going with dirt flying around from the fields I'd assume. My only tidbit, don't use those printers.

This is something I am looking into. It gives them the opportunity to print their photos on-site as well. I would have a dye-sub printer hooked to my computer for prints, too, but after asking around, people like having pictures when they walk out of a place. Why not even make money on their work, as well. Depending on the size of the event, you might have to set up a few of these.

Sony SnapLab

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #11886006
I've never seen 4x6's offered - only a sheet (two 5x7 or 8x10). Personally do it all online, just not worth the printing, hiring staff, etc. to do it on site in my evaluation. One thing you're going to want to do is have those printers covered somehow, have a tent set up, or in a building - especially baseball, you don't want them going with dirt flying around from the fields I'd assume.

I've been really bored at work today so I have been researching a lot (5+ hrs). Currently I have my eye on two printers, the Sony UD-dr2000 and the UP-DR80 (both sub dye). The 2000 is a roll printer which would simplify things a great deal. I've got tents, tables, covers etc. The big decision is the printers. I'm curious though, do you do pretty well with online orders? I haven't had great success. Do you just hand out cards? Do you have an info table with someone staffed?

asysin2leads wrote in post #11886174
This is something I am looking into. It gives them the opportunity to print their photos on-site as well. I would have a dye-sub printer hooked to my computer for prints, too, but after asking around, people like having pictures when they walk out of a place.

I'm not sure about the SnapLab. I'd like to see if it is really as practical as it seems. If so, it would be a great product (although I still need an 8x10 printer). I've talked to several tournament photographers and most say the same thing, "Make the sale at the event, because once they leave you are not guaranteed anything." And I tend to agree. I'm going to start with some of the small tournaments before I invest too much money into printers. I want to make sure I can justify the cost.

Any of the printers you mentioned will do well.
The last softball tourney I covered I offered CD's because
I wasn't going to battle the dust with the printers. View stations ended up covered in dust however.
Tent destroyed by storm that blew threw.
First thing out of the mouth of 7 out of 10 people when they approached the tent " Are you going to put them on line". CD sales sucked. Took it in the shorts big time.
The tourneys I've done people are off to the next game or wanting to "get out of Dodge".
Maybe I pick the wrong tourneys
Anyway, my advice would be to have plenty of staff and equipment to crank out product fast if you print on site.

vcrampton wrote in post #11886354
I've been really bored at work today so I have been researching a lot (5+ hrs). Currently I have my eye on two printers, the Sony UD-dr2000 and the UP-DR80 (both sub dye). The 2000 is a roll printer which would simplify things a great deal. I've got tents, tables, covers etc. The big decision is the printers. I'm curious though, do you do pretty well with online orders? I haven't had great success. Do you just hand out cards? Do you have an info table with someone staffed?

It really depends on the event and just seems to be extremely unpredictable. The ones I do are not huge events, but decent. I've looked at doing on site sales and it's just not worth hiring the staff and setting up printers - or even viewing stations to order and ship later. Don't think the profit would be there to make it worthwhile for all involved.

Online is hit or miss - the tournament I handed out the most cards and got the most interest last year did the worst. The one game I did in the middle of the tournament sold almost as much as the other 12-15 games combined (literally like $20 diff). Overall worth it - but the math was just odd! If it wasn't for that one game - the "all-stars" of the tournament, it wouldn't have been worth it in all honesty.

The tournament with not even close to that interest did the best, but then this year the same tournament is down about 30% in sales. There was less kids this year, which of course is a problem, also a rain delay last year helped me cover more kids as the games got spread out a bit more - longer days but more coverage so sure that didn't help.

There was some other mid-range ones in there as well. Every tournament was over $1,000 easily, except one because the organizers are idiots and have teams playing at five locations spread out and only get one photographer. DUMB! Especially when there's a much better location with five fields all in one location, oh well. Obviously though I'm not in charge of that one, so not much to do as so far it's been on deaf ears suggestion wise as making money from prints is not their priority as a sponsor.

Overall, online sales last year were the best I've ever experienced...however, I covered a lot more because I stepped down from coaching high school in all three seasons so have more time to get out and shoot. However, on average the amount made from print sales on a per game average went up drastically in 2010 over 2009 - so who knows.

Regular game, it's usually cards given to the coach and anyone who asks. Have it announced if there's anyone doing that and they'll do it. Obviously you need permission usually before doing it so you're not stepping on toes.

Tournament, leave cards at the front gate to be given to anyone who comes in...give them to anyone who asks, also at the info desk they set up - least at the tournies I do. I'll also try to give them to the coaches as well, but depends. A few of the tournaments I do the organizers have everyones email so they do a blast for me which helps HUGE! Send the link and they'll always click on it.

So to answer your question - it's cards and email, but obviously not collecting emails. Though maybe a sign up sheet wouldn't be a bad idea for those tournaments where the organizers don't have the emails.