Costs of Printing at home

Got a new baby around so I'm printing all the time now.

I'm using an Epson R2400 but it just seems to suck down the ink. Am I better off to buy a new printer that uses more efficient / larger cartridges or how can I reduce my ink costs?

I'd like to outsource the printing but shutterfly does a crappy job

what are other people doing? If i wanted to buy a new printer what should i get?

Thanks!

If you have a Costco nearby, they offer very inexpensive and good quality printing -- you can upload images (assuming you're a member) and they can print it and you can pick it up locally (or have them mail it to you).

AdoramaPix is also good and reasonable, and mPix has a good rep.

As to the costs of home printing, yeah, good photo-quality ink does cost. Some people use third-party inks for their personal stuff, you might want to check that out as an alternative. Other people use Continuous Ink Systems to cut down on cost, although I've heard people say that over time they can cause leakage problems. Another thing to check out!

I don't know about the newer models in comparison. One thing to look for is printers with a good number of seperate/distinct ink cartridges. That way if you run out of one color you don't have to toss a cartridge with several full "wells".

I have a Canon 9000 MkII and I'm really happy with it. They can be had for cheap on EBay. On the flip side though, after researching before buying, seems like it's just about a wash from the numbers I've seen. I'm not going to run my numbers because I got it more for the instant gratification/I don't have to sit around and come up with a stack of images to send off to get printed to save on shipping. I used Bay Photo and will use continue to use them on occasion.

I doubt a different printer will have any effect. Its the ink usage and thats the same for a certain size print no matter what make it is.

Home printing will never be a cost effective option. Its the best, because it gives you complete control of the final product. But cheap it is not.

Lowner wrote in post #15315339
I doubt a different printer will have any effect. Its the ink usage and thats the same for a certain size print no matter what make it is.

Home printing will never be a cost effective option. Its the best, because it gives you complete control of the final product. But cheap it is not.

Pretty much. Cost effectiveness depends mainly on ink cartridge size, the big professional Epson printers can churn out a lot of prints before needing new ink, but if the ink cartridge size has less than three digits worth of volume it's going to be pricy.

Of course, this is why I always recommend the most expensive printer you can afford within your budget - paper and ink costs are always going to eat a chunk of change, and bigger printers are actually more cost-effective, especially those that accept rolls.

In the end, nothing can beat a well-calibrated 8/10 color printer with high quality paper of your choosing, especially if it's a special paper type, like 300+gsm rag. If you just want bulk, cost effective printing on generic paper, most printing services today do a great job.

There is a local camera shop down the street from me where I make my prints. A couple of times a year I get the urge to buy a printer, every time I get the urge I end up chatting with my friends at the camera store, and every time they (the salespeople at the store) talk me out of it. Their reasoning is that unless I'm doing a LOT of printing and then selling the prints it's not cost effective.

I too have heard that Costco makes great prints at a great price. For me the kiosk at the camera store makes great prints.

Thanks for the info guys /gals.

I know what you mean about eating ink up. For me, mpix works out pretty good. With having a little one I usually order a couple copies of each and then send them out to grandparents(they can never get enought pics). If it's something speical or I want right away, I'll print at home.

In the Epson line, the next step up from the 2400 to get more ink economy is the 3880.
It is a great printer. If you want to make really nice prints for wall hanging that you know will not fade or otherwise degrade, then the 3880 and some quality paper is a great solution. Its not as inexpensive as Costco or other labs but much better quality.

I bought a refurbished 3880 from the Epson store for less than a thousand, the ink carts that came with are almost 500 bucks. They have much larger carts and ink is therefore a little cheaper. If you really want to save on ink cost, go to Ink Jet Mall online and see if they have carts for your printer. I bought a set of refillables and am using Cone Inks (Google George Cone), this has cut ink costs by about 70%! I buy my paper from Red River Paper and with ink I can print an 8X10 for under 40 cents. You can print cheaper at home if you buy paper in quantity and bulk inks.

I have an old Epson R1800 and its not cost effective unless using it a lot. I'll go months between prints and I think that causes it to waste a lot of ink cleaning the head. Seems I need several cartridges every time I print, and they aren't cheap. But it is good quality output and you can calibrate the color.

ralff wrote in post #15324025
You can print cheaper at home if you buy paper in quantity and bulk inks.

You could, but why would you want to? You don't know what's really in the inks you're getting.

The reason you buy something like a 3880 or 4900 is because you want to use HDR/K3 ink, and on to lay it on paper from Canson, Hahnemuhle, or some other premium paper that will cost a lot, bulk or no bulk. An 8.5x11" sheet of Canson rag is a $1.50, but nothing else comes even close to the feel, color and detail that the paper renders.

Assuming you sell your prints for a sane amount, the only thing reduced cost does is increase bottom line, but I'd rather produce prints that glue stares for several minutes at a time, before the person remembers that they have to breathe.

As soon as the words "quantity" and "bulk" enter the equation, "printing at home" leaves, I know this from a lot experience. Your result will always be half-аssed compared to people who have it down to a system; it's there for a reason.

Kolor-Pikker wrote in post #15315644
...
Of course, this is why I always recommend the most expensive printer you can afford within your budget - paper and ink costs are always going to eat a chunk of change, and bigger printers are actually more cost-effective, especially those that accept rolls..

This is why I gave up on printing at home except for text and we use a HP laser printer for that. I have switched to Costco for my prints. They support sizes from small 3x4s to huge posters. They have probably $250,000 worth of printing hardware and all of the support hardware needed to maintain the printers. It's always filled and maintained, it's color calibrated often, they have printer profiles I can install at home, and has a full time staff there to take care of any and all problems. Their quality is better than any consumer grade printer is going to spit out and their prices are great, usually cheaper than if I printed them at home. So, high quality, low price, fully maintained commercial grade printer, it's a no brainer for me.

On the subject, Red River Paper has a good article about printing costs:

http://www.redrivercat​alog.com/cost-of-inkjet-printing.html

Kolor-Pikker wrote in post #15324164
You could, but why would you want to? You don't know what's really in the inks you're getting.

The reason you buy something like a 3880 or 4900 is because you want to use HDR/K3 ink, and on to lay it on paper from Canson, Hahnemuhle, or some other premium paper that will cost a lot, bulk or no bulk. An 8.5x11" sheet of Canson rag is a $1.50, but nothing else comes even close to the feel, color and detail that the paper renders.

Assuming you sell your prints for a sane amount, the only thing reduced cost does is increase bottom line, but I'd rather produce prints that glue stares for several minutes at a time, before the person remembers that they have to breathe.

As soon as the words "quantity" and "bulk" enter the equation, "printing at home" leaves, I know this from a lot experience. Your result will always be half-аssed compared to people who have it down to a system; it's there for a reason.

Actually the inks I use have better life than the Epson carts. Buy my paper in 600 sheet boxes for 8.5X11 sheets. I do print a LOT printed 600 plus prints of a trip to Africa. Plus I love to print, that is what photography is all about IMO. Google John Cone and see about his ink quality. I am having fun, getting better prints, and saving money.