Does anyone still print?

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Absolutely. I would emphasize in order to gain the benefits of a printer one must put in the time required which is not easy or without frustration. Much like photography
itself. To become good at it one must continually push to improve their skills. For example I had owned my epson 9900 sometime before I discovered "soft proofing"which was a revelation to me at the time. And it didnt take long to figure out that all monitors are way to bright!
 
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Still print. Keep my prints in archival binders. Some day my kids may like to look at my life and hobbies. I also print orchids on metal and sell a few.
 
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I print regularly on an Epson P600 which prints up to 13x19. I have them hanging in my home and on the walls at the airport where I'm the manager. I agree that viewing a print is the end product for me. The prints that are not framed are in a portfolios that can be seen even when the internet is down. I don't sell, but do make prints on request for friends and relatives. Been printing since the darkroom days.
 
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I started printing in the 1970's using Cibachrome, a fussy but long-lasting positive to positive medium. The learning curve was steep and the cost for the processer and associated chemicals steep but there was really no other way to reach a large audience. Because galleries didn't adhere to any standard for color temperature it was neccessary to print direrently for each gallery. In on case I had to reprint an entire show just before the opening.

Differences in the capability and calibration (or lack thereof) of monitors mean that the artist has little control of how images will be viewed on digital media. Printing and the now almost standard lighting in galleries solves most of this issue.

Even with a fully calibrated workflow and soft-proofing I inevitably find subtle things I want to change after the first print. If you use an outside lab that is costly both in time and money. I do my own framing as well since the savings are significant. The care and feeding of a large format printer can be eye-watering and recent price increases for roll paper and ink have made it even more so. A service contract is IMHO an absolute necessity. That said, I still consider it worthwhile.
 
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Abinoone said:
Yes, some, and I would like to do much more large-format printing, but the high costs deter me from doing so. To me, nothing quite compares to viewing a great, well-printed and displayed image.

Last year, I visited a show of Tom Mangelsen’s magnificent wildlife photos - all printed and displayed in very large format. What an amazing experience- I was there for hours, and could happily have gone back multiple times. I’ve looked at the very same images in Tom’s books and online and, while wonderful, the experience is totally different and very much diminished. Now, I’m hardly comparing myself to Tom Mangelsen, but I do think the same could be said for seeing some of my own images artfully printed and displayed - it’s just a completely different and, in my mind, better experience. Unfortunately, it costs a lot to print and frame/mount large images, so I don’t often do it. Just recently, I priced printing one of my images on metal (large format) at Bayphoto, and it was $650. Well, that amount represents a good downpayment on my next trip, so I chose not to spend it on the print. If I were a pro selling my work, then the expense might be justifiable.
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If you want quality prints on metal at fair prices and low shipping costs in the US then check out McKenna Pro. And yes they print on a lot more media.
 
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I print at home up to13x19 using a Canon Pro 100. I print from the Lightroom Classic Print Module and use color matching to my spyder xelite calibrated monitor (apple studio monitor and studio mac studio M1 Max) and I keep it simple and it is quite easy. The printer was cheap on sale but the ink is quite spendy. Most of the prints from my own printer are for camera club competition/exhibit, putting in albums or on my wall.

I still sell and exhibit some prints but those are printed 95% of the time on metal by McKenna Pro.

I also donate prints to non-profits for fund raising mostly to conservation entities.
 
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I print for exhibitions, friends, charity auctions, and my own walls. I agree with others that the print is a better final product than a screen. After over 40 years producing prints in the darkroom, my Epson P900 printer makes the process so much easier.
 
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Ken Miracle said:
I print at home up to13x19 using a Canon Pro 100. I print from the Lightroom Classic Print Module and use color matching to my spyder xelite calibrated monitor (apple studio monitor and studio mac studio M1 Max) and I keep it simple and it is quite easy. The printer was cheap on sale but the ink is quite spendy. Most of the prints from my own printer are for camera club competition/exhibit, putting in albums or on my wall.

I still sell and exhibit some prints but those are printed 95% of the time on metal by McKenna Pro.

I also donate prints to non-profits for fund raising mostly to conservation entities.
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Glad to see another photographer donating prints for charities. McKenna Pro is just a few miles from me. An excellent lab.
 
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I like to print. It gives a much better view of your art than just viewing on a PC IMHO. I use the Canon ProGRAF Pro-300 which is a superb printer and print at A3+. It also has the ability to print panoramas up to 1m and I generally print at 26x13 inch. I store the A3+ prints in archival binders and will frame one or two of the panos when I get a 'round tuit'.
 
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I just printed five pictures for a local photography show that just opened for two weeks. I also print pictures to hang in a gallery I'm in. I don't print much to hang pictures at home due to lack of space. I print a lot of cards to sell at the gallery or sometimes to give away as gifts to friends. I only use an outside printer if I want something bigger than my home printer can handle.
 
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Only have an A4 printer these days but if i had a specially good shot i take it to the local print shop to get a A3 print done,

then find a nice frame for it. Cant really justify getting an A3 printer for home use
 
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For now, all of my prints are borderless and are made on A4 paper. Involved in the process are:
  • MacBook Pro 16 (current model)
  • Lightroom Classic (LrC)
  • Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 (A3+ printer)
  • Canson PhotoSatin A4 paper
 
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RichF said:
If so, what do you do w/ your prints?

I print less than before, mostly for camera competitions and a few gifts.
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One printing idea that I use is to periodically make photo books. I use Blurb to create coffee table type photo books with groups of images. It's a fun project and can include text to simply include captions for the images. The Blurb process works well for me because I can store an in progress project on my computer and pick it up later or modify it. It also allows me to create multiple versions such as a good PDF version of the project, a light magazine type version, etc.
 
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Absolutely. To my mind a photograph isn't complete until it's rendered as a physical print. I'm currently printing on an Epson P800, on a range of papers depending on the image and its end use. Some are printed on matte as small as 5x7 then matted and framed, because they work that way. Some up to 16x20 for walls. I find the process of printing rewarding in itself as another stage of realizing an image.

As a note, I've *never* had an image print 'right' on the first pass at size, though I run small test prints of sections of the image first. It's always too light/dark, some part that didn't stand out before now needs tweaking, etc. I usually run through at least two or three prints (often more) before I find a rendition that works for me. This is why I don't use commercial printers - it's simply impossible to run proof after proof through a commercial printer, wait for the delivery of the print, tweak it, and submit another. Printing myself I know in thirty seconds if I have to redo it.
 
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My printer is an Epsom XP-950 which also will print up to A3 size. I bought it in Sept 2013 (checking up records) and apart from ink carts the only other thing in needed a couple of months ago was the waste sponge ink collector needed replacing underneath.
 
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mdirvin said:
Printing is the only way I display my images (no social media, no image galleries, no web site). I have a gallery wall with overhead lights, and a gallery hanging system. Plus images hanging in my office, and entry way. All together I have 22 prints hanging in my house. I replace them on a regular basis. All the prints are either landscapes, or wildlife. Every once in a while I do some close up of flowers, I wouldn’t call them macro. I am limited in size, as I have an Epson P800. I have been looking at the P900. I would really like the P5000, but its just not practical not enough space available.

Mike
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I purchased a P900 last summer (before the last round of price increases, and with a rebate to boot) and am very pleased with the results it gives me. The ink cost of printing is much less than that of the StylusColor 1430 I used previously. I also use the Epson Print Layout software to produce my prints, after importing my processed files from either Lightroom, ON1 or photoshop.

The P900 is a good choice, IMO, if you want a 17-inch printer. If you don't need the 17-inch print capability, and can do with a 13-inch printer, you might look into the Epson ET-8550, which uses bulk ink bottles to refill the ink tanks in the printer, greatly reducing ink costs. (My impression is that you want the 17-inch printer, however, because you mentioned the P900 and not the P700.) The P900/P700 use pigment inks, and the ET-8550 uses dye inks, with each having advantages over the other.

Both the P900 and P700 have a $200 rebate offer until March 31, and the ET-8550 is discounted $150 at some places as of now.

I print mainly for club print competition/judging/critique. I find that presenting prints for competition at a PSA affiliated club/organization is the best means to get a more detailed, consistent, and informed critique of my images.
 
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eaj101 said:
Absolutely. To my mind a photograph isn't complete until it's rendered as a physical print. I'm currently printing on an Epson P800, on a range of papers depending on the image and its end use. Some are printed on matte as small as 5x7 then matted and framed, because they work that way. Some up to 16x20 for walls. I find the process of printing rewarding in itself as another stage of realizing an image.

As a note, I've *never* had an image print 'right' on the first pass at size, though I run small test prints of sections of the image first. It's always too light/dark, some part that didn't stand out before now needs tweaking, etc. I usually run through at least two or three prints (often more) before I find a rendition that works for me. This is why I don't use commercial printers - it's simply impossible to run proof after proof through a commercial printer, wait for the delivery of the print, tweak it, and submit another. Printing myself I know in thirty seconds if I have to redo it.
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Do you calibrate your monitor regularly?
 
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Whiskeyman said:
Do you calibrate your monitor regularly?
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Yes. It's an Eizo, so pretty stable, and I calibrate every two weeks. I haven't calibrated the printer, though I do use known papers with profiles for the P800. But no matter how accurate the monitor and printer are, prints (reflected light) basically look different than a monitor (radiant light)/ As well, you see different things, different emphasis, etc when you sit and look at a print. Just my .02c.
 
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EricBowles said:
One printing idea that I use is to periodically make photo books. I use Blurb to create coffee table type photo books with groups of images. It's a fun project and can include text to simply include captions for the images. The Blurb process works well for me because I can store an in progress project on my computer and pick it up later or modify it. It also allows me to create multiple versions such as a good PDF version of the project, a light magazine type version, etc.
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I print photo books as well. I select my best photos for each year and create a photo book for that year.
 
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