Darwin
Well-known member
Wow, thanks for all the insight. I have a lot to think about!
Printing your photos.
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eaj101
Well-known member
I gravitated towards doing my own printing for both the reward of holding the tangible final product (nothing makes an image real to me like a physical print) and the complete control that one has doing everything in-house, so to speak. I've settled on a few relatively standard options - one or two pearl papers, one or two baryta papers, off-white four ply mats and rather few sizes. I generally use an Epson P800, though I have access to a 4880 if I need to go larger. Perhaps I'm captured by the 'craft printing' mystique, but I find the process itself rewarding. I have friends who still print chemicals and media like platinum and carbon, so I have a community of sorts to talk to.
Many years ago I tried analog color printing and today's tools give you much more control with much less toxic threat
Many years ago I tried analog color printing and today's tools give you much more control with much less toxic threat
D
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We are closing in on retirement. The first thing when we buy our retirement home will be a large printer. I really enjoy the whole process and seeing larger prints really drives me to improve my skills.
Darwin
Well-known member
Thanks for all the suggestions. I think utilizing a print service would be the way to go. For those of you that use Bay Photo, what type of print/paper do you go with for something you may frame or hang. Something in the larger size but nothing over 30". The selection size is quite overwhelming for me and I am lost.
eaj101
Well-known member
There are tradeoffs. Glossy finish papers have higher apparent acutance, but they also have annoying reflections. For that reason for general use I like a pearl/semi-gloss paper. Ilford Pearl is good and relatively inexpensive. I have experimented with Moab metallics and sometimes like the result (rather like Cibachrome), sometimes not. For monochrome I like a more classic look from a baryta rag paper. For subjects that already tend to look painterly, and if I don't mind the loss of acutance, I try watercolor or matte papers.
If you're just starting, I might suggest picking a single paper like Ilford Pearl and getting to know how it works for you before diving into the rather large set of options. The website luminouslandscape.com also has a number of articles on different papers.
You'll have to narrow down your question for us. For fine art paper the several Hanemuhle papers are great, but that is just my aesthetic, you can order a swatchbook of all their papers and choose for yourself. Of the ready to hang options I've had good luck with the wrapped fine art canvas (I prefer the stretch image wrap for the edge but they have a lot of options), I also like the face mounted acrylic, and the metal is really good. Also for lower cost the standout mounts are kind of cool, the print is mounted on a lightweight hangable substrate and the edges are finished in maple or other finishes.
They will custom print any size, doesn't really cost extra.
What is the best Fine Art Paper for my image?
Choosing the Best Fine Art Paper for Your ImageBay Photo offers the widest variety of products and options so that you can choose what best suits your images, or your clients’ needs. To give your images unsurpassed detail, color richness, and surface variety, we have specially curated 18 of the...
www.blog.bayphoto.com
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JohnW
Well-known member
Also doing my own printing and have been doning so 1st in the wet darkroom and now in the digital realm. In the digital realm started with the Epson 1270 which I replaced with the Epson Stylus Pro 3800 when it was 1st introduced. That 3800 is still going strong and producing better prints (color and BBW) than anything from any of the commercial printers that I've used. I do keep to a calibrated workflow and soft proof the image before sending it to the printer. The only time I really have any issues is when trying to print using Moab metallic papers, The Pearl surface not to bad but working with the silver surface really is a pain. The only time that I'll now consider an outside commercial printer is if I need a size larger than 17" wide or if I need to print on canvas, metal or other material not available for the Epson.
The only commercial printer that I would currently consider for any of my larger prints is Nevada Art Printers and their Lumachrome prints. For myself thinking of converting my 3800 to a pure BW printer using a carbon ink set and then getting another printer for color maybe something along the lines of a Epson Sure Color P900 or one of the comparable Epson large format printer.
Not worried about clogging isues, as even with the Stylus Pro 3800 have only had minor clogs since it's installation back in 2007. This includes times when the printer set idle for over a year. Then all that was required was an alignment and a couple of cleaning cycles. May be that our home just has the right humidity that helps prevent clogging on the 3800.
The only commercial printer that I would currently consider for any of my larger prints is Nevada Art Printers and their Lumachrome prints. For myself thinking of converting my 3800 to a pure BW printer using a carbon ink set and then getting another printer for color maybe something along the lines of a Epson Sure Color P900 or one of the comparable Epson large format printer.
Not worried about clogging isues, as even with the Stylus Pro 3800 have only had minor clogs since it's installation back in 2007. This includes times when the printer set idle for over a year. Then all that was required was an alignment and a couple of cleaning cycles. May be that our home just has the right humidity that helps prevent clogging on the 3800.
I have had great experiences with Whitewall. You can purchase samples of their print media inexpensively and download their print profiles which will give you an idea on your computer screen what the print will look like.
ccirelli
Well-known member
I actually just bought my first printer in YEARS - the new Canon PIXMA G620. It's estimated to average 3800 4x6 color prints per set of ink bottles. Print heads are also replaceable. So it's very cost effective over time and the prints look amazing. Borderless printing up to 8.5x11. No wires needed (other than power lol), and prints equally as well & fast from iOS devices.
For higher-volume and/or larger prints, I'll use a service. But man, having the ability to print at home is really so much fun again!
For higher-volume and/or larger prints, I'll use a service. But man, having the ability to print at home is really so much fun again!
This is a really good point. It's not very effective to try to assess papers using sample packs. 1-2 sheets of a new paper is just not enough. IF you want to try a paper, get a pack of 25 or 50 sheets and give it a real try.
Starting with printing, a luster or semi-gloss surface is generally a good idea. I like Epson Premium Luster for every day printing and test prints. I also use a Baryta paper for B&W images. For fine art images, a fine textured paper like a Somerset Velvet works well. Some images call for a watercolor type paper, and for those I use Cold Press Bright or Hot Press Bright depending on whether I want a smoother paper or more texture. IF you are looking for archival papers, avoid optical brighteners. Paper that is extremely bright and white typically uses optical brighteners that deteriorate over time with exposure to UV light. A less bright paper with no artificial brighteners will maintain that look over time while a bright paper with optical brighteners will darken and lose contrast.
Printing requires a significant investment of time and money. You need to print enough to become proficient. One of the big advantages of making your own prints is the immediate feedback. You might make an initial print, and see something that could be improved. Printing yourself allows you to make an adjustment and produce another print in just a few minutes. You can print 3-5 prints with different adjustments until you get just what you want.
My cost of printing is probably $0.80-1.00 per print for an 8 x 10 print. There are no shipping costs. I could use a cheaper paper, but I want to see what it looks like on the kind of paper I use for large prints. My most common papers for large prints are Premium Luster or Baryta on rolls. Roll paper really helps decrease the cost of large prints.
I have a Canon Pro 100 actually two a spare in the closet bought it for the ink with rebate it was cheaper than buing the ink. I print once a month for our camera club print night and have printed for my entries in the Western Idaho fair pro division. This is a fairly high end competition for a fair with a 3 panel experienced and trained judging crew. I have won first place in at least one of the 3 classes we can enter with the prints from the Canon and 2 judges choice awards to the Canon does okay using the Light Room print module it is actually quite simple but the ink is spendy. The metal prints I have done by McKenna pro are amazing and their service is outstanding. I will probably use McKenna for my foam core mounted fair entries this year, they are less expensive than what I can do it for. https://mckennapro.com
Roy
Well-known member
I dont know your area.
But watch where you get them printed. Cheap prints can fade quickly - especially organic ink prints.
Fujifilm crystal paper seems to be the best.
Epson ET-7700. Has tank for ink. You print and print and print and the ink level barely moves. High quality output. When not used for months then requires head cleaning which is selected in settings. Fantastic results. Friends tell prints look professionally made. Highly recommended.
A reminder, I found an article in the past . The HP printers cartridge ink , per ounce is more expensive that the most expensive champagne.
A reminder, I found an article in the past . The HP printers cartridge ink , per ounce is more expensive that the most expensive champagne.
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RAN
New member
MeridianPro in Kansas has done a good job for me and the turn-around (to Virginia) has been quick. I have also used Whitewall in Germany for acrylic prints and they are excellent with the printing done in Germany but the whole turn around time is about one week.
Mrbigal
Member
I'm with Joe43.... I have been using Aspen Creek Photo AND their sister company (same building) Metal & Paper Photo for several years with great results on paper and metal / framed and unframed, great deals---FLASH, they are both now part of Bay Photo
I have used https://www.mpix.com/products/prints a few times and been happy with the results. But, I'm just doing plain old 8x10s and some albums. My wife is a scrapbooker and still does everything by hand (vs digital), and we have sent mpix a few order of 50-100 4x6 and they were significantly better than sending something to Walmart or Walgreens!
If you download the desktop software from Bay Photo, there are a lot more choices compared to ordering through the online portal. The software I think is the standard professional ROES ( I think remote order entry system) that takes some getting used to, but overall easier once you are familiar with it. But even with the online ordering if you call or email them with a request they will accommodate you.
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