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what's your biggest print with a M9 and MM?


bruniroquai

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this one was pretty big :rolleyes: not sure what you call this size- billboard?

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I have recently printed 24x36 with 75mm 2.5 ISO 100 M9. The prints are very good. Far better then what I expected. I used professional printers who do posters and enlargements. I don't know if it's printers who got a very good Mechine or it's the image quality.

Hamad

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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I've run 40x60 inch canvas which looks great. When printing on paper, I like to keep my M9 prints under 24x36 inches with 20x30, 16x24 and the native 14.45x21.7 or slightly smaller 14x21 being the prints I make most. If I'm printing a show, the matte and frame often dictate the print size. For example: 13x19 in an 18x24 inch matte and frame or 20x30 in a 24x36 or 30x40 inch frame.

 

Custom framing costs a fortune on this island, so I try to go with off-the-shelf options. Only a few frame sizes will work with 2x3 proportional prints. 20x30 in a 30x40 frame looks great if you like the look of a generous matte.

 

I've also constructed reverse frames where 1x2 inch wood is used for the frame and a 24x36 inch masonite is attached to the face. A 24x36 inch print is then flush mounted with an archival glue and the edges blackened with a sharpie. The end result is a floating 24x36 inch print. Of course, the print needs to be coated, sprayed or laminated to withstand the years of cleaning abuse in its future.

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If you have no experience in printing large and as really large format printers are far too expensive for casual use - a 44” printer will set you back about 6000 $ and reserve another 1000 for papers and ink-...

And do read the post on size and resampling here:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/digital-post-processing-forum/115989-digital-printing-pixels-resolution-resampling.html

 

FYI: My big Epsons take about $1,300/$1,500 in ink to fill and a roll or two of 44 inch photo paper will bring that figure to well over $2,000.

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FYI: My big Epsons take about $1,300/$1,500 in ink to fill and a roll or two of 44 inch photo paper will bring that figure to well over $2,000.

That sounds expensive on the surface, but per square foot/metre it really is cheaper than my Medium size Epson3800, isn't it?

Excluding the initial outlay.

I would love to be able to justify a larger printer. Love big prints.

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That sounds expensive on the surface, but per square foot/metre it really is cheaper than my Medium size Epson3800, isn't it?

Excluding the initial outlay.

I would love to be able to justify a larger printer. Love big prints.

 

We calculate our ink cost at .35 to .45 per square foot depending on the media. This figure also depends on the machine and the size of the cartridge. The 9900 requires two extra cartridges (orange and green) which adds to the ink cost. The 9890 takes less ink and the results are the same in 99% of the prints. Running canvas requires coating for maximum life span. We give canvas 3 thin coats of satin varnish which adds .10 per square foot.

 

A few paper suppliers will list a per square foot cost in their catalogs. Typically, photo papers run anywhere from $1 to $3 per square foot. I add 30% for shipping and 15 to 30% for waste as not every job fits neatly on a 44 inch roll. And, because most of my customers are artists or galleries, I add another 30% for makeovers in my final price calculation. But then again, I'm often more fussy than my customers and no print leaves my studio unless it is perfect.

 

You will save money by using a larger and modern printer but they need to run. My printers run 10 to 12 rolls per month. If you let them sit too long you will have nothing but problems. If you only print a few times in a month, better off getting a set of Cone refillable cleaning cartridges. Load them in before you shut down for an extended period and flush the ink out of your machine. This will keep your printer running like new for years.

 

Good luck!

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I'm thinking work with digital for a while and make a project here in my little town, of two pictures for each people, character of here. Well, I have no access to a darkroom and good labs around here so I'm thinking to use digital for the whole project.

 

A head portrait and a enviroment portrait would be the pictures for each person.

 

How big Could You print with digital? What is the quality in terms of tones, deep of color and greys and sharpness? compare to analog?

 

What print would you recommend and which papers?

 

I already have an Eizo CG246W , great quality one.

 

Thanks!

 

I print with Epson 3880:

17"x25" for non-cropped.

17"x34" for cropped.

The limit is in my printer. can go bigger If I can access to a wider printer.

 

If I have a 24" printer, I can go:

24"x36" for no-cropped,

24"x60" for cropped panoramic.

But then the limit will be the size of my wall, not the printer.

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  • 4 months later...

I recently made a 80x120 cm colour print from my M9, which came out just fine. The bigger you print, the more you will see any imperfections in the image, so you need good, crisp files to begin with.

But as others have already mentioned, the perceived sharpness of a print also depends on the viewing distance. A 50 dpi print looks fine if you step back far enough.

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Just had two prints done on a an Epson 44" printer.

Both 24x36 inch. Very impressed with what the MM is capable of.

Shot with a Zeiss 50/2 @ iso 400 hand held. At that size the prints do really start to look more like I was shooting film.

 

Did the same to prints on a new HP at a demo. Different paper. Sharpness was there and a little better shadow detail but overall I think the Epson printer made a better B&W print.

But to be fair I process to print on Epson printers. I would have to make some adjustment and use a better paper than what was used at the HP demo and I think I could get the same feel as the Epson.

 

Also I have been printing on some Epson Matte paper on my 3800. That is very new to me. I have always used gloss paper. I'm starting to like the look of the MM files on the surface.

 

After 44 years as a photographer, the MM is my first Leica. After one year with it, I fall in love with it a little more every time I pick it up.

 

G

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