Mami Posted July 1, 2006 Share #1 Posted July 1, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) I am looking for a good quality printer for about 74,000 yen (£350) that will faithfully print my photos. I don't need anything larger than A4. A3 would probably be enough. Can anyone recommend something? Regards Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 1, 2006 Posted July 1, 2006 Hi Mami, Take a look here Printer Recommendations. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
wparsonsgisnet Posted July 3, 2006 Share #2 Posted July 3, 2006 I have been using Epson photo printers for many years now and like them a great deal. I currently use the 2200 and there is a smaller version of this that goes up to A4 and should fit your pocketbook. I recommend them highly and am pleased with both the quality of the hardware as well as the quality and durability of the inks. On the appropriate matte paper, prints should be good for up to 100 years (behind glass or in a plastic bag). I use Ilford papers most of the time, with the profiles that are available on the Ilford web site. Good luck, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hm1912 Posted July 3, 2006 Share #3 Posted July 3, 2006 I wish I could offer some useful suggestion, but it did occur to me so mention that before you decide which printers you like, I would suggest that you find out how much the ink cartridges cost. Good luck choosing. Best, Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
wparsonsgisnet Posted July 3, 2006 Share #4 Posted July 3, 2006 With regard to Ilan's remarks, you are going to get slaughtered by ink cost no matter which printer you choose. When I started this digital printing process someone posted that epson's ink for the 1200 printer (we're talking about the late 90's here) cost almost $900 per gallon. Several posters here also like Canon printers. In your search, I suggest you look for the available models in A4 size, make sure that the inks are as archival as possible (remembering that an image on matte paper is more archival than one on glossy or pearl paper), and perhaps do a web search for inkjet and archival. I find that alternatives almost always cost the same. The printers will cost like amounts and the inks are similarly priced. In terms of cost to print, using my Epson 2200: ignoring the cost of the printer, it costs me between $1 and $2 per 8x10 color print. I have chosen to use only a few papers, mostly to keep things simple, and have been making my own color prints for about 10 years now. I would never have invested in a color darkroom and find this a cost-effective way to do color printing. I also enjoy NOT being in my b/w darkroom. The 1-hour setup and 1-hour cleanup times were my least favorite time in there. You may have an alternative if costs are very important to you. You can process, crop, and adjust your images on the computer and then upload them to a print processing service. In the US, I use Ofoto (now called Kodak-something) and have used Photoworks but not Shutterfly. Any of these services will send you a "wet" print (photo processed, not difital) that will come in the mail in a short time. You should however be aware that these prints are not as archival as digital ones that you can produce, when they are preserved properly (that is kept from the air and direct light). Enjoy this research project, Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pekem Posted July 3, 2006 Share #5 Posted July 3, 2006 If you are happy to work within 14 x 8.5 then you might consider the Kodak Dye Sublimation Printer at around $400. I use this model and love the controlled costs aspect and of course the quality is excellent. http://www.shop-com.co.uk/amos/cc/main/prod/act/19657881%2C26999047/ccsyn/261 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
john_j Posted July 3, 2006 Share #6 Posted July 3, 2006 Hi- My vote goes for dye sub as well. I have an Olympus P10 I've been using for a few years and love it. I too like the fixed costs and not having to worry about blowing out one color. It also prints b & w well. The Kodak 8.5 x 14 mentioned looks very interesting and I believe I'll check it out. BTW, in my quest for the ideal on line printer, I recently tried myphotopipe.com (Georgia USA) and was very happy with thier gallery series prints. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmr Posted July 3, 2006 Share #7 Posted July 3, 2006 Advertisement (gone after registration) Mami, I agree totally with Peter & John - dye sublimation is fantastic. It sounds complicated, but it's simplicity itself. No more messing about with inks and having to tweak the magenta etc. to get things to look almost natural. No, with the Kodak 1400 I use, it just works straight out of the box with great colours and a professional look. Black and whites are good too. There's no way I'd go back to ink jet printing. You should bear in mind that if you go dye sub, you'll need another printer for your non-photographic needs. Seems to me that's what ink jets are for Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
calshot Posted July 3, 2006 Share #8 Posted July 3, 2006 I use the Canon S900 and Colorjet cartridges without any trouble. OK to A4 So the latest model should be OK Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoff Posted July 4, 2006 Share #9 Posted July 4, 2006 I am looking for a good quality printer for about 74,000 yen (£350) that will faithfully print my photos. I don't need anything larger than A4. A3 would probably be enough. “Good quality” can mean different things to different people with different needs. Obviously, faithful reproduction of colors and detail would likely head most people’s list, but there are many other areas to take into consideration that could vary considerably from person to person including: • Intended use: display, portfolio, comps, proofs, etc. • Desired paper stock and finish • Print longevity • B&W quality • Cost of materials • Ease of use • Required fine-tuning • Degree of required maintenance • Secondary printer uses besides image output such as text, PostScript graphics, etc. I am going to take a guess and assume that your needs lean towards gallery quality prints along with the occassional need to generate text documents as well. This would pretty much eliminate dye-sub printers due to the requirement for specialized and costly media. Additionally, even though true color laser printers have dramatically come down price, they fair very poorly when it comes to print permanence. What is left is color inkjet technology. Inkjet technology affords the widest selection of paper types and provides for economical text base printing when needed. Most color inkjet printers manufacturers, such as Canon, Epson, and Hewlett Packard, offer models that will faithfully reproduce your images after some possible fine-tuning of printer and monitor settings and system calibration. In this regard you milage may vary depending on the paper and inks used. Beyond that, another important concern would be print permanence. Again, Canon, Epson, and Hewlett Packard each offer their own solutions in this area with Epson having the longest track record and experience. While a little above your range at about 89,800 yen, I would suggest you look at the Epson Max Art K3 PX-5500, otherwise know as the Epson Stylus Photo R2400 in other parts of the world. Epson Japan Max Art K3 PX-5500 Webpage: http://www.i-love-epson.co.jp/products/maxart/px5500/px5500_1.htm Apple Japan Store Online Epson Max Art K3 PX-5500 Listing: http://store.apple.com/0120-APPLE-1/WebObjects/japanstore?productLearnMore=TD604J/A photo-i Epson R2400 Interactive Review: http://www.photo-i.co.uk/Reviews/interactive/Epson%20R2400/page-1.htm Creativepro.com Epson Stylus Photo R2400 Review: http://www.creativepro.com/story/review/23514.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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