# How do you print your photos for those who still do?



## sunnyVan (Apr 18, 2013)

I realize a lot of people don't print as much as before, but when you do how do you do it? Do you print at home or you go to the store? I used the printer at the pharmacy stores and i got so mad looking at the quality. I dont need magazine quality but I don't need garbage either. I am thinking about canon pixma pro printer but then I'm worried I'm not going to be using it enough to justify the cost. Please share your experience. I'm especially interested to know if there's any online services that can produce decent prints at okay price. Thx in advance.


----------



## ksuweh (Apr 18, 2013)

Online print houses! There are a lot of reputable sites. I personally use WHCC (White House Custom Color). It helps if you have a calibrated monitor, so that what you see is what you get.


----------



## Danielle (Apr 18, 2013)

Pro lab preferably, but that said I just I did just get one yesterday just from a consumer lab in a shopping centre just for fun. It's an acceptable print actually all things considered.

There's a pro lab not far from me I've used periodically for years dating back to film days. Damn good lab called bond colour here.


----------



## Mr Bean (Apr 19, 2013)

I gave up on the idea of home printing a couple of years ago, simply because of cost and, in many respects, it's a whole world unto itself  My little 'ol brain has enough time absorbing details about _taking_ digital pic's as it is. 

However, I do use a high end Epson A4 sized printer for proofing some of the prints before I take/send them to a pro lab for printing. I've found the cost and results to be very acceptable.



Danielle said:


> There's a pro lab not far from me I've used periodically for years dating back to film days. Damn good lab called bond colour here.


I take it, it's the one in Richmond. If so, I used to use them back in my film days. A good lab, not many around now.


----------



## JPAZ (Apr 19, 2013)

At home, I generally just print 5x7 on my Canon Pixma. Not the most professional prints but certainly more than adequate for family photos on the shelf, etc. For better, I'd probably use an online service, probably trying the one offered by Smugmug, where I keep my photos.


----------



## distant.star (Apr 19, 2013)

.
I sold my printer for that reason -- wasn't printing enough to justify the crippling cost of ink.

Bay Photo (used by SmugMug) has been my go to pro for years now. I understand Adorama does a good job too.


----------



## TexasBadger (Apr 19, 2013)

I use an Epson R3000. This allows me to make 13" x 19" high quality prints. For large prints, using the Epson printer is less expensive than using a "lab." Also, most "labs" only print from jpeg. If I want to hang something on my wall or sell it, I want to print from tiff in a pro photo colorspace. These prints can be breath taking.


----------



## Dylan777 (Apr 19, 2013)

I haven't print last 2-3yrs. All photos are currently display through 19" digital photo frame.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/706737-REG/Aluratek_ADMPF119_ADMPF119_19_Digital_Photo.html


----------



## eml58 (Apr 19, 2013)

privatebydesign said:


> I print myself for the fun and enjoyment of it, I had a darkroom for years and this is so much more fun and productive, I am a working pro and very little of my pro output is printed, but my fun stuff is my hobby.
> 
> I have an Epson 4900 at home, it cost $1,250 dollars new from B&H one time when they had a crazy promotion going on. Printing costs me around $2.00 per linear foot on 16" roll paper.
> 
> ...



Agreed completely, for me an integral part of Photography IS the Print, why do it if you don't exhibit ?? I'm not a Pro, I'm retired and would class myself as a "Keen Amateur", maybe, excessively Keen, but I absolutely Love to Print for myself, Family, Friends, the Guy next door, I own the Epson 4900 for my "Standard" 17x22 and purchased the Epson 9900 6 months ago as people were always asking for Bigger prints, now I still use the 4900 90% of the time but the 9900 allows me to print up to 44" wide (Bought the Proofing Edition). I used to Print with Canon Printers some years back, but glad I changed to Epson, much better output I feel.


----------



## CTJohn (Apr 19, 2013)

MPIX.


----------



## sandymandy (Apr 19, 2013)

I go to the nearest cheapo store and print out photos. Its not high quality but it sure works for decorating my walls 
Since a harddisk died once for me im printing out my most memorable favorite photos so in case of a super disaster im not left without anything.


----------



## unfocused (Apr 19, 2013)

CTJohn said:


> MPIX.



+1. 

I tried Adorama Pix once. Side by side comparison with MPIX and MPIX color rendition was clearly superior. After that experience I haven't tried any other printer, although I'm sure there are other good ones out there. 

Besides the super-fast service, what I particularly like about MPIX is that they seem to know exactly what I have in mind when they calibrate the color. Not sure how else to explain it, but if I apply an effect, they print it just the way I see it onscreen. With shots without any special effect, they do an excellent job. Their "true black and white" prints are beautiful. 

The cost to have them print an image is less than what it would cost me in paper and ink, not even considering the cost of the printer itself.


----------



## jdramirez (Apr 19, 2013)

I like the quality from Costco. I send photos to my grandmother from Walgreens, but I'm not fond of their quality, but more often than not it is free.


----------



## RGF (Apr 19, 2013)

I have an Epson 4880 (got a really good price several years ago, after selling my old 13" Epson to a friend and giving him a good price) the 4880 only cost around $800!

I love printing my own work - picking the paper, getting vision to come alive. I believe Ansel Adams said something to the effect "the negative is the score, the print is the symphony". 

I started out with Cibachrome in grad school (many years ago) and was about to get a wet darkroom when I got married and bought a house. However I did not like the idea of chemicals and when digital printing came along, ... the rest is history.

In the end, the capture is only the start of the image making process - the print completes it.


----------



## robbymack (Apr 19, 2013)

I love to print. There is something somewhat cathartic about it, at least for me. My go to is Costco. For the price it's tough to beat the quality, plus it's a great excuse for a $1.50 hotdog and soda.


----------



## jman (Apr 19, 2013)

I normally print at one of the warehouse clubs for anything smaller than an 8 x 10. I used to work at a photo center and we would often have professionals use us for their prints. The quality is very good as long as you use a calibrated monitor for your corrections. You should also know that photo labs often have their image correction turned on by default and if there is not an option online or at the store to turn it off, you can call ahead to ask them to turn it off for your order. Most of them will not have a problem working with you. That being said I did recently print a 16 x 20 family photo using bayphotos competition print and it is amazing. I love to look at it. I had it framed using museum glass that really helps eliminate reflections and you can barely tell it is there. I really enjoy prints but do not print nearly enough.


----------



## unfocused (Apr 19, 2013)

privatebydesign said:


> > The cost to have them print an image is less than what it would cost me in paper and ink, not even considering the cost of the printer itself.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Why do you insist on taking things out of context and then insulting people?

Printing today is far different today than in the darkroom days – of which I have plenty of experience. Today, most of the work that I used to do in the darkroom is done on the computer in RAW and Photoshop, using other programs when needed. I spend quite a bit of time getting the look I want and I take great pains to get it right.

But, I know the value of paying a professional to handle the mechanical aspects that I have no desire to do myself. 

Even in the film days, professionals sent their color work to labs. When I worked as a newspaper photographer I did my own four-color separations for print. But, for exhibition and contest quality work I used a lab. Hell, even Cartier-Bresson had someone else print his pictures. And, news flash, so did Ansel Adams (whom so many people here treat like a God). I know because he hired my college photography professor to print for him.

It's one thing to send your images off to the corner drug store, it's quite another to use a professional lab that knows how to extract the best prints from your digital negatives. 

I you want to disagree with people, that's fine. That's what this forum is for. But don't take statements out of context and distort what people are saying.


----------



## bycostello (Apr 19, 2013)

low volume small sixe on my canon pixma.... high volume and big size at the lab


----------



## sleepnever (Apr 19, 2013)

robbymack said:


> .. My go to is Costco. For the price it's tough to beat the quality, plus it's a great excuse for a $1.50 hotdog and soda.


Ha! So true. Same here.


----------



## Krob78 (Apr 19, 2013)

distant.star said:


> .
> I sold my printer for that reason -- wasn't printing enough to justify the crippling cost of ink.
> 
> Bay Photo (used by SmugMug) has been my go to pro for years now. I understand Adorama does a good job too.


+1 for Bay Photo. I'm always very happy with there work and there turn around time is great!


----------



## alexanderferdinand (Apr 19, 2013)

Epson 3800.


----------



## mdmphoto (Apr 19, 2013)

I have an epson 3800 I use at home for prints to 17". I do most of my printing on this machine, but I also have access to a print lab that has epson models up to the 7900 series, and I also use those printers depending on the image and print size . I much prefer to do my own printing; to me it is no different than folks developing and printing their own film so that they maintain control over the finished image. My fashion photog buddy sends all his print work to costco, or simply gives the models a thumb drive of their images to print where- and however they want. To each their own...


----------



## Quasimodo (Apr 19, 2013)

sunnyVan said:


> I realize a lot of people don't print as much as before, but when you do how do you do it? Do you print at home or you go to the store? I used the printer at the pharmacy stores and i got so mad looking at the quality. I dont need magazine quality but I don't need garbage either. I am thinking about canon pixma pro printer but then I'm worried I'm not going to be using it enough to justify the cost. Please share your experience. I'm especially interested to know if there's any online services that can produce decent prints at okay price. Thx in advance.



Depends on the size. If A3+ or smaller I print home on my Pixma Pro 1 and LOVE the result. If bigger, I print on the main camerastore in Oslo, and am happy with the results, also because they have great quality control. 

Remember that if you buy the Pixma Pro series you should preferably print (size does not matter, so it can be very small) once a week to prevent it from drying out, thus having to waste a lot of ink when enabling the program to get it rinsed. Ink is always an issue, but it takes many type of 3 party papers, thus giving you the chance to print on excellent paper like Canson and Hanhemuhle and other great paper sources.


----------



## scottkinfw (Apr 19, 2013)

When I want a print, I go to one place- Bay Photo. I get my pics printed on the aircraft grade aluminum, high gloss, rounded corners, with the optional back spacer with holes to hang the pic.

They look great, don't need glass, or mat, or a wire to hang up or anything. Large prints usually around $100 or so compared to many hundreds to get fancy framing etc. 

Bay photos gives great color, sharpness, service, turnaround, etc. Always happy with them. True, they only do jpeg, but as long as monitor is calibrated, and original is sharp, I get great pics (at least 24 X 24 inches, maybe more).


----------



## The Bad Duck (Apr 19, 2013)

Online print stores. I´m Swedish so there seem to be little point in pointing you to the companies here, but I use Fujidirekt and Crimson. It´s too expensive to own a printer that prints big enough, I have a look at them every year, calculate and reject.

I still strongly feel that there is no substitute to slide film when it comes to experiencing a photo. But slides are too limiting to work with, so instead I, like almost everyone else, shoot digital and then I print my photos. There is no way you can compare a big print of 1m x 70 cm to a photo viewed on a monitor or any kind of screen. The print blows it away. So to me it´s slides > big prints > small prints > 30" monitor > any monitor > smartphone.

Print my friends, print. If you don´t print then maybe you don´t like the photos but the cameras. (There is nothing wrong with that, it´s just not photography that is your hobby but playing with cameras). Just sayin´. 
And if you have not printed something big, you should give it a try. A2 (100 x 70 cm) is adictive. It helps me to think, every time I shoot, that THIS photo should be printed big. That makes me try harder and really make good photos. Then in the end I only get 2% really good shots, but hey...


----------



## Canon 14-24 (Apr 19, 2013)

Quasimodo said:


> Remember that if you buy the Pixma Pro series you should preferably print (size does not matter, so it can be very small) once a week to prevent it from drying out, thus having to waste a lot of ink when enabling the program to get it rinsed. Ink is always an issue, but it takes many type of 3 party papers, thus giving you the chance to print on excellent paper like Canson and Hanhemuhle and other great paper sources.



I print on my Pixma Pro9000 Mark II maybe a few 13x19" every 3 months or so. I havent had any drying up issues and the ones still in there seem to work and print fine. I though the "drying" up issue was with pigment based inks over the dyes in the Pixma series?


----------



## CarlTN (Apr 19, 2013)

Drugstore printing has been hit or miss for me. The deciding factor, seems to be if it's on photo paper. It's usually better if it's _not_ done on photo paper. The price is great, though, compared to the specialized online print stores and labs. I have yet to try these stores' metal prints, but will do so soon.


----------



## sanj (Apr 19, 2013)

Dylan777 said:


> I haven't print last 2-3yrs. All photos are currently display through 19" digital photo frame.
> 
> http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/706737-REG/Aluratek_ADMPF119_ADMPF119_19_Digital_Photo.html



Curious why you would get that when we have computers... Thx


----------



## Hillsilly (Apr 19, 2013)

I've had a few photo albums done by Adorama and have been very happy with them.

I have my own darkroom set up at home. Typically using an LPL 6700 medium format enlarger, using a variety of Schneider and Fuji lenses. In recent years, I've been using Foma FB paper almost exclusively, which I feel is good value. 11x14 is my favourite size. But, as with some others above, I seem to do less printing as time goes by. I haven't printed anything since Christmas.

With digital prints, I've often thought of purchasing a quality printer so that I can do more experimenting. But the costs of buying a good printer, ongoing ink costs and the infrequency with which I'd use it have always discouraged me. Instead, I get digital prints (and C41 film developed) at a local department store - Big W, Capalaba. They do good work there.


----------



## cayenne (Apr 19, 2013)

Ok, from this thread, I've gathered that the top places to get prints are (in no particular order):

1. Adorama
2. Costco
3. Bayphoto (I'll have to look that up, first I've heard of them)
4. Smugmug (new to me too).

Are these the top places you send your stuff? Would you add another to the list?

Where out of these are the best to send for just regular prints you'd give grandma?
Where are the best (for price and product) to get something for wall hanging (print, canvas, acrylic) if going bit up to maybe 36x48" ?

Thanks in advance,

cayenne


----------



## Dylan777 (Apr 19, 2013)

sanj said:


> Dylan777 said:
> 
> 
> > I haven't print last 2-3yrs. All photos are currently display through 19" digital photo frame.
> ...



Digital Photo frame seems to be better choice(to me of course). Reason, I want to hang it in the living room wall without trying to hide PC, keyboard and mouse etc... Plus, it's little cheaper than getting a hole PC system for this task. It can be on/off with one click. I'll post some pictures later when I'm off from work


----------



## mws (Apr 19, 2013)

Really depends on your printing needs, I use a pixma pro 100, which is a great printer for a reasonable price. If you do a lot of B&W get the 10 or 1 series though. I mostly print 4x6 and 5x7 of the kids for family members, so it doesn't really make sense for me to go online and order one 5x7 print.


----------



## lance60031 (Apr 19, 2013)

Limited but when I do
Costco - you can find the various printers each costco location has and pick accordingly
MPix is awesome as well


----------



## beckstoy (Apr 19, 2013)

First of all, you GOTTA calibrate your monitor. Absolute Must. I use Spyder4Pro.

For quick prints for clients, I use CostCo. I found one in the Phoenix area which is run by people who maintain their equipment well, and the results are awesome. Find someplace that knows what they're doing.

For lots of prints, I have a membership with Zenfolio which works well for clients to directly order prints out of your albums which you can easily manage for your clients. Paying for the membership is worth it because I can set my price points. They also have lots of products which you can completely customize including downloads (with print releases attached) and unique products (more than even I've considered).

I used to own a printer (Canon), but it was such a pain to keep it printing properly during the stretches of time when I didn't have prints to do - calibration was tough and was constantly changing. I'm a big fan of online print shops who do nothing but print. 

Quick jobs...CostCo
Extensive Jobs...White House or any of the myriad of the print shops who are out there. They've gotta be good to stay in business, so I've not yet found one which is bad. I guess there's always a first time, though... uh oh! =)


----------



## awinphoto (Apr 19, 2013)

I never never never print "at a store", BUT, when I print, I press the order button at my photo lab's ROES program and they get it at their end and process it just like I would at home... I have a home printer, but use it for emails and such... The cost of an 8x10 or 11x14 is far cheaper at my lab after shipping than paper, ink, unclogging the freaking heads should they decided to get a hair up their ass and get clogged, reprinting because the color was a tad off due to a new batch of paper, reprinting because the printers ink left faded stripes because an ink is running low or clogging... far less headaches and makes my job so seamless. Plus I can experiment with different papers, canvas's, metal, metallic, etc... stuff I couldn't do otherwise.


----------



## TrumpetPower! (Apr 19, 2013)

I love my iPF8100.

Granted, it takes up an entire wall of the office...but, if you also have a spectrophotometer and know what to do with it, you're not going to beat what you can get from an imagePROGRAF.

Cheers,

b&


----------



## Roadtrip (Apr 19, 2013)

beckstoy said:


> For quick prints for clients, I use CostCo. I found one in the Phoenix area which is run by people who maintain their equipment well, and the results are awesome. Find someplace that knows what they're doing.



Which Costco in the Phoenix area? Since I travel from Payson I have my choice of Costco's - they're all far away for me!


----------



## Rienzphotoz (Apr 19, 2013)

I print about 250 photos a year ... Around 100 of them are on ordinary A3 paper on our company Konica Minolta bizhub C454 laser printer to display at our office premises, it is an impressive printer with lightning fast output and the colors are also pretty accurate.
For my personal I make 4x6 & A4 size prints at home with HP Photosmart Plus B209b, it's a decent printer for home use (better than some of the lab prints). But when I need higher quality I go to a professional lab (those account for less than 100 a year)


----------



## beckstoy (Apr 19, 2013)

Roadtrip said:


> beckstoy said:
> 
> 
> > For quick prints for clients, I use CostCo. I found one in the Phoenix area which is run by people who maintain their equipment well, and the results are awesome. Find someplace that knows what they're doing.
> ...




I like the one on South Market Street in Gilbert. Near San Tan shopping center area.


----------



## instaimage (Apr 19, 2013)

I print all my own "prints" for my sports team & individual business and I own an old time portrait studio... so I'm pushing out thousands of prints per year... I've got a bunch of printers... Don't count out the "consumer" printers...

If you plan on printing larger than 8x10, the go for the next models up... for example, get a 13" wide if you're going to do 11x14/13x19's... otherwise I've been printing a lot with Epson Artisan 730's (8.5x11 max) which are now no longer available... but I also recently picked up an Epson XP-600 (8.5x11 max) to test it against the 730's... I printed two prints, one from each and set them in front of my wife, who sees a good portion of the prints that I send out... she picked the print from the XP-600... "newer" in the ink jet world is better, the companies are smarter and make better products...

I have Epsons, I've heard really good things about the Canons... so don't get hung up on brand from my experience... but the XP-600 uses fewer inks than the XP-800 (and 730...), it is cheaper..., it's available at Staples, Best Buy, etc... ink is available everywhere... if you're looking for a 13"... I have Epsons so I'd get an Epson 1430 (same as 730 just 13"...), it uses more inks but that's the nature of the beast for that size of printer... again, I have a buddy with a Canon, loves what they're getting with that...

I mentioned I have a lot of printers...

1 Epson 7900 (24" wide)
1 Epson 1400 (print envelopes, it used to print beautiful 13x19's... it's abused printing envelopes...)
5 Epson Artisan 730 (8.5x11)
1 Epson XP-600 (8.5x11)
2 DNP DS80 (dye-sub) (max 8x12, mostly 8x10)
2 DNP DS40 (dye-sub) (max 6x9, mostly 5x7 & 4x6)


----------



## Halfrack (Apr 19, 2013)

Costco and a number of other places all have ICC profiles you can download, so WYSIWYG.

http://www.drycreekphoto.com/icc/

I picked up a Canon Pixma 9000 mk2 cheap due to rebates, kind of hard to beat immediate.

What do you use for library management? Half the fun is the software used to kick the printer.
http://www.creativelive.com/courses/lightroom-101-lightroom-professor-jared-platt


----------



## Bruce Photography (Apr 19, 2013)

I print on my Canon IPF5000 and the IPF6350. I enjoy selecting different papers and seeing the print in a few minutes. Even though I have color corrected my monitor (dell 30" ultrasharp), I can still see things in the print that I missed on the monitor. My "normal" print size is 2' x 3' because I shoot landscapes with my D800E. I will display my work in galleries for sale and commercial venues. And yes, the printers are sometimes a problem if they are not used weekly. The do turn themselves on and off to help with this problem but I try to give them something to do. Roll paper is so cheap compared to sheet paper than I am not bothered with paper cost. Ink is a different matter. My 6350 is very, very good at a minimal amount of ink and with the hard drive I can keep my print log so I can see exactly how much ink (and what colors) are on each print.

The main reason I like to print is to get immediate feedback from my CS6 tool and plug-ins. Somehow holding the print in your hands is a great feeling. I also like to compare several large prints side by side for a comparison of techniques. At a photo club I attend, all the other attendees put their JPG images on a thumbdrive and then we look at the photos on a low-res projector (1440x800). To me they all look pretty soft when projected on a 6 foot screen. I still remember razor sharp images from transparencies on the same size screen.

Yes printing is expensive but I enjoy my process and I'm pleased with the results but I know this is not for everyone.


----------



## CarlTN (Apr 19, 2013)

cayenne said:


> 3. Bayphoto (I'll have to look that up, first I've heard of them)
> 4. Smugmug (new to me too).



How is it you have not heard of these? Bayphoto's ads are literally all throughout every USA photo magazine...and smugmug has had a web presence for quite a few years.

Pick up a photography magazine every now and then, at least!


----------



## jdramirez (Apr 19, 2013)

CarlTN said:


> cayenne said:
> 
> 
> > 3. Bayphoto (I'll have to look that up, first I've heard of them)
> ...



who kicked your dog?


----------



## crasher8 (Apr 19, 2013)

darkroom, Epson 3800


----------



## kyle77 (Apr 19, 2013)

I became a member of Mpix Pro and they have been great.


----------



## Bruce Photography (Apr 19, 2013)

RGF said:


> I have an Epson 4880 (got a really good price several years ago, after selling my old 13" Epson to a friend and giving him a good price) the 4880 only cost around $800!
> 
> I love printing my own work - picking the paper, getting vision to come alive. I believe Ansel Adams said something to the effect "the negative is the score, the print is the symphony".
> 
> ...



I certainly would agree. I would also add that the final end of the print creation process is actually the matting (color and texture of mat, how many mats, etc), the framing (choosing color of frame, material, size, texture, etc), and then the display lighting used to show off the best attributes of the art. Then the total piece of art is done. Some would argue that the end result is when someone takes it home to add to their home decor and then tell stories to their friends of when and where they acquired it. Art actually keeps on giving to those that appreciate it.


----------



## chauncey (Apr 20, 2013)

I have little experience with any printing except for one canvas done through Cosco, was more than satisified.
But now I have some images that I want done on metal or acrylic...anyone have positive or negative experiences with either?


----------



## Powder Portraits (Apr 20, 2013)

Making my living selling a no shooting fee portrait, to budget minded Colorado visitors (no aspen). I give guest the choice of a minimum order of either a $20. 5x7 or a copyright included file on a CD for $25. I find that Canon printers perform better than Epson printers. Less head cleaning, less ink cost, fewer redos. My favorite is the PIXMA iX6520, I also use PIXMA iP4920’s. No gallery prints here, just good prints at a reasonable cost.


----------



## cayenne (Apr 22, 2013)

CarlTN said:


> cayenne said:
> 
> 
> > 3. Bayphoto (I'll have to look that up, first I've heard of them)
> ...



I'm a total noob. I've not really looked at any photog magazines, I get most of my info from the web on sites and forums like this....hence my questions.

I'm working to learn shooting, and PP...I've not printed any images (except one LARGE 36x48 from a special at a printing site I got a discount from on a CreativeLive seminar).....

So, I was asking here about other sites.

LOL...one reason I'd not gone for many photography magazines, is that I'd read that most of them these days are mostly ADs, and run short on actual helpful articles.

Anyway, I'd appreciate answers to my older original question about the different places I'd asked about from earlier mentions in the thread.



cayenne said:


> Ok, from this thread, I've gathered that the top places to get prints are (in no particular order):
> 
> 1. Adorama
> 2. Costco
> ...




cayenne


----------

