Semi Inexpensive Photo Printer

[eyelab]

I looked back the past 60 days in the thread, and didn't really find anything like this...

I was out looking at some photo printers. I want stricly photo printer... hopefully will not cost to much to print per print. I want the best quality (what DPI should I look for?... Features? Any favorites by you guys?)...

I would like to print 4x6, 5x7, and 8x10s if possible. I just want it to be great quality like actually getting it sent out. I will probably still do the 8x10s outsourced, but I would like to print up 4x6 and 5x7s my self if its cheap enough? These would be for clients...

Or is it not even worth the hassel/price/etc?

[Kenyada]

The highest rated photo printer is Canon's i9900. It earned 5 stars in PC Magazine's review, but it costs $500 (list). Just beneath it in quality is the $200 HP Photosmart 8250 with four-stars. Its quality gives you bang for the buck. It produces smudge-resistant photos. Look for 6 to 8 individual ink cartridges. The top three brands are Canon, Epson and HP. Epson has a $250 model, the PictureMate, but it limits you to 4x6-inch prints. I'm partial to Canons with their high number of nozzles and small ink droplet diameter.

If you want pro quality, I'd hold out for the i9900, even though it's not "semi-inexpensive.". The color is breathtaking. It has eight color cartridges including one red and one green, which is probably why the prints are so striking.

BTW, sometimes you can produce better quality photos by using third-party print paper. I use Ilford Smooth Pearl and Classic Pearl paper instead of Canon's Photo Paper Pro. Ilford is much, much cheaper, and the print quality is better than Canon.

[erichlund]

The highest rated photo printer is Canon's i9900. It earned 5 stars in PC Magazine's review, but it costs $500 (list). Just beneath it in quality is the $200 HP Photosmart 8250 with four-stars. Its quality gives you bang for the buck. It produces smudge-resistant photos. Look for 6 to 8 individual ink cartridges. The top three brands are Canon, Epson and HP. Epson has a $250 model, the PictureMate, but it limits you to 4x6-inch prints. I'm partial to Canons with their high number of nozzles and small ink droplet diameter.

If you want pro quality, I'd hold out for the i9900, even though it's not "semi-inexpensive.". The color is breathtaking. It has eight color cartridges including one red and one green, which is probably why the prints are so striking.

BTW, sometimes you can produce better quality photos by using third-party print paper. I use Ilford Smooth Pearl and Classic Pearl paper instead of Canon's Photo Paper Pro. Ilford is much, much cheaper, and the print quality is better than Canon.
The problem with quoting magazines is they always do the next review. For instance, heres an Epson Stylus Photo 2400 review extract. While the printer was only rated 4.5 stars, the downgrades were for having to change ink cartridges with different papers and probably the cost. (I didn't read the whole article.)

Extracted from PC Magazine Review:
"Compared with other printers with an excellent rating for photos, most notably the HP PhotoSmart 8750 Professional Photo Printer and the Canon i9900 Photo Printer, the R2400 is first among equals. It has no flaws worth mentioning, and the output is better than the competition in ways that translate to more neutral grays for black–and-white images and more natural shading in things like faces in color photos."

Of course, this printer is even farther from the semi-inexpensive category. I'm very satisfied with the results I get from my Epson R1800, which is in the same price range as the i9900.

As importantly, another consideration is availability of supplies and support. This is an issue where you have to consider your locality. Kenyada mentioned ilford papers. I'm not sure where I'd have to go for them, but Fry's is across the street from where I work, and they always have my Epson papers. I haven't had a problem with clogging, but I live in an area with moderate humidity and I always turn the printer off with the switch.

Another consideration is that you can tune any of these printers to achieve nearly any look you want. When reading reviews, you have to realize that they do little more that hook it up and print.

Cheers,
Eric

[Kenyada]

There is a wealth of printers out there, and someone who is searching for a good one needs a starting point. That's the role played by a review from a trusted source. Rather than starting at A and working one's way through Z, a review can help someone narrow down the choices. Just as recommendations found in this forum, I use reviews as a tool to make an informed decision. As for Ilford photo paper, the brand is available at B&H and other quality photography retailers online. My suggestions were meant as options and, needless to say, there are many options. :)

[coldrain]

One important thing to look for, even more important than absolute print quality, is:
Do the prints last.

Epson has some printers that have pigmented ink, no dye ink. The dye inks lose colour in time because of light and chemicals in the air.

The Epsons give photos that last 30 years or more.

So, if you print something to have a photo, it makes sense to go for pigmented ink printers.

Look on Epsons website for info on what printers have what kind of inks. Canon and HP now after years are developing lasting inks too, but Epson has a head start and I do not know if there are models from HP and Canon available yet, and how they stand up to the Epsons in tests.

The mentioned big A3 format printers Epson 1800 and 2400 have these pigmented inks, also some A4/letter sized printers have them, as do Epsons small format photo printers.

[eyelab]

I talked to a few others, and it appears all think Epson has the overall lead in this field anyway... Not just for ink reasons... So I might start checking some out. I just want GOOD quality prints comparable to photo shops that will last I can print mainly 4x6 and 5x7s on. So orders I get online, I can just print myself and save about .15 on each print (most printers i seen say about .13 - .17 per print). And if its a nice enough printer, obviously do 8x10s if I can.

So Epson, Pig. Ink... Where can I check reviews at? And prices? Any links would be appreciated! Going to start checking into this!

''Glen> But mittens has food! .... Glen's Mom> But thats OLD food!''

[erichlund]

Well, if you only want 8x10 and you're thinking Epson and you want pigment ink, then your internet search should be on the Epson Stylus Photo R800. I had one of these until July 25th, when my house was burglarized. I now have the Epson Stylus Photo R1800, which is essentially the bigger version of the same printer, and uses the exact same set of inks.

Here's some reviews I found by selecting Search on the browser and typing Epson R800 Review:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/printers/epson-r800.shtml
http://www.pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,116706,00.asp
http://www.photographyblog.com/reviews_epson_stylus_photo_r800.php

Cheers,
Eric