A small step for mankind,

[lukitas]

But a big one for me.

I bit the bullet. After weeks of research and stacks of reviews, I got my first serious printer. I chose the Epson SC-P600, and I am really happy with it. Based on remarks made by Ctein at the Online Photographer, I allow the printer to manage inks for the gray scale prints I make. I am stunned at how this printer manages to faithfully reproduce what I see on my screen from the get go - using an uncalibrated 2011 iMac.

This will probably do some good to my editing. Throwing around pictures on the interwebs being free, I tended to get sloppy editing my blog. Interesting is good enough. For a photograph to be worth printing, it has to be better than that. Inks and paper are, you know, don't mention it, and the printer really isn't cheap either.

I'm trying out the Ilford baryta paper, fibre silk. Wonderful paper. From viewing distance, the prints look like wet prints. Up close, it is clear the inks sit on the paper, not like silver suspended in gelatine. On the other hand, the grain from high iso shots does a pretty good job of simulating film grain. The brilliance and the grain of the surface are just right. The best thing is the smell. Just like baryta prints from my long gone darkroom days. I used to think I didn't rinse them enough, that the smell was due to fixative residue. Rediscovering this lovely, slightly sour aroma made a happy wave of nostalgia swell over me. The smell confirms that I have made the right decision.

Prints are the future!

cheers

 

[Keith]

Great printer! 🙂

I have my eye on the next one up the line ... the SC-P800 to replace my 2400.

 

[cz23]

Great printer! 🙂

I have my eye on the next one up the line ... the SC-P800 to replace my 2400.

I'd love to have either, but my 2400 is still going strong and its BW output is plenty good enough for me. The occasional large print is sent out.

I use ABW and am very confident I'll get what I see on my monitor. And I completly agree that the print is the real thing. Enjoy your new printer!

John

 

[mfogiel]

"I am stunned at how this printer manages to faithfully reproduce what I see on my screen from the get go - using an uncalibrated 2011 iMac"

- You will benefit greatly from calibrating your screen, and subsequently calibrating the ABW settings of the printer ( there are options for brighter or darker output) to the paper. Then you can save the settings with the name of each paper used, and get accurate prints every time. The monitor should be calibrated every now and then, and certainly before you edit some important images. I also print almost exclusively on the baryta luster paper, although in Europe it is no longer being sold by Ilford.

 

[giulio stucchi]

Well done Lukitas!

I am tempted myself by this printer and is good to hear that you are happy with it but I have too little time right now to deal with it...my daughter keep me pretty busy...hence I have to stay with scans only for the time beeing.

Enjoy!

Giulio

 

[maitani]

the SC line looks like fantastic printers for the price,
my HP9180 did a great job, but getting cartridges is becoming too much lately, and too expensive..

has anybody experience with the Epson Ecotank ET 14000, the self printing re-fill it too big of an argument to ignore for me. if the print quality is above average, this might be my next printer.

 

[robert blu]

Ink jet printing is something you have to learn to do and it takes some time. Not just plug and play, at least it took me time...
But when you have learned it you have the complete process under control and in my opinion this is invaluable.
robert

 

[Pherdinand]

Ahh.
i thought u came back from the Moon.

 

[Estona]

Hi, I'm new here. There were problems with the printer selection. A lot of options. It is very difficult to choose what is really quality. Advise something good 🙂 On which you can make quality photos at home.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Hi, I'm new here. There were problems with the printer selection. A lot of options. It is very difficult to choose what is really quality. Advise something good 🙂 On which you can make quality photos at home.

What size printer do you want? The best quality photo printers from Epson and Canon start at the 13x19 inch size.

I used an Epson R2400 for many years; its a 13x19 printer that was discontinued a long time ago. It finally died, so I just got an Epson SureColor P800 to replace it. The P800 is a 17x22 inch printer. In the USA, Epson is offering a rebate that makes it only about $50 more expensive than the equivalent 13x19 printer. I've been playing with it the last few days and am really blown away by how much better the prints are compared to my old R2400 (and the R2400 was a great printer).

If you want to do black and white prints, look for a printer that uses multiple gray inks in addition to the color inks. My old Epson printer and the one I just bought both have a black, a light black (gray) and a light-light black (light gray) ink. These give better black and white prints than a printer with just a single black ink. Epson and Canon both make printers offering the three black/gray inks.

If you do only color printing, Epson sells some printers that have the standard color inks (Cyan, Yellow, Magenta) plus some other colors like a green and an orange to give a wider color gamut. My new Epson P800 does not have this, although the color images I have done are magnificent. If I did only color, I might have bought the one with the extra colors; it should give better color reproduction with some colors.