Larky
Well-known
Hello.
I've decided I want to start to print the vast majority of my pictures, nothing as big as 10x8, not yet, but maybe 6x7. I don't want and cannot afford yet a large HP, Canon or Epson. I am wondering if there are any small, cheap but decent quality printers for doing smaller prints?
I like the idea of boxes containing hundreds of my pictures, so when I die I am seen as a photographic visionary, surrounded by MI5 secrets and women's underwear.
OK, the last bit can be ignored but anyway, any ideas?
A.
I've decided I want to start to print the vast majority of my pictures, nothing as big as 10x8, not yet, but maybe 6x7. I don't want and cannot afford yet a large HP, Canon or Epson. I am wondering if there are any small, cheap but decent quality printers for doing smaller prints?
I like the idea of boxes containing hundreds of my pictures, so when I die I am seen as a photographic visionary, surrounded by MI5 secrets and women's underwear.
OK, the last bit can be ignored but anyway, any ideas?
A.
kully
Happy Snapper
I think it's going to be cheaper to get them printed at somewhere like www.photobox.co.uk.
Unless they're B&W in which case you really need to go to a specialist printer.
Unless they're B&W in which case you really need to go to a specialist printer.
Larky
Well-known
Many of them will be black and white. Do you know of any good printers? Also, what is the qaulity of Photobox like?
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Matus
Well-known
I do not have a personal experience with printers, but from what I have read on the web even the small printers are quite good. You should be able to get a decent one for bellow $200 that will do up to 8x10. Indeed - the cost per picture will probably be higher than if you get you photos printed on FujiFrontier, but on the other hand if you want to have a decent BW prints ...
Maybe somebody with hands-on experience with one of the lower end models could comment.
Maybe somebody with hands-on experience with one of the lower end models could comment.
mfunnell
Shaken, so blurred
I've found getting decent B&W results on the cheaper Canon dye-based printers is a little problematic (I've used the i560 and i4500). Best results have been with the i4500 on Canon Photo Paper Pro (I've tried many other papers). But I can't say I'm really happy with B&W. Colour results, however, have been pretty good all round.
Still, you might want to look more at Epson and HP's offerings. (Note, though, that HP puts "region coding" chips in their printers and inks to stop you from importing from countries where ink is cheaper. I don't know how much that might worry you, but it puts me off.)
I've had great results with my Canon Pro9500, but that's beyond what you're looking at.
Whatever you look at, you might want to take some files and do some sample prints before buying.
...Mike
Still, you might want to look more at Epson and HP's offerings. (Note, though, that HP puts "region coding" chips in their printers and inks to stop you from importing from countries where ink is cheaper. I don't know how much that might worry you, but it puts me off.)
I've had great results with my Canon Pro9500, but that's beyond what you're looking at.
Whatever you look at, you might want to take some files and do some sample prints before buying.
...Mike
kully
Happy Snapper
Ah, B&W, then don't use photobox - I have tried and failed to get B&W without tint from then and other online photo places. They're nice for colour though.
For B&W my local printer does nice prints on Hahnemuhle German Etching but they are £10 each (ouch), so I recently got a R2880 and paper + ink comes out at about £1.50 per A4 sheet. I can fit two 5x7 prints on one A4 sheet of paper.
Drop me a PM if you want to me to print something off for you / pop 'round to see how it works.
cheers,
kully
For B&W my local printer does nice prints on Hahnemuhle German Etching but they are £10 each (ouch), so I recently got a R2880 and paper + ink comes out at about £1.50 per A4 sheet. I can fit two 5x7 prints on one A4 sheet of paper.
Drop me a PM if you want to me to print something off for you / pop 'round to see how it works.
cheers,
kully
kully
Happy Snapper
As Mike says - the cheaper printers are nice for colour but the tints and bronzing for B&W make them unacceptable if you've ever made RC or FB prints in a darkroom.
amateriat
We're all light!
HP had a series of printers, starting with the letter-size 7960, that were fantastic for both black-and-white and color printing. Besides the 7960, there were the replacement 8450, and two larger-format printers, the 8350, and my favorite, the 8750 (which I liked so much, I picked up a like-new model earlier this year as a back-up). Unfortunately, all the above printers are now discontinued, including the 8750, which they stopped making a number of months ago. For good b/w, especially on glossy or semi-gloss paper, I haven't seen anything I like quite as much. (There might be NOS of these printers lurking around on the 'Bay and such.) Certain Epson printers do a decent job here, but many serious b/w printers end up putting specialty, third-party inks in them.
- Barrett
- Barrett
N
Nikon Bob
Guest
I would have to agree with Barrett about the HPs. My old HP 7960 does great B&W prints as well as colour. I don't know what I'll do when it dies. I would think it is cheaper just to have prints made commercially.
Bob
Bob
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