Who still prints? Digital-only users

[RichC]

I ran out of inkjet photo paper today, so went to town to buy some. But no one had any - not camera shops, not stationers! I was told that no one prints any more - except for "old people"!


So, I thought I'd do a straw poll for those who print versus their age. Film users are excluded - I'm interested only those who are fully digital...

 

[Calzone]

Rich,

I stockpile paper to always have on hand. Also I still print a lot.

Cal

 

[sepiareverb]

I print some. Lots of wet printing, but every now and again I will go through and print a stack of recent things digital.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Ugh?

If I shoot digitally and print it on inkjet, what it has to do if I use film as well?

And it looks like in Brighton, UK, old people are not considered to shop in the stores anymore? If they still make it to the stores - "sorry no service, goods for oldies".


"Aslo film shooters and oldies are not allowed"...

I live in town where are lot of young, families and children. And I have no problem to buy photo paper for inkjet printers.

 

[Dogman]

You left off my age group (65-74) so I couldn't vote. But I do. Print that is. Mostly B&W. I print on an Epson R3000 on matte surface rag papers. I watch for online sales of my favorite papers and I keep a few dozen boxes on hand.

 

[lodewijk]

You left off my age group (65-74) so I couldn't vote. But I do. Print that is. Mostly B&W. I print on an Epson R3000 on matte surface rag papers. I watch for online sales of my favorite papers and I keep a few dozen boxes on hand.

I wetprint color and black and white even 20x24", today i printed 10 30x40 cm black and white baryta prints, and i am 76.

 

[RichC]

You left off my age group (65-74) so I couldn't vote. But I do. Print that is. Mostly B&W. I print on an Epson R3000 on matte surface rag papers. I watch for online sales of my favorite papers and I keep a few dozen boxes on hand.

Sorry... Read >75 as >65!

I print my decent stuff on Fuji C type paper - to make good old-fashioned silver-based photographic prints! I think these are subtler and more refined than inkjet prints, where the pigment sits on the paper surface. Rather than looking "into" the photograph as happens with C types, inkjet prints seem to have a crude "cut off". That's entirely my personal preference - one isn't better, they're just different.

There's nothing quite like looking at a print, so I always make test prints - that's what I use my inkjet printer for. Still can't believe that a major city has no shops selling inkjet photo paper! I wonder if people will soon stop printing altogether... perhaps they already have!

 

[Dogman]

Sorry... Read >75 as >65!

Yeah, that happens to us when we get old.🙂

 

[Godfrey]

There have been almost no stores locally that carried any photographic inkjet paper since Keeble & Shuchat in Palo Alto closed a couple of years ago. But there seems no drought of materials available. I have been ordering my inkjet paper and ink supplies from on-line vendors for at least a decade and a half.

Even us old folks know how to use a website, eh? 🙂

G

 

[RichC]

There have been almost no stores locally that carried any photographic inkjet paper since Keeble & Shuchat in Palo Alto closed a couple of years ago. But there seems no drought of materials available. I have been ordering my inkjet paper and ink supplies from on-line vendors for at least a decade and a half.

Even us old folks know how to use a website, eh? 🙂

G

Well, that’s what I normally do. But I used more paper than expected, and needed more today, not tomorrow!

 

[ptpdprinter]

I am not sure the poll will tell you much more than the average age of members of RFF.

 

[Bill Clark]

Hardly print anymore. Either digital, I always had a lab process, or my analog darkroom.

I get the RAW files loaded, process in ACR and that’s it. I still make backups of files.

Got at least 50 rolls of film developed and each one in an envelope. Maybe someday.

Too many photos. Love making them but the rest is on the back burner.

You didn’t have an old fart like me that’s 70 with a check to vote.

 

[RichC]

I am not sure the poll will tell you much more than the average age of members of RFF.

I think you’re probably right ... should’ve given it a bit more thought! 😱

 

[majid]

Nearly 48.

I seldom print, and in almost all cases it's for my daughter's art projects or to give away. My preferred viewing medium is an iPad screen.

My printer is a dye-sub DNP DS-820A, so I don't have to worry about running out of ink, the remaining capacity is completely predictable.

 

[Dwig]

I'm in the (unappreciated) 65-74 age group so didn't vote.


Since my high quality photo printer came to the end of its life a year ago, I haven't been printing my personal work very much. But on the other hand, I've been on a low ebb in my artistic output for a few years. It seems my day job kind of puts a damper on that angle to my creativity.


At work, I print every day. I work as the primary graphics person (pixel pusher) for an art photographer and his gallery. The very small prints (6x9" - 13x19") are generally on water color paper. The medium sized work (20"x30" - 30x44") and large work (36x48 - 40x96) is frequently on canvas. About 1/3rd of the medium and large work is sent out for printing on aluminum. My image production targeting electronic viewing is only moderate and involves our website (www.alanmaltz.com with ~1200 images online) and installation mockups for clients.

 

[airfrogusmc]

In my opinion it is not a finished photograph until it is printed.

 

[Ste_S]

Printing is one of my favourite things I do on a Friday night. Print some of my best photos from the week over a couple of beers.

Whilst I post a photo to Instagram every day, I don't think a photo comes alive until you print it. Much prefer looking at photo books rather than online images also.

 

[jszokoli]

Rich,

How can you NOT print. As said above, if it's not printed, it does not really exist...

I have two Epson 3880's, and like Cal a stock of paper, well maybe not as much as Cal.

I think mail order is the way to go, you know people on this forum are in their own 1% club, in the general population, as far as needs and wants.

BTW I'm an somewhat old guy.

Joe

 

[Darthfeeble]

It's not a photograph until it's hanging on a wall. Other wise it is just a file.

 

[Doug]

Sorry... Read >75 as >65!
...

Fixed the poll, so those in the formerly excluded 65-74 age group can now go back and vote! 🙂