economical quality printers - DPChallenge Forums

Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM

08/15/2007 10:26:55 PM · #1

I would like to ask for advice on setting up printing photo cards.
Obviously quality needs to be good, ink needs to be durable, and paper thickness and texture needs to be variable.
Any suggestions on economical printers that would do the job?
I've been thinking of the Epson pro 4800, but what other options are out there?
Thanks.

Monique64

Canon EOS-30D

08/15/2007 10:32:28 PM · #2

For the cost of a printer, and your consumables such as ink and card you may be better off getting your cards printed by a professional firm. I had some done by Vista Print and they were OK for what I wanted (and they were cheap) but there are heaps of companies out there that do it for very affordable rates.

08/16/2007 02:06:18 PM · #3

I am aware of pro print options if I were to outsource this, but any suggestions for economical printing in the studio?

AJSullivan

08/16/2007 02:28:45 PM · #4

I learned from my experience selling copiers and printers, that there is no such thing as an economical home printer. Even if you do find one, look at the cartridge yield, dived that by 5 (at least), and then divide the cost of the cartridge by that to get your price per print. Then add in the cost of the paper.

A lot of times, home printers, while nice to have for onesie twosie kind of stuff, end up costing anywhere from .50 to $3 per print.

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

08/17/2007 06:38:03 PM · #5

Still, it would be nice to know of available options on the economical yet quality side...

MattO

Nikon D4

08/17/2007 07:28:50 PM · #6

My advise is to pick up a Canon IP4300. I have had one for over a year, I bought my mom one, and we love them. I print many personal and business prints and have had the best of luck with them. For smaller stuff I use Epson 4x6 paper, and for up to 8.5x11 I use Ilford gallery and the results are amazing.

MattO

eschelar

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

08/17/2007 08:27:02 PM · #7

For more detailed information on MattO's recommendation of the iP4300, please follow the threads in my profile regarding printers.

Glad to know you went ilford Matt. I FINALLY just found a place that sells ilford and I'm going to spend a couple hundred bucks on a few packs for the future. I'd been using Epson Premium Glossy. I'm pretty excited about the find. Which Ilford papers do you use?

I can choose from Smooth Gloss, Smooth Pearl and Smooth Fine Art.

I'm leaning towards the smooth Pearl, but Smooth Gloss might do the trick too...

Note - this printer only goes to A4 size. If looking for a larger printer, the initial cost goes up a LOT and print quality comparisons get a lot more complicated. See more in those threads mentioned above.

MattO

Nikon D4

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II

08/17/2007 09:49:14 PM · #8

Originally posted by eschelar:

I am using the smooth gloss as I can get 100 8.5X11 sheets for less then 25USD at Sams club. They stock it at our local one and its awesome.

MattO

Sony Sonnar T* 35mm F2.8 ZA

08/18/2007 12:18:10 AM · #9

further options...?

salmiakki

Apple iPhone 16 Pro

08/18/2007 03:01:35 AM · #10

You quote in your original post the Epson 4800. I have used that a lot and it is a really GREAT printer, but it's not exactly cheap. (Also, it's very big!) However, I used it for printing some notecards and the quality was fantastic.

Did you consider the 4800's sibling, the Epson 2400? This is also a very very nice printer, not as expensive as the 4800, but also is very high quality. Then there is also the 3800 which is somewhere between the two in price. I haven't used the 3800, but have used the 2400 and 4800 extensively.

eschelar

Canon EOS-7D

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

08/19/2007 09:14:37 PM · #11

Originally posted by MattO:

I am using the smooth gloss as I can get 100 8.5X11 sheets for less then 25USD at Sams club. They stock it at our local one and its awesome.

MattO

Lucky devil. I just found it at a local store at 15 USD for 25 sheets of A4. Will pick up a few packs and then I will start looking into buying overseas.

The Epson 2400 is a great choice. If memory serves, it uses the K3 technology with three blacks... Excellent tech for B&W or low saturation prints. Again, this info is in threads linked to in my profile to explain the why's.

FotoMunki