Cost effective printing - what's the best option?

03/25/2008 12:48:45 PM · #1

Hi All,

I'm currently doing all of my customer prints on my Epson R2400 using mostly Epson Premium Lustre paper. Obviously anything over 13"x18" (A3+) needs to be outsourced to a print lab but this is working well for me so far.

I use mostly sheets rather then a roll as the 13" rolls aren't much of a cost saving and I find roll printing with this printer to be a real pain!

I get loads of orders for 10x8's as well as 5x7's and print double sided A4 to make photobooks as well. This is all great but I'm getting through tons of ink and i'm wondering if there is a better (more cost effective) solution.

I'm really happy with the Epson and so would like to stay with this but I see my options as:

1) stick with the current system and live with the fact that ink will be a big cost

2) Go with a continuous ink system (one from Marrutt looks good) and so reduce the ink costs - does anyone use this and are there any downsides once the paper and printer are profiled and configured?

3) Upgrade to a 3880, 4880, 7880 with the larger ink cartridges and much more cost effective 17"/24" paper rolls available.

Anyone using any of the above or have any opinions on them?

Thanks for any help
Kev

Tez

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

03/25/2008 12:53:35 PM · #2

how much does it cost you to print a 10x8 and a 5x7? Is there any chance you could get it done cheaper by outsourcing it? I get my 10x12 prints for 45p and the 5x7s for 12p which to me is a good deal.

If it's costing you a lot in inks, maybe it could be a viable option for a print lab to do the work?

03/25/2008 01:00:26 PM · #3

Hi Tez,

It's not costing me a huge amount, it's more that the ink cartridges don't seem to last very long and I'm having to change them more often then I would like.

I like to keep the control in house and to be able to do one offs without having to go out to a lab. Also, I find the postage charge, or the cost for small orders tends to make the labs more expensive.

Which one do you use?

I get my bulk school/nursery shoots done by ukdpi which offer a great service and quality for a reasonable price, but that's order 100 or so shots, for 5-10 they're about Â£3.50 per 10x8

Tez

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

03/25/2008 01:08:18 PM · #4

Howdy Kev :)

I use DS Colour Labs. They're located down the street from me so i don't spend money on delivery. I think they have a flat rate of Â£4 per delivery though. I find the prints from there are the same quality as i've payed ten times for from other places. They print at 300 dpi like other places and I get all mine in the lustre (non-glossy) finish because they look really really kick ass.

Plus this way, if you're spending 40p on a 10x8 and selling it with a mount for Â£20, which is a fairly decent price for that size and quality, you make a lot more in profit... at least I do anyways through these guys. If you have a lot of stuff to print it could well be worth it.

NikonJeb

Nikon D850

03/25/2008 01:53:30 PM · #5

I have an HP 3210 All-in-One that I've cranked out well over 1500 8x10s out of and I've been completely pleased with the costs and quality.

I figure it costs me between $0.75 and $1.25 per depending on how much I spend for the paper.

The machine was less than $300; it was the lowest end HP printer that used separate color cartridges.

candlerain

Canon EOS-30D

03/25/2008 02:17:42 PM · #6

I use Costco. Fast, cheap, and good quality prints.

03/25/2008 02:25:14 PM · #7

thanks for the replies.

I really want to stick to Epson as I'm very happy with the quality of the prints and I need at least A3+ for larger prints.

As for costco or other high street type labs i've found the quality isn't really up to par (I don't know if the one's in the UK are not as good as the US/Canadian ones?) Plus I like to have a bit more control of the papers.

I would consider a pro lab as i've found the Lustre prints I get for the Nurseries is of an excellent standard. However, I would still prefer complete control of printing in my studio if possible.

Prof_Fate

03/25/2008 02:28:06 PM · #8

I didn't see how many ML are in an Epson cartridge, but one for the HP3210 has 7ml and costs $8.80. That works our to $4,757 a gallon.

A continous ink system runs $109 (here) plus the ink, dye or pigment (your choice) Dye ink is $9.99 for 100 ml, or $378 / gallon. That is a LOT cheaper. Lot lot LOT cheaper!