I`m looking to display and hopefully sell some of my images at a local gallery but have been told normal printers ink fades over time and would like some recommendations for a suitable printer my budget is only £100.00 ,is this going to get me something worth having or would I be better off sending the images off to be printed?
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Re: Printer recomendations
I looked into buying a printer for my images but decided that it is sooo cheap to send the photos off to be printed it wasn't worth the effort and expense to buy a quality printer and get it calibrated, there is also the cost of ink cartridges to consider.1Dmk2, Canon 70-200 f4 L Non-IS & a borrowed canon 28mm
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www.paulraybouldphotography.co.uk
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Re: Printer recomendations
There's not many out there that would argue that a Canon Pixma A3 printer will do your images justice. Our Art Dept in school insist in using Epson A2 printers and get nothing but bother with them and that's using the consta-flow system where you never run out of ink. Expensive but for large print runs it's essential.
Never heard of Ink fading over time. Certainly if it's used once in a blue moon, you spend more money in cleaning heads than printing. Photobox offer a really cheap service and it's quick, however, their quality can't always be on par. If you're selling the prints, then maybe sell via Fine Art America? People can order all sorts of prints via that site, and you set the price. £30 for a year premium service is quite cheap.Fuji X-T1 | 1D IV
www.campsie.photography
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Re: Printer recomendations
I'd agree with Paulr on this, it often takes a lot of effort and expense to get the printer calibrated, paper wasted doing test prints etc, etc.
I gave up years ago (mainly in frustration) printing my own images, and any prints I need are now done online.
DSCL (DS Colour Labs) is generally highly regarded service for printing, and I've had consistently good service from them over the years.
And yes, printer ink can fade, although modern ink technologies are better, I've had images from years ago that were home printed and have faded , mainly those in frames.Concentrate on equipment and you'll take technically good photographs. Concentrate on seeing the light's magic colours and your images will stir the soul. - Jack Dykinga
Light makes photography. Embrace light. Admire it. Love it. But above all, know light. Know it for all you are worth, and you will know the key to photography- George Eastman
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Re: Printer recomendations
Originally posted by Paulstw View PostNever heard of Ink fading over time.
For a £100 budget, don't bother - use a decent print service.Please don't ask about my kit, it's embarrassing!
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I do agree though, sending to a specialist is the way forward. Leave it to the pros :)Fuji X-T1 | 1D IV
www.campsie.photography
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Re: Printer recomendations
Originally posted by Paulstw View PostBeen using Epson A2 printers in the Art Dept in the school i work in for 6-7 years now and prints have always come out great, when you get past the mechanical problems of course.Please don't ask about my kit, it's embarrassing!
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Re: Printer recomendations
I use to work in the dyes industry and 'fading' is a fact of life. Lots of work goes into minimising fading but it happens. Certain printer manufacturers HP, Canon, etc will give figures for print permanency though this will be based on using their inks on certain paper and stored correctly (temp/humidity/light). Not all dyes/pigments fade at the same rate so often one will fade more than the others which you'll normally see if the print is in a frame, when you remove it the part covered by the frame should be the original colours (though chemicals in the frame plastic/wood can also cause fading) and the exposed area will be bluer/redder/yellower.
As to the inks from the 3rd party suppliers they may well be worse/better than the OEM but again lots of variables that could trigger fading.
IIRC best permanency in printing is from dye sublimation printing which also offer better continuous tones. Cost is an issue with these and not really a viable home option though Canon Selphy printers use this technology I believe.Canon 5D3, 7D2, 60D, Canon 70-200L f2.8 IS II, Canon 300 f4L IS, Canon 16-35 f4 L, Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, Canon 1.4 MkIII extender, Sigma AF 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM, Sigma 150-600 Contemporary, Tamron SP AF 70-300 F/4-5.6 Di VC USD, Canon EF-S 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 IS
https://www.flickr.com/photos/16830751@N03/
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Re: Printer recomendations
There are long life inks and archival quality paper (it's not just ink that can fade (poor dyes, UV radiation), the paper can disintegrate) ... so on a budget best to use one of the many online services ... I'm guessing these offer an 'everyday' and 'professional' service??
Then you are in selecting paper ... an artist friend of mine swears by 'Hahnemühle' for the prints he sells.
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Re: Printer recomendations
Originally posted by glider64 View PostThanks to everyone for the replies I now think the search for a reliable quality printing firm is on
However you only mention selling via a gallery, so you would need to know what they would expect to be able to sell to their clients. Good luck with your venture, I hope you do really well.Peter
Feel free to browse my
Website : www.peterstockton-photography.co.uk
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/the_original_st/
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Re: Printer recomendations
Another vote here for DSCL(link). Very professional, quick, and reasonably priced.
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