Printer Recommendations?

Luis Caffesse

Luis Caffesse

Admin
I'm thinking about getting a printer - wouldn't be for me as much as for my wife.
She's the photographer, so I'm kinda out of my element here.

Can anyone recommend a good high quality printer that would allow her to print things up to, say, 8 X 10?
(I'm guessing that going any bigger than that is going to get really expensive)


Right now she's getting things printed at a photo lab here in town - I realize it won't be cheap to get a printer, but if I get one it would need to be able to print as high quality as what she's getting done now (which looks pretty damn good). Otherwise it just isn't worth it.

Thing is, I know she would print more of her stuff if she didn't have to go through the hassle of going somewhere to do it.

So - any thoughts?


(we're using Macs, if that's even an issue)
 
My only recomendation is to, if possible, get a network unit, preferably a wireless network printer .. just makes it SO easy to work with once it's all set up, especially with multiple machines and/or laptops.


- Mikko
 
Epson, Epson, Epson. They're the best for color prints, bar none. I'm not sure what they have these days (I bought a $400 Epson years ago), but just make sure it's an Epson. :)
 
I love my RX580. Prints great photos and beautifully to CD & DVD, plus a scanner, card reader, and extra front USB port. Can be had at a bargain now since they just came out with the R590 (i think?).

If you already have a network it is not a big deal to network the printer with windows or OSX, so I wouldn't worry about the networking part as much. (Just have to leave the computer connected to the printer turned on to print, but I never turn my computers off anyway.)
 
well, its funny you guys mention epson, because as someone who sold these, versus canon and HP, epson was definitely not the winner, in terms of price for ink, nor the quality.
 
I agree with PaPa if you are buying Epson ink. Like $80 for refilling everything.

I use supermediastore and get their remanufactured ink for about $30. Color looks good but I can't speak to longevity of printed items however (meaning will it still look ok in 5-10 years). It does suck up a lot of ink on the HQ setting for sure. (Thus the cheap ink)

No issues with quality in my opinion. Just use good photo paper for photos.
 
Luis,

I've got an R1800 here in the office. I can tell you the output is amazing. And the thing I like about this one is you can print on printable DVDs, as well. The inks may not be cheap, but once you see the prints, you won't care. (Or your wife won't care.) I've got it working on a wireless network here, as well.

You're welcome to come by and check it out.

EDIT: I got mine refurbished from the Epson Store…
http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=63057344

--SM
 
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I was completely convinced I wasn't going to get it...now you're tempting me Stephen.
:)

By the way, would you say that quality is good enough for paying clients?
Or is it just a 'really good' in house printer?

Would you still take your images to a lab to print?
 
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Seriously, if you come to the office and take a look at some of the samples on my wall, you'll buy an Epson. No doubt. ;)

--SM
 
Apparently I was editing my post while you posted....
I'm guessing from the fact that you have the samples hanging on your wall, that the answer to my question is yes, it's good enough.
:)
 
I don't think any printer nails the colors perfectly out of the box, but once I got this one dialed in, the results were awesome. And for the money, you can't beat it. Prints up to 13x19", which is nice.

C'mon down to my neighborhood and check it out. :D

--SM
 
Well, if you are limiting yourself to 8x10 prints, I'm sure you can find something fantastic in just about any price range. I have an HP2355...its incredible. I love it. But, I'm not printing things in mass quantity. I don't need speed. I want frame quality prints. Period. HP delivers.

But, I'm sure you can find a fantastic model in all the major printer brands, HP, Canon, Epson etc...

but before you lay out any dough... http://reviews.cnet.com/4566-3166_7-0.html?tag=ont.prt.phot

And pay close attention to the USER reviews...they seem to be more accurate than CNET reviewers. The editors don't spend day to day with the products like the users do. They offer good insight...

stephenmick said:
Prints up to 13x19", which is nice.
Click to expand...

That IS a nice feature....
 
No problem. Just know that to get EXCELLENT prints that your wife would be happy to frame, you do NOT need to spend a billion dollars.
 
Epson is definity numero uno in regards to professional wide-format inkjet printers, not sure about consumer. If you use archival ink that doesn't run and get the right type of paper (ie lustre, semigloss etc.) then the only difference between that and a C-Print is that the inkjet print will scratch easier and has more of a chance of needing spotting after a large print because the nozzles get slightly backed up. But once you get a good print and you put it behind glass you shouldn't be able to tell the difference. I wish I could afford a wide-format inkjet printer but the printer is upwards of 2k and the ink is 500 for a set of cartridges (which have to be replaced every 6 months whether you use it or not)
 
I have a Canon Pro 9000 and i love it.

The quality is excellent and the options are endless.
It was a little pricey, but it is worth it.
 
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