Can Home Produced Prints Equal Lab Prints?

I have had some very good quality prints by uploading to an online
Lab: 7"x5" cost £0.49 - about $0.88 I believe.
I am wondering if it is worth upgrading my present printer which is
quite old (Epson Stylus Photo 700), with a view to making my own
prints - provided they are as good as a quality Lab.
I am surprised at how much the price of printers has dropped - the
Epson Stylus Photo R300)(of which I have read good reviews) can be
bought here in the Uk for around £86 - approx.$155.
My camera is a Canon G6.
Any advice will be appreciated.

Denis Boisclair
Cheshire, England

In article=20
, =20
says...
I have had some very good quality prints by uploading to an online
Lab: 7"x5" cost =A30.49 - about $0.88 I believe.
I am wondering if it is worth upgrading my present printer which is
quite old (Epson Stylus Photo 700), with a view to making my own
prints - provided they are as good as a quality Lab.
I am surprised at how much the price of printers has dropped - the
Epson Stylus Photo R300)(of which I have read good reviews) can be
bought here in the Uk for around =A386 - approx.$155.
My camera is a Canon G6.
Any advice will be appreciated.
=20
Denis Boisclair
Cheshire, England
=20

This reply is probably more long winded than you wanted,=20
but I have the time so here it is:

Printing at home is a mixed blessing.

Unless you use only the very best ink and paper, ink jet=20
prints are prone to fade.=20

Using only the best ink and paper is expensive, and you=20
will pay much more "PER PRINT" than you will at your=20
current lab costs.

Dye-Sub printing is sometimes more permanent than ink-jet=20
printing, but the "per print" costs is even higher than=20
"best" quality ink-jet.

The cost of operating my Dye-Sublimation printer (Olympus=20
P-400) is just under $3 (US) per 8x10 print. I have not=20
been using the dye-sub printers that I own long enough to=20
know what their "real world" print life is like, but some=20
on-line research leads me to believe that it is somewhere=20
between ink-jet and lab prints. (closer to the ink-jet end=20
of the spectrum)

Paper & ink cost for my "Best" ink-jet (I dont want to=20
start a flame war so I wont mention brands here) come in at=20
about $2.50 to $3.50 per 8x10 print, and they are by no=20
means permanent.

Each brand of printer has its own "best ink" and its own=20
"best paper" (not always the same brand as the printer for=20
paper OR for ink) Wars can be fought in newsgroups about=20
which is the best photo printer. If you want to get into=20
THAT battle, try a printer newsgroup.. You will find them=20
full of fanboys for every brand of printer, every ink=20
supplier, and everbody who makes paper.

What you consider to be "as good as a quality Lab" might be=20
different from what I consider "as good as a quality Lab"

I do photo work for people other than myself, and "turn-
around" time is an important factor in whether or not I get=20
to do the job.(most of my photos are delivered same-day and=20
on-site)

Unless you are in a situation where you MUST have the print=20
almost immediately, ink-jet & dye-sub printing is NOT=20
economical.

Up front, fresh from the printer, most of my ink-jet prints=20
are brighter and clearer, with more "sparkle" and "depth"=20
to them than the average "LAB PRINT" I warn my customers=20
that these are ink-jet prints and they are NOT to be=20
considered permanent and WILL (not might, but WILL) fade=20
over time, and that the time they last will depend on how=20
and where they are displayed. I tell them that the ink-jet=20
print is made to show them how good the photo CAN look.=20

I always include a cdrom with the final jpg files with a=20
set of prints, and I tell the customer how to get prints=20
made from them. I also explain that these are NOT to be=20
treaded like their kids music cds and they should be stored=20
just as negatives would be, in a cool, dry, dark place. =20

I also explain that Lab prints can be done by me or through=20
their own lab, but I add my own "markup". The choice is=20
theirs to make. I've had no complaints over the last couple=20
of years, and I have MANY repeat customers year to year.=20
About 50% choose to have me do the re-prints, and the rest=20
take 'em to CostCo or Wal-Mart.

I have several ink-jet prints in frames and under glass=20
that never see sunlight, and are only lit by incandescent=20
room lighting. The oldest of them is 6 years old and=20
beginning to have Very VISIBLE fading. (but those were done=20
with a "6 years ago" ink-paper combination)

On the other hand, I have several lab prints in the same=20
room, for the same length of time, and a couple of them are=20
faded (and two are showing some "browning" of the photo=20
paper and would probably be prone to cracking if removed=20
from the frame).


--=20
Larry Lynch
Mystic, Ct.

On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 04:47:29 -0500, Larry wrote:

This reply is probably more long winded than you wanted,
but I have the time so here it is:

And very interesting it was too.

How do inkjet and dye sub prints compare with those made on 'proper'
photographic paper? I mean those made by scanning lasers onto light sensitive
paper and then developing it like a 'real' photograph.

AIUI the machine is very expensive, but the consumables are very cheap, just the
paper and the developing chemicals.

--
Chris Pollard


CG Internet café, Tagum City, Philippines
http://www.cginternet.net

On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 04:47:29 -0500, Larry wrote:

This reply is probably more long winded than you wanted,
but I have the time so here it is:

And very interesting it was too.

How do inkjet and dye sub prints compare with those made on 'proper'
photographic paper? I mean those made by scanning lasers onto light sensitive
paper and then developing it like a 'real' photograph.

AIUI the machine is very expensive, but the consumables are very cheap, just the
paper and the developing chemicals.

--
Chris Pollard


CG Internet café, Tagum City, Philippines
http://www.cginternet.net

On Fri, 12 Nov 2004 04:47:29 -0500, Larry wrote:

This reply is probably more long winded than you wanted,
but I have the time so here it is:

And very interesting it was too.

How do inkjet and dye sub prints compare with those made on 'proper'
photographic paper? I mean those made by scanning lasers onto light sensitive
paper and then developing it like a 'real' photograph.

AIUI the machine is very expensive, but the consumables are very cheap, just the
paper and the developing chemicals.

--
Chris Pollard


CG Internet café, Tagum City, Philippines
http://www.cginternet.net

Hi Denis,

I am wondering if it is worth upgrading my present printer which is
quite old (Epson Stylus Photo 700), with a view to making my own
prints - provided they are as good as a quality Lab.

Recently, I have been having prints made at Costco (Bend, Oregon) and been very
happy with the results. Pricing is good -- 4x6 for 0.19 cents; 12x18 color
prints for $2.99, etc. Fuji Crystal Archive paper is used and the quality is
very good for the price.

The trick is to have Photoshopped the pictures before bringing them to Costco
(or like place). I'm impressed with what leaves my monitor after Photoshop
looks the same on the output prints.

I presently have two Epson printers and a dye-sub 4x6 printer. They presently
get very light use at home. I suppose if you need instant gratification -- home
printing makes sense. I'm very happy with Costco and the one-hour service.

Best,

Conrad


Conrad Weiler
Camp Sherman, Oregon

Conrad,
Do you crop them @ 4x6 BEFORE taking them to Costco or do you let Costco do
the job?
Thanks,
Marcel

"Conrad Weiler" wrote in message
...
Hi Denis,

I am wondering if it is worth upgrading my present printer which is
quite old (Epson Stylus Photo 700), with a view to making my own
prints - provided they are as good as a quality Lab.

Recently, I have been having prints made at Costco (Bend, Oregon) and been
very
happy with the results. Pricing is good -- 4x6 for 0.19 cents; 12x18 color
prints for $2.99, etc. Fuji Crystal Archive paper is used and the quality
is
very good for the price.

The trick is to have Photoshopped the pictures before bringing them to
Costco
(or like place). I'm impressed with what leaves my monitor after Photoshop
looks the same on the output prints.

I presently have two Epson printers and a dye-sub 4x6 printer. They
presently
get very light use at home. I suppose if you need instant gratification --
home
printing makes sense. I'm very happy with Costco and the one-hour service.

Best,

Conrad


Conrad Weiler
Camp Sherman, Oregon

"Marcel" wrote in
:

Do you crop them @ 4x6 BEFORE taking them to Costco or do you let
Costco do


I only crop mine if the cropping is important. That is, the automatic
cropping will take equally from the top and bottom. If I shot it that way
there's no reason to change it. OTOH, sometimes I shoot keeping the camera
back vertical and then I want to crop the foreground.

Bob

"Marcel" wrote in
:

Do you crop them @ 4x6 BEFORE taking them to Costco or do you let
Costco do


I only crop mine if the cropping is important. That is, the automatic
cropping will take equally from the top and bottom. If I shot it that way
there's no reason to change it. OTOH, sometimes I shoot keeping the camera
back vertical and then I want to crop the foreground.

Bob

I had about 300 prints made on Fuji mat paper for $0.25 CAD ea.
Today I am testing this new Shoppers Drug Mart set up. They are printing on
Kodak paper.
They are charging $0.29 CAD for ea. 5"X7" print. I am anxious to compare
Fuji and Kodak
paper. Maybe someone has already evaluated the results of Fuji and Kodak.
Some of my friends are buying paper on sale and printing their own picture
with an ink jet printer. They evaluated their cost to about $0.25 per 5
1/2"X4" print.
Providing you do not accidentally sneezed or put a wet finger on a fresh
print the quality is comparable to the commercial one. Each home made print
is covered with plastic to save guard the quality of the color. Now that
the color laser printer is more affordable. Covering the laser printed
picture with transparency may not be required. The only time you may need
transparency cover is when an hardcover album is used.

"Conrad Weiler" wrote in message
...
Hi Denis,

I am wondering if it is worth upgrading my present printer which is
quite old (Epson Stylus Photo 700), with a view to making my own
prints - provided they are as good as a quality Lab.

Recently, I have been having prints made at Costco (Bend, Oregon) and been
very
happy with the results. Pricing is good -- 4x6 for 0.19 cents; 12x18 color
prints for $2.99, etc. Fuji Crystal Archive paper is used and the quality
is
very good for the price.

The trick is to have Photoshopped the pictures before bringing them to
Costco
(or like place). I'm impressed with what leaves my monitor after Photoshop
looks the same on the output prints.

I presently have two Epson printers and a dye-sub 4x6 printer. They
presently
get very light use at home. I suppose if you need instant gratification --
home
printing makes sense. I'm very happy with Costco and the one-hour service.

Best,

Conrad


Conrad Weiler
Camp Sherman, Oregon