Who uses printers?

[awinphoto]

I feel I care more than some hapless individual at the local printers whos only working there because he or she could not find a better job.

One of my first professional jobs was working for a pro photo lab back in the day of film and while I cant speak for everyone, I took pride in my work at the lab albeit I didn't have the experience and precision i probably have now, but still... Since digital, that lab has now closed... That being said, there is a huge difference between a pro lab, which I use for mass quantity prints/work and the local lab where like you said, it isn't their dream job... But for critical work where you cant afford screw ups, doing it yourself is always best, unless you are outputting something larger than your printers can handle... 

[LifeAfter]

Hello

Can anyone tell me if Epson Stylus Pro 3880 (A2), or the new R3000 (A3+) print only with black and grey inks, without needing to install the color cartridges, or at least to let them empty on it?

Or does any other printer do that; Epson, HP, Canon or any other?

I would use it only for black and white.

Thank you for your response

[unfocused]

I am pretty much in the same camp as the original poster. I'm not working for clients, so I don't have the need for immediate proofing that others have.

I have a cheap Canon printer that I use occasionally, but that's mostly to get an idea how an In-Design file will look in print. I use it more to check fonts, layout, and proofread, than to evaluate images. I just can't really visualize how something will look in print unless I actually see it on paper.

But, for photographic prints, I send everything out. There is a Walgreens less than a mile away, that I can use for quick prints, and they actually do a pretty good job. (Although they often "hold" my prints behind the counter and ask me if I have a "release form" from the photographer. I have to explain that I am the photographer. Pretty amusing really.)

For final printing I usually send to M-Pix. I can't believe how fast they turn things around. Upload the files in the evening and they have them in the mail the next day. I'm very pleased with their quality. I've never had a bad print from them that was their fault.

I've looked at nice printers, but at this stage I don't do enough printing to justify the cost and, frankly, I admit I'd rather spend the money on other toys (which is what it would be for me.)

[jrista]

Yeah, its probably not worth buying all the print equipment if you don't really care about printing that much, or are not particularly picky. It costs a fortune, not so much the up-front cost (which can usually be amortized)...but the maintenance costs. Printers suck ink, drip ink, get crusty with ink, need regular cleanings and other maintenance. The ink and paper cost and eventually maintenance costs grow to be far greater than the equipment itself after a couple years.

[KarelP]

Hello

Can anyone tell me if Epson Stylus Pro 3880 (A2), or the new R3000 (A3+) print only with black and grey inks, without needing to install the color cartridges, or at least to let them empty on it?

Or does any other printer do that; Epson, HP, Canon or any other?

I would use it only for black and white.

Thank you for your response

I have 2 Canon printers, an MG6150 A4 and an PIXMA PRO 9950 A3 and they both refuse to print if they have 1 or more empty tanks. They keep nagging until you replace the tank with a full one. I guess they'll give error with missing tanks as well...

I've gotten into the habit to have a complete spare set on hand for both.

As mentioned before, doing your own printing is fun, but by no means cheap. Apart from ink and paper I've invested in a Spyder3Print Pro to calibrate my printers and make my own ICC profiles, and a Spyder3 Express to color calibrate my monitor...

Cheers,

Karel

[thatcherk1]

I am always blown away with prints that I get from Fotoworks(local) or WHCC.  Sometimes I have to make adjustments and re-print.  Once I get what I want, and usually it's bang-on the first time, It blows away any inkjet print I've seen (given it's glossy, lustre, metallic, or matte).  The fact that it's an actual photographic print on chemical paper means it will keep longer, and is more consistently smooth (compared to what I've seen from high end inkjet printers).

And I do paid work for clients, and I trust the process going through my labs.  So I don't think it's a matter of control, accuracy and quality.  I think it's more of a matter of turn-around time and paper options.  Does anyone else have EXTENSIVE experience printing fine art high quality prints through a lab and through a home High quality printer?

[thepancakeman]

Hello

Can anyone tell me if Epson Stylus Pro 3880 (A2), or the new R3000 (A3+) print only with black and grey inks, without needing to install the color cartridges, or at least to let them empty on it?

Or does any other printer do that; Epson, HP, Canon or any other?

I would use it only for black and white.

Thank you for your response

I have an older Epson and I will tell you that I will never buy another Epson for this very reason.  It is an "all-in-one" printer/scanner/copier/fax as long as it has non-empty ink cartridges.  Once there is an empty cartridge, it is a paper-weight--even the scan function will not work until the cartridge is replaced.  It's a little older model, so it's possible this is no longer the case, but it's too late as far as I'm concerned--they've lost my business.

[awinphoto]

Hello

Can anyone tell me if Epson Stylus Pro 3880 (A2), or the new R3000 (A3+) print only with black and grey inks, without needing to install the color cartridges, or at least to let them empty on it?

Or does any other printer do that; Epson, HP, Canon or any other?

I would use it only for black and white.

Thank you for your response

I have an older Epson and I will tell you that I will never buy another Epson for this very reason.  It is an "all-in-one" printer/scanner/copier/fax as long as it has non-empty ink cartridges.  Once there is an empty cartridge, it is a paper-weight--even the scan function will not work until the cartridge is replaced.  It's a little older model, so it's possible this is no longer the case, but it's too late as far as I'm concerned--they've lost my business.

That's why i hate all-in-ones... they are ok at a lot of things but aren't usually exceptional at any one thing... i usually get dedicated printers/scanners (dont use fax but if i did...)... It takes up more space and money but usually they tend to be more reliable overall... I do dislike the feed system on Epsons, even though i love their print quality... I cant load the feeder with paper or it will start sending multiple sheets at any one time which could screw things up... if they fix the feeder it could be one of the best printers out there...

[motorhead]

Re the question about whether colour carts need to be installed if printing in Black & White. It is the case with my R2880 that they must be.

Thats because the printer used the colour cartridges to print monochrome! Yes, thats what I said. Seems odd maybe, but thats what Epson have done on my printer and may well have done the same with other models. The R2880 was regarded as an excellent Black and White printer when it was first released. I tend to use it far more in full colour mode, but I am aware that it was bought for pure monochrome work by many.

 

[7enderbender]

I don't mean this as a criticism.  I'm curious who uses printers these days for photos and why?  WHCC and Costco are so affordable that I would never buy a printer.  WHCC is very affordable for professional quality and Costco is extremely affordable for great pro-sumer quality.  Walmart and other stores are pretty dang good too.  Turnaround time is very fast, and I've always had the understanding that lightjet printers are superior to any inkjet printer.  Am I wrong, do some lightjet printers fall short?  Have inkjet printers risen in quality?  Is it the convenience of immediacy?  I also live in Southern California where there is a walgreens/costco/walmart every 5 feet.  I assume in rural areas it's less practical to drive a long distance to pick up photos from a store.

Inkjet printer fans, weigh in.  Enlighten me.

I'm with you. My Canon 5DII kit last year came with a "free" Canon printer. Didn't even open the box and gave it away. For my home office needs I was very happy when laser printers became affordable. I have one of those in the house (a cheap and compact b/w Samsung) and that's all I need.

My prints I order from WHCC, MPIX or Kodak depending on purpose and location. For quick and easy print outs fo something there is a Walmart, a Target and a Walgreens 5 minutes from my house. Those prints are likely not worse than what I would get from a "free" Canon printer at home. And the space that those beasts eat up I can use for something else. And dealing with clogged/dried ink cartridges, jammed paper, and the maintenance cost of it all: not worth it.

And to sum it up differently: anything that comes out of a printer will not be great no matter what or who does it. Still waiting for some new technology that addresses that and uses traditional paper and a chemical process at high resolution.

[TexPhoto]

I print my taxes.