Photo Printers

[WitchdoctorGaz]

Just to let all you snap-happy chappies out there know I'll be reviewing archival quality photo printers fairly regularly on the site, starting with Canon's impressive Pro9000MK2. What a ripper it is 'n all...

[MovingStill]

Could I suggest you throw into that mix some commercial printers as a comparison? Including ones that 'common folk' are likely to use like Dick Smith, Noel Leeming etc. I'd certainly be interested in the comparison, in regards to both costs and quality.

[WitchdoctorGaz]

Could I suggest you throw into that mix some commercial printers as a comparison? Including ones that 'common folk' are likely to use like Dick Smith, Noel Leeming etc. I'd certainly be interested in the comparison, in regards to both costs and quality.

Oh yeah that's no problem at all. We have pretty good relationships with all the major retail printer companies (Canon/Epson/HP etc)

Gazz

[MovingStill]

Perhaps I should rephrase that - 'commercial printing services'

A lot of people these days are getting prints done at these chain stores - be interesting to see how they stack-up against the home/business printers you'll be reviewing.

[WitchdoctorGaz]

Perhaps I should rephrase that - 'commercial printing services'

A lot of people these days are getting prints done at these chain stores - be interesting to see how they stack-up against the home/business printers you'll be reviewing.

I've sold both Epson and Canon large-format machines (A2+ to 60 inch wide) into places like Harvey Normans and Stationery Warehouse. Basically if they have someone on staff passionate about getting the right result then you'll get decent output. That's quite rare in my experience, I'd be more inclined to take my files to companies such as PCL in Newton - their operators are well versed in colour management and photoshop, and religiously maintain their machines on a daily basis (nozzle clean/linearisation/profiling paper stocks etc).
Luckily for me I still have mates at Canon/Epson who are ok with me 'popping in' with a flash drive containing a few pics...

[AshleyK]

I reviewed five A4 photo printers last year for a local magazine and with the right paper and settings, the results can be incredibly good, at least as good as anything Ive seen from a non-professional commercial operator (Harveys, Dickies etc.). On the other hand, with cheap paper, the home results can be distinctly average.

The hassle with printing at home is that the cost can't match the rate that you get charged by the commercial operators, especially for your happy snaps. No way, no how Paper and genuine ink doesn't come cheap and at least one of the review printers gobbled up ink the way I go through a plate of curry i.e. rapidly. You get closer in terms of costs with the bigger print sizes because while you can get 4x6" prints done for very little loot, the prices rise dramatically as the paper size increases.

You've got to be pretty serious about your photography to run an A3+ printer at home...

[Nak-Mad]

Or Graphics.... wouldn't be without my tres ancient EPSON Pro4000, though it doesn't get enough use these days and ink cartridges are virtually impossible to source??. May be time to start saving for an upgrade, so will be interesting to read Mr Gaz's reviews....

[WitchdoctorGaz]

Or Graphics.... wouldn't be without my tres ancient EPSON Pro4000, though it doesn't get enough use these days and ink cartridges are virtually impossible to source??. May be time to start saving for an upgrade, so will be interesting to read Mr Gaz's reviews....

The Stylus Pro4000 is a nice printer, the only real bugbear was the purging of ink if you went from gloss to matt stocks. From memory it chucked about 80ml into the maintenance tank (think about it - $1 per ml). I would advise photographers to ‘gang’ up their matt prints so they made the best of an expensive process.
Canon got it right with the imageProGraf series, only a small purge of ink (and black only) and all cartridges in situ.

[Nak-Mad]

Yea Gaz,, though it is old, it does a good turn on graphics, and prints piccies plenty good enough for me.. any issues are with the photographer, not the printer

The biggest bugbear is now finding print cartridges.. will be needing some soon and at last call EPSON didn't have any.. may need to import, or just get a new printer!

[WitchdoctorGaz]

Yea Gaz,, though it is old, it does a good turn on graphics, and prints piccies plenty good enough for me.. any issues are with the photographer, not the printer

The biggest bugbear is now finding print cartridges.. will be needing some soon and at last call EPSON didn't have any.. may need to import, or just get a new printer!

That’s a touch ridiculous don’t you think? When I started working for Aarque (2004?) the 4000 was a new printer, considering it was the thick end of $4K you’d think they would carry ink cartridges for more than 6 years. The problem is the new ones have a different ink set/formulation, and even the K3 ink cartridges as used on the 4800 wouldn’t work (I think).
I guess if you’ve made the machine pay for itself over the years then a replacement would be worth considering. The Epsons are still excellent, but the new Canon’s are hellishly good also (and faster).