Print Yourself or use a Commercial Printer

[flashpixx]

Been running a business for about a year now selling digital images and prints. Digital images make up about 95% of sales.

Recently a client received some prints and was not happy with them. I've subsequently sent the digital images to him, and he likes them. I'm getting the prints redone by a commercial printer. I've not had any complaints previously.

If you sell prints, do you print them yourself, or have them done by a printer?

There is a bit of overhead in getting good quality ink, papers, calibrating the equipment etc... Given the small number I do I'm thinking of outsourcing my printing. The printer is a commercial outfit, uses Ilford paper, archival inks and huge ass Epson printers, so quality is good, and he is a friend.

What would you do?

[JM Tran]

I use a commercial printer for all my clients needs and my personal photos too:)

the overheads and expenses in putting together a respectable printing set up at home, that can print to the same volume that my commercial printing business does for me - I estimated to be nearly 10k per annum.......thats rediculous for a home job lol

[OzzieTraveller]

G'day Gordon

I am sure that to this Q you will receive a variety of responses - how long is a piece of string
fwiw - 100% of my colour printing is done commercially ... both personal and commercial usage

I am a bit of a fussy character, and as yet, I have not come across a domestic colour printer priced at under $1k that would satisfy me ...
I look at the cost of replacement ink carts :eek:, paper, etc
I look at (other printers) image quality after a year or so of printer use when it starts streaking and leaving marks on the paper, and so it goes on

I am Canberra based - for my local printing of less than 30x40cm, I use a local print shop where I can view their colour-control strips any time I go into the shop
For stuff larger than 30x40, I use RGB Digital Pro in Brisbane - they offer both an amateur & pro service with pricing to suit the service

Hope this helps a bit
Regards, Phil

[habro]

I'd never consider printing myself, it's one less thing to worry about having to do/operate & you can use that time to market etc

[BLWNHR]

If you sell prints, do you print them yourself, or have them done by a printer?

I used to do them myself, but for the last 4 years have had them printed by my local lab. They gave me their printer profile and the results have been spot on.

I get a commercial rate from them and it isn't worth my time trying to print them myself.

[kiwi]

yes, both

[Rattus79]

I use Prolab in Brisbane for all my big stuff, but for little 6x4's I'll just do that on my little Canon.

[Wayne]

I think that unless you print reasonable volume of larger than A3 or need something straight away, it is cheaper by some margin to have them done at the lab. If you only print small 6x4 or 8x10 in small volume then probably the same sort of cost to do yourself, and you get them straight away as opposed to waiting for the lab, but in volume and if using manufacturer paper/ink it is pretty costly to do yourself.

[Longshots]

I agree with Phil/Ozzie Traveller.

I rarely need to print for my clients, but when I do I'll sometimes outsource the majority of it to a pro commercial printer, or if its small quantities, then I can print it at the studio. If its 6 x 4 proofs or similar, then if its a quantity, then I'll use Hardly Normal.

I use an Epson 3800, which once setup right with correct profiles with corresponding paper, then its truly excellent, and I can make small adaptations if I need. Personally I find that very convenient, and cost effective. The biggest plus is that the print is ready within a few minutes and removes the cost and time of getting it from the printer.

[flashpixx]

Thanks for the responses. I've decided to go with a pro lab except for my own prints.

[KillerTimbo]

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[Gypsy]

I use a pro lab always. I'm very fussy with the quality that I hand over.

[jeffde]

I use RGB Digital Pro in Brisbane for pretty well all my printing big and small - occasionally use a local lab for some quick (same day) prints.

Never considered doing it at home - not worth the time exspense and incosistent results.

[angryman]

I use a photo lab - cant beat the quality, and because of the voulme of work i give them, I get a good rate.

But....today I had to print photos at the track, to give to the winners of the round. Had no choice but to drag the printer out there, and even though they were happy, I felt embarrassed giving them the photos. Short of a $1000+ pro printer, the lab will always win on quality.

[Gypsy]

Oh I use Nulab

[nwhc]

RGB digital pro in brisbane look very good for the price are you guys happy with there work?

[kiwi]

I use them - they are excellent

[junqbox]

Commercial every time

[Dan Cripps]

For client work I outsource to a pro lab.

For personal work (and award entries etc) I print myself. Pigment ink on fiber based paper beats any lab print.

[Longshots]

I'm just doing some prints at the moment - not a regular occassion. But when I do, I am so glad at the ease, access, and sheer quality of a properly set up in house system. I'm using an Epson 3800, and use Ilford paper (also using the proper paper profiles for each paper). When its set up right, and I'd agree it was a bit of a learning curve (but what isnt ?), it is absolutely superb. Cant rave about it enough.

However if I was having to produce bulk prints, then I would use Digilab or Frontier in Brisbane - both are excellent, and ensure regular calibration of their systems.

[KarenC]

If I were to print from home what would be the best printer in the $1,000 - $1200 range to set up.

[ZedEx]

Well I guess the question you need to ask yourself is: how big do you want to print? You could get a good A3 sized printer for around that price, but that limits your print sizes to fairly small enlargements


If I were to print from home what would be the best printer in the $1,000 - $1200 range to set up.

[ricktas]

If I were to print from home what would be the best printer in the $1,000 - $1200 range to set up.

If you are going to print from home this site (http://www.wilhelm-research.com/) is your friend. It details printers, inks and paper. In particular, look at the inks and papers. If you get a good combination there is no reason your prints should not last 100 years or more from an inkjet printer these days, as long as you select correctly

[Lance B]

I have printed all my own stuff on my Epson R2400, even my panoramas two of which are about 1550mm wide by 330mm high! They look fantastic, even if I do say so myself. :)

[DavidG]

For those folks who use commercial printers, does the the sRGB v's AdobeRGB issue come into play?

Ive used a mob in Melbourne for my prints. They print from sRGB files. Thus fare I happy(ish) with the results.

Other photogs Ive spoken to have raved about the print improvement using a AdobeRGB printhouse in terms of colour range and tonalities.

I understand the different colourspaces but am interested in real printed differences.

To add further spin I heard of some folks now using ProRGB with positive results. Are there any prolabs that use ProRGB for its wider gamut?

Appreciate your comments ....

[kiwi]

Doesnt come into play for me. Not saying it won't but my clients view the photos on a website and order online so I'd think that they view in sRgb and probably are not wanting different colours on their prints when they arrive, not that I'd know how much difference there actually is

[Gregpen]

I use both commercial and also print myself using an Epson 2880, my monitors are calibrated using a spyder Elite 3. I figure this is just another part of being a photographer and having a good understanding of how to achieve quality results myself just adds to the overall experience. Give both a go why not...

[I @ M]

I don't know how correct the following statement is but --- I was told by a commercial lab that there are no printers available that could print beyond the srgb gamut.

Food for thought.

[Sobriquet]

I print myself using Epson 3880, if i need bigger I go commercial, 5 x 7's I do commercially, too small for me to bother with. It is just one more part of the creative control I like and I am loving the metallic papers and experimenting with watercolour paper that I can't get elsewhere. Cost effective for archival quality and there is no one near me that I can get good prints from.