steve49 Loc: massachusetts

any recommendations for a decent printer?
what type of file should i send them out of lightroom?

i have sent jpegs in the past and wonder if there is a better option.
tks
steve

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Here are some links for photo printers. See if you can compare printing costs, since that will be with you long after the purchase. You can use third party ink, but you take your chances.

https://www.photoworkout.com/best-home-use-photo-printers/
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1872566,00.asp
https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/best-photo-printers/
http://www.computershopper.com/printers/photo

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1872566,00.asp
https://www.lifewire.com/best-photo-printers-to-buy-4066817
http://www.pcmag.com/reviews/photo-printers

rjaywallace Loc: Wisconsin

Are you looking for a commercial printing company to make prints from your photos? Jpeg files should be fine. Are you planning to sell the photos or just display them in your home/office? There are a lot of printing companies out there; many advertise in the popular photography magazines. Some that I have used are BayPhoto, Meridian Professional Labs and WhiteWalls.

steve49 Loc: massachusetts

yes,
i am looking for commercial printers.
thanks
s

BarTim Loc: Milan, Ohio

I really like the Canon Pro-100. You can get them for a good price ($250 rebate), but you'll need to pay about $80 for the ink.
Unless you get one in a bundle of some sort from B&H or Adorama, or someone.
Tim

tinplater Loc: Scottsdale, AZ

Here is how I got mine, new in the box with ink for $90. This link on Craigslist is without ink. I use the cheap inks with no issue.

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/sys/d/canon-pixma-pro-100-new-in/6242988705.html

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

Bay Photo
The site gives you all the pertinent information and you can send as jpg or tiff, whichever suits you.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

All printers will accept jpegs, some will accept TIFF, but will convert to jpeg in their workflow. So bottom line make the very best looking 16 bit ProPhoto TIFF, then convert to sRGB jpeg for printing. If the printer has a 16 bit Adobe RGB workflow, then you can send them one of those instead. But you need to ask that question.

Bay Photo, Mpix, White House Custom Color and Millers (parent company of Mpix) all do great work, and all have jpeg based workflows.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Send them whatever they specify. If they take more than one format send the one with the most info in the file.

BarTim Loc: Milan, Ohio

That is a good deal. unfortunately I live in the middle f nowhere and couldn't find one. :)

Spiney Loc: Reading, PA

I've used Mpix and Mpix Pro for several years. I've been very happy. They will work with you to calibrate your monitor to their prints.

I too picked up 2 Canon Printers a Pro-100 and Pro-10 from Craigslist. I paid $100 for the Pro-100 sealed in box with paper & ink. I was totally blessed by finding a pro-10 for Just $50 same deal sealed in box with ink & box of 13x19 paper. I put a search on Craigslist for those printers and get an email when they show up. I use Precisioncolor ink to refill at probably 20% cost of Canon and they are always working to make their ink as compatible and long lasting as possible. Provide great tech support. I now print all of my smaller prints in house.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Check out Nations Photo for your printing needs...
You may also have an option to print through a local camera store if you have one near by. Here in the Charlotte area we have Biggs Photo which offers printing services in house.

Best,
Todd Ferguson

steve49 Loc: massachusetts

thanks all.
helpful stuff

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

I'm very happy with my Epson P800. I use the print module in Lr to print.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Canon or Epson PHOTO QUALITY inkjet printer.

Printing directly from Lightroom allows you to have Lightroom convert the image "on the fly" from raw, TIFF, JPEG, PNG... whatever. If you recorded the original in raw, and adjusted it in LR, you should print from raw. Your default working color space in LR should be ProPhoto RGB. Photoshop will convert the raw image to your monitor profile for viewing, and to your printer profile for printing, and you will get maximum available color gamut from your printer.

If you are EXPORTING files for a conventional, silver halide wet process photo lab, 95% will want a highest possible quality JPEG in the sRGB color space. If you communicate well with them, they MAY take a TIFF file in a wider gamut color space such as Adobe RGB (1998).

If you plan to print, and want your prints to look like the image displayed on your monitor, you must calibrate and profile your monitor, using a colorimeter or spectrophotometer and the software that comes with it. X-RITE Color Munki and DataColor Spyder5Pro Plus are examples. Otherwise, you are just guessing.