Noir Portrait, need some tips: Got another opportunity to photograph my grandfather. I want this one blown up and printed. I use a new Epson photo printer and paper, however when I...

SlamminSammy

Got another opportunity to photograph my grandfather. I want this one blown up and printed. I use a new Epson photo printer and paper, however when I print it full-size, my colors are subtly changed and there is a spike in image noise.
Should I change a setting or tweak my photo? As you can imagine, I've been burning through black ink and it's starting to get frustrating. I have tried three brands of photo paper, as well.

Karl P Loc: Leigh NW UK

Hi

Sorry I do not have a full solution to your problem - however - I gave up with my prining at home on larger than 7x5 for this reason

I found that the local print station could print items exactly as required and wa cheaper than the ink and paper - but if you need a specific item in a specific way homeprint has more satisfaction

Good luck with your issue

Karl

SlamminSammy

Karl P wrote:

Hi

Sorry I do not have a full solution to your problem - however - I gave up with my prining at home on larger than 7x5 for this reason

I found that the local print station could print items exactly as required and wa cheaper than the ink and paper - but if you need a specific item in a specific way homeprint has more satisfaction

Good luck with your issue

Karl

Thank you! I used to send out to a guy in Pittsburgh but it got pricey. I thought investing in this top line printer would pay off (and in some ways it has) but my b&w photos aren't getting along with it.

jeanbug35 Loc: Jonesboro AR

If you are printing anything larger that a 5x7 I would use Walgreen or Walmart. Walgreen does a really good job I think.

PhotoArtsLA Loc: Boynton Beach

You can also use a trick we olde lab guys used to do. If you think inkjet is expensive, try the photochemical process! In any event, you print a "Test Strip" which is a one inch by full width slice of an important area of your image.

It is SO easy to do this in Photoshop. You print your test strip on a letter size page, even if the image is to be huge, if you have the huge printer. You place the one inch slice at the top of the page and print. The NEXT test strip is printed BELOW the first, which you erase (or turn off the layer) and then reload the test strip paper (the same way) and print the next strip. This allows testing without burning too much ink.

I make 30x40s and larger prints. Imagine wasting THAT much ink!!! Long live the test strip. Giving printers confidence for over a century.

kayautho Loc: Boynton Beach, FL

PhotoArtsLA wrote:

You can also use a trick we olde lab guys used to ... (show quote)

I'm not exactly sure how you create the test strip. Do you duplicate the image and crop a one inch section?

SlamminSammy

kayautho wrote:

quote=PhotoArtsLA You can also use a trick we old... (show quote)

That's what I'm thinking....hoping to hear back from this guy now lol

PIPDYOUNGER Loc: SUNDERLAND NORTH EAST ENGLAND

SlamminSammy wrote:

Got another opportunity to photograph my grandfather. I want this one blown up and printed. I use a new Epson photo printer and paper, however when I print it full-size, my colors are subtly changed and there is a spike in image noise.
Should I change a setting or tweak my photo? As you can imagine, I've been burning through black ink and it's starting to get frustrating. I have tried three brands of photo paper, as well.

Yeah try the local printers, great quality and cheaper too ;)