LittleRedFish Loc: Naw'lens (New Orleans)

My hsuband keeps telling me "just get the one on the foam board" because you don't need to frame it and it's fairly cheap.
I never do though, just doesn't look as nice.

and good for you about printing. did you buy your own printer? if so, what kind.

POVDOV

I have a canon 9500 pro. It is expensive to print with it. The ten Lucia inks it uses is over 100 bucks to by in a package of ten. Epson seems to be the pros printer of choice. Some one said in a earlier post you will waste a lot of ink getting started and it is true.

Choose a paper and stick with it and see if it has a file you can down load to your software to control the printer. This is the best way to go. I keep going back to Lightroom cause it has all the capabilities to print properly. If you tell the printer to control the printing and then change your mind and use the paper software you will get a conflict and that's not good.

Glossy uses less ink but I think only good if you want more punch in your picture. Going back to printing wet there was a product called Oriental Seagull. It was the most beautiful luster and color and I used it all the time. Can't find anything like it today. povdov

alliebess Loc: suburban Philadelphia

I printed some photos on artist's watercolor paper, which I cut to size to fit in my Epson printer. Results were excellent. Can't show results since most are now framed.
alliebess

The Old Man

Printing a fine digital image can be a complicated setup if you want the printed image to match the image on your monitor. Regardless of the paper brand be sure to go to their site and download the correct paper profile and use it. Better image editing software like Adobe Elements or Photoshop incorporate profiles in the print setup. If you want permenance your printer should use pigment inks. A print using pigment inks and on a rag paper you will get archival quality without noticeable fading for 100 years plus.

I sometimes over spray with Print Guard, an invisible spray, that adds abrasion and water resistance and up to another 20 years life. Of course it is recommended that all photos be framed under glass. However, so called "museum glass" can be very expensive but it is truly almost glareless.

I've always printed my digital imges using Epson Photo Printers - presently the R2880, and quality papers and always use the profiles and in Photoshop I use Soft Poofing soft proofing also incorporates the profile. I get a very close match to my monitor.

I have won many ribbbons and awards and occasionally sell a print.

You don't adjust the printer, you start with a calibrated monitor and a good editing/printing program. The profile tells your printer how to print on that particular paper.

photojoede Loc: NW Arkansas

I print on Epson paper and Breathing Color canvas. I have a Epson 2400 printer and also a Epson 9880 which I devote specifically to the canvas. Both printers do a fantastic job. My recommendation is to do your own printing.

silver Loc: Santa Monica Ca.

German etching paper can be printed using any good ink jet printer. There is nothing special about using this kind of paper, you just have to have a printer that can print on it. Less expensive printers will not do that great a job with this material because they cant accept thicker paper. Also you have to have a good profile for any good paper. If you buy a good ink jet printer you can do the same kind of prints yourself.

BOB Loc: Texas

Rachel , I been told that the Epson are the better printers I have 2 one for 8x10 and a second one that does 13 x 19 that I bought later and really like both. A good place to buy with good prices ,I buy all my ink and paper there and the ink are not refills they are orignal new one ...atlex.com......
Bob

drjuice

In my mind, the first important thing is the printer and long ago (the first time I ever saw Tektronix (now Xerox) color laser printers demonstrated at SIGGRAPH, I decided I wanted one of those when the price came down (which it did about 2007 or so). The model I got is an 8560 and except for missing one of the maintenance points, I've not had a lick of issues with it.

Then, I started worrying about paper and finally arrived at Crane's 90# 100% rag paper (NOT a "special" photo paper). The Crane's only came in gigantic sheets and a minimum of 100 sheets. I had the paper company cut the paper into some more manageable chunks that fit into my printer my printer's paper tray.

v

LittleRedFish Loc: Naw'lens (New Orleans)

I have an all-in one Epson printer, which has six color on it, not the best or fastest printer, but good for checking out your work and seeing how good your edit is.

If I have any shots that I really like I take it down to my local camera store. There I can get a lot of different types of prints done on much superior machines. Also, I can choose what I want my picture printed on. If they make a mistake, I can reprint at their cost.

Owning a bigger and more complex machine would be nice, but as few of pictures that I need above 8x10 it's best just to contract that out.....at least until I become rich and famous.

;-)

LittleRedFish Loc: Naw'lens (New Orleans)

Well I don't know if I could print on rag paper with my $300.00 Epson printed.

Currently I'm under the impression that rag paper is not used much, so I felt it was special. Also, Epson charges a lot for this type of paper.

I guess the real cost is the ink. Pigment ink is expensive, basically because it's not used as much. ( at least this is my understanding) also, it's natural, so now days anything natural cost an arm and a leg.

LittleRedFish Loc: Naw'lens (New Orleans)

I'll have to check it out, currently I'm ordering directly from Epson. I stock up when they have a 40% off sale. It's free shipping and no tax so I thought that was pretty good.
I would like to explore some different option and check out other options, so thank you very much for the tip.

pigpen

Between the cost of paper, and especially the ink, I don't print at home any more. If you don't have your monitor calibrated to you printer, you can waste alot of both.

Find a good lab. Some labs have two sets of pricing. The pro pricing is adjusted on their monitors to their printers, this is a little more but they are are guarenteed and will reprint for free. If you don't want some one else adjusting your photos, the pricing is a little cheaper, but if your unhappy, tuff!!! The price, by the way, isn't that different between the two.

As far as paper goes, I LIKE the lustre, but only the Fuji. The paper I LOVE is the Kodak mettalic paper and the Fuji pearl. Both are much more expensive, 20-30%, but are really beautiful.

LittleRedFish Loc: Naw'lens (New Orleans)

I waste a lot of both, guility.
But, I'm ADD and I prefered not to have to download my pictures to a flash drive, take at least a 20 minute drive to get them over to the lab, put them on their computer, wait in line to pay for them, and get my claim check.

Then wait a day or two or even three to get them back. (Great labs in my town are not on an hourly run). Afterward, find the time between work, operating hours of the store and kids to go back for another 20 minute drive and pick them up. Then see if I liked them, if not start the process over agian.

Nope, not for me. I preferred to chick, "print", wait an extremely long 30 seconds. Look at the picture, see if it's right. If it's not right, then go back to my computer, and change things while the picture is still on the monitor, and the kids are yelling for their dinner. I then make the necessary changes, go back to print and press enter.

That is worth the extra money it cost to have my own printer and pay for the type of paper I like.

It satisfies my ADD and save me time, gas and a whole lot of frustration.

The Old Man

Try ITSupplies.com for all brands of ink and paper. Their prices are less than any others I've found.

Once you try Epson's Velvet Fine Art paper and use the proper profile you won't believe the richness of color. The ultimate paper I've found is Hahnemuele from Germany however a 13x19 sheet now costs over $5.00 a sheet. I've won several awards using this paper and printed on an Epson R2880 printer.

MWAC Loc: Somewhere East Of Crazy

I have all mine printed on a,linen texture with a medium gloss finish. Love the look as it seems to go well with the vintage feel I like with my images.

Even the 24x32 looks great.

This post reminds me I need to print some new ones,and switch out the frames.