Lloyd Miller Loc: Washington state

I use the Epson XP-960 for my large prints as it does a great job. I also have a Epson ET-2500 printer that I use for 8X10s and it never runs out of ink....well almost. Very, very, economical.

srherrmann Loc: Baton Rouge, Louisiana

I have been using my Canon Pro 10 for two years. There are ten ink wells and I use only Canon ink and Canon paper. Has always worked great, I have never had a problem with this printer.

JRD3 Loc: Richmond, VA

Thanks for your very detailed response. It is most helpful.

nikonbrain Loc: Crystal River Florida

Yes calibration software is a must , listen to what they say , most important step . Gretag Mcbeth ,Xrite best place to start , for color consistency..

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

I agree, I have an older Canon PIXMA PRO-9000, likely not up to the PRO-100, especially for B&W. But both a great for up to 11x17". But same issue, goes through ink crazy and a Canon set costs about $140.00.

pmackd Loc: Alameda CA

If you are not too fussy about color you can get excellent results from Costco without calibrating your monitor. But you do have to be on top of brightness. I turned down the brightness on my monitor and went through a couple of iterations before getting reproducible results -- ie not too dark or too bright. They won't alter the brightness in store if you are not happy with a print, but you can bring multiple versions on a thumb drive and ask for no-charge re-do.

Sinewsworn Loc: Port Orchard, WA

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

Unless you do volume, maybe 100 prints a month, it will likely be cheaper to send your work out, and your results will be better. Ink, paper, test prints, paper and ink profiling, etc - all adds up to make home printing.

Labs generally have done all of these up and will profile their printers regularly, making there results very consistent. Most use continuous ink systems that bring the price of ink down to a fraction of what you will pay. Or they will provide good quality using photo paper and wet-process printing (C-41 prints).

mikegene1

Gosh, I do not like to disagree with a guy who has one of the best shots of a snowy owl I have ever seen, but here goes - I am an amateur and I love printing out my own photos. If cost is your only consideration, then maybe professional printing is the way to go. Reasons I like to print my own: If I print a photo and do not like it, I can reprint it. I can have photos printed very soon after they are taken. I can try printing it on different papers to see which one I like the best. I can print Tee shirts, cards, all sorts of stuff. For me photography is a hobby and there is usually some expense to most hobbies. My brick wall is the tripod. I cannot understand why they are so expensive!

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

Amfoto provided an excellent comprehensive answer to your question. You should use it as a guide.

mikegen1 presents both sides of the printing dilemma:

The thing is, even if you follow all the steps of calibrating the monitor, etc. it is a good idea to be able to print "test photos" before sending out to a print lab. This way you can catch things like a blue cast to the images, and make decisions about further editing, cropping, etc. Also you can print a lot yourself up to the size capabilities of the printer.

Buy a good quality printer at a price point you are comfortable with. Find a print lab with a price point you are comfortable with. Then you will have the best of both worlds! Shop around for both, listen to recommendations then do your own research to make an informed decision. If you have a local print lab that does excellent work, it is easier to go there for a fast turnaround. Or you can choose an online lab that is within a short shipping distance!

Example: I live in SW Vermont. Not much around here for printers except Staples, the nearest is in the Albany, NY area. My choice of print labs is Adoramapix, which is in New York City. Shipping is usually 2 days from the time the order is ready to send. Same thing for camera gear - B&H and Adorama both have physical stores in NYC so I usually use them for purchases.

Note: When answering a particular person's comment, use the "Quote Reply" link at the bottom of that person's post. Then it is clear to whom you are responding!

JRD3 Loc: Richmond, VA

Thanks for the suggestion on both printer and how to respond.

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont