What is the best semi-pro photoprinter?
February 2, 2004 7:39 PM   Subscribe

Is there any consensus "best" semi-professional photoprinter? I'd like to buy something that would rival or exceed the quality of prints that one might get from ofoto or shutterfly.

Im currently considering the Epson 2200.
posted by mert to Technology (10 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
You might read this post and others in the same thread. The concensus seems to be that consumer photo printers, with stupidly expensive special papers and inks, won't rival what you can get more cheaply from your local photo lab with a digital-input printer.
posted by Aaorn at 7:52 PM on February 2, 2004


Response by poster: Excellent. I guess I'll be headed to my local ghetto Kinko's.
posted by mert at 9:07 PM on February 2, 2004


If you're really interested in do-it-yourself, the Epson 2200's prints will equal or even beat the prints from Fuji Frontier in terms of archival quality, depending on what type of paper you use. Generally though, at-home printing is more worthwhile the higher the quantity you print. If you'd just like to print some family snapshots every once in a while, it's much easier (and probably cheaper) to just get it printed at a local lab with a Frontier.

You didn't mention what size you were looking to print. If you don't need sizes larger than 8.5x11, the new Epson R800 uses the same archival Ultrachrome as its bigger brother, has a finer dot pitch, and costs a couple of hundred dollars less.

But since you mentioned "semi-professional" you might be interested in the larger print sizes. :) Have you checked out the 2200 in person? It's massive--and heavy!
posted by DaShiv at 10:02 PM on February 2, 2004


Luminous-landscape has a great Epson 2200 review. That's a great site overall, btw.
posted by gen at 10:27 PM on February 2, 2004


I have a 2200 and while I have not run it through the same paces as my 2000P (the model the 2200 replaced) I can say that it makes a damn fine print. I bought it versus a smaller format printer for the capability to do A3/Tabloid size sheets for CAD work as well. I now have an HP 120nr. Macworld has a new review of smaller photo printers.
posted by Dick Paris at 3:14 AM on February 3, 2004


Three Canon bubblejets have just got "best buys" in Which Magazine in the UK, the i965 being the overall favourite. It only prints to A4 size, but is reportedly very fast.
posted by cbrody at 4:17 AM on February 3, 2004


For Christmas, I got the little woman a Canon i960. We've both been blown away by the quality of the prints that this puts out on both regular and glossy paper. The printer is surprisingly affordable (~$200), sets up easily, and prints quickly. There are six ink cartridges, so you don't have to replace them all when one empties out. The only drawback is that it doesn't support 11x17, but when we decided to be rational about it, we don't really have that need (as opposed to slight desire).

We've been very pleased with it.
posted by warhol at 7:18 AM on February 3, 2004


I use a Canon s9000 to make prints up to 13x19 that I, friends, and family display framed on the wall. At $300 it's a steal. You'd get slightly better prints from Ofoto, but you'd have to look much closer than anyone actually would to notice a difference.

I think the main difference is that Ofoto etc use heavier stock and produce prints that will hold up better to handling, spills, etc.
posted by y6y6y6 at 7:25 AM on February 3, 2004


Look in your yellow pages and consult the local art shops: someone surely has a giclee printer.
posted by five fresh fish at 10:37 AM on February 3, 2004


sorry to butt in, but can i ask for some clarification?

the other threads talk about photo processing places and chain stores that don't exist in chile. i take images (on cd) to a copy shop and they print them for me on moderately thick, glossy paper - the results look fine, but are not completely smooth (you can see lines from the bubble jet or whatever it is if you hold the paper at the right angle in the light). is that the kind of quality everyone is talking about, or should i be trying other places? (i too am thinking of selling prints - these are computer generated art, not photos) and 5k pixels to a side, so print out pretty small (about 6" looks ok).

i have no idea what giclee is either, but can probably google for that. cheers.
posted by andrew cooke at 11:34 AM on February 10, 2004


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