Printers for extra large DN's?

I started making a materials list for my UV light box yesterday, with plans to make it 18"x22" so that I can print 16x20's eventually. However it occurred to me that my printer is only capable of an 8.5" wide print, which means I'm limited to 8x10's. I'll upgrade printers to something capable of 11x14 later on, but I'll never be able to afford anything larger, at least in the next few years.

So I was wondering if there are places where you can send digital negative files for printing large negatives? Is a 16x20 digital negative even possible?

Either the Epson P800 or Canon Pro-1000 can print up to 17” wide, however those might be out of your price range. The one downside to having someone else print your negatives is that you lose a certain amount of control.

I’m pretty sure there are a few places that can create a film negative from a digital file, but I suspect that would get expensive quickly. I’m not aware of anywhere that will print an inkjet negative.

Bob Carnie uses his Lambda to do this.
The Expression Photo HD XP-15000 Wide-format Printer ($349.99) would give you a 13"x17" capability, but uses dye based inks.

What's a lambda?

Look for a used Epson 3800/3880 or a 4000 series printer. They'll do 17" (4000 will do rolls as well as sheets) and they use pigment inks that you can get as aftermarket. The newer printers have chips on the ink that force you to only use the Epson branded stuff which can get pricey.

ChristopherCoy said:

What's a lambda?

Click to expand...

Essentially a digital enlarger. It exposes film or paper with laser light that is then chemically processed and can do huge sizes off the roll. They are about the size of a small car and much more expensive than one.