Thinking about buying a printer

[carleton]

I am starting a photo documentary project and I would like to give out 8x10 prints to my subject as a thank you and a way to get my name out there, so archival quality prints is very important to me. Because of this I am thinking of the Epson 2400 or another printer of that type of quality/price.

I plan to be printing color images, scanned from both C-41 and E6 mostly, but also digital capture. What would you recommend? Considering I am giving the images away for free, I would like to keep the cost down, but not at the price of sacrificing quality.

Sam

 

[donbga]

I am starting a photo documentary project and I would like to give out 8x10 prints to my subject as a thank you and a way to get my name out there, so archival quality prints is very important to me. Because of this I am thinking of the Epson 2400 or another printer of that type of quality/price.

I plan to be printing color images, scanned from both C-41 and E6 mostly, but also digital capture. What would you recommend? Considering I am giving the images away for free, I would like to keep the cost down, but not at the price of sacrificing quality.

Sam

Consider one of the Epson 8x10 printers if you wish to keep the price down. They will certainly work fine. Canon also has an inexpensive line of printers as well.

The real expense is going to be the consumables, paper and ink.

Don Bryant

 

[keithwms]

Some time ago I picked up a refurbed R800 from epson for next to nothing. I really like the inkset (even though I guess it is the predcessor to the ultrachrome line) and it also happens to make very nice diginegs up to ~8x10 and can handle roll paper well.

 

[Greg_E]

The new dye ink Epsons actually do very well in terms of longevity, and that includes prints on matte papers.

 

[Daniel Balfour]

I can't speak of other manufacturers but with Epson the cost of the printer is a pittance compared with what you'd spend in ink. If you're set on something like the 2400 I'd suggest biting the bullet and spending the extra dough on the Epson 3800. It's a more robust machine with better print heads and about TRIPLE the ink-capacity per cartridge while each cartridge only costs about 35% more then those of the 2400. As for print quality, the 3800 needs no reviews.

- Daniel

 

[donbga]

I can't speak of other manufacturers but with Epson the cost of the printer is a pittance compared with what you'd spend in ink. If you're set on something like the 2400 I'd suggest biting the bullet and spending the extra dough on the Epson 3800. It's a more robust machine with better print heads and about TRIPLE the ink-capacity per cartridge while each cartridge only costs about 35% more then those of the 2400. As for print quality, the 3800 needs no reviews.

- Daniel

I beleive the 3800 carts are more than triple the capacity of the 2400 carts. The price per ml of ink for 3800 carts is about $0.60 while the 2400 cost more that $1.00 per ml.

I agree totally with Daniel the 3800 is a better deal all the way around if you have the space to set it up.

Don Bryant