Raw & Post Processing, Printing > Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks
Do I want a 24 inch printer?
mearussi:
We all have our own way of doing things. I started with Costco before owning any printer and they do very good work for the price. If you have one near you and you don't do a lot of large printing then you might prefer to go that route, as their 24" prints are very economical. The one near me uses the Epson 7880. The main drawback is that you're limited to luster paper.
The other reason, besides cost, for owning your own printer is because you actually like to print. This is my reason, plus I like both the instant feedback and having total control over my image as well as being able to choose a wide variety of papers.
I started out with two Epson 4800s (one matte, one glossy) which I bought used and they worked well for many years until I bought a 7800 and decided I no longer needed them. This I now regret as I miss the convenience of being able to load a stack of cards into the paper tray and just push print then come back in an hour and have them all done. With the 7800 I have to feed them one at a time into the printer which means I'm tied up until the job is done.
So the questions you have to ask yourself are:
1. do you like to print
2. how often do you need to print 24"
3. for your 24" volume is it worth the overhead expense of both the printer and ink maintenance cost
4. how important is it to have both total and fast control over your printing
Miles:
Like enduser, I started at 17" and quickly decided I wanted to go larger and have been at 44" for several years now. Here's my thoughts:
1. Your cost per print will be higher than you think due to several factors including learning curve, wasted ink and paper and trying new media.
2. Occasional printing costs money in wasted ink for cleanings, clogged heads, or under utilized heads that may need to be replaced early.
3. If you have an interest in printing canvas gallery wraps, don't forget about needing adequate print width for the wrap.
4. You will fill your house quickly and still want to print your new stuff. :)
5. My customers require less and less paper prints and have shifted to canvas.
6. 44" printers only cost marginally more than 24" printers (given you have the space).
7. A good calibrated monitor will save you time and frustration with the final print.
Which printer did you choose and why? Epson-Canon?
I started with Epson, but infrequent usage resulted in repeated head clogs (they are probably much better now). Owned an HP z3100 and found it to be a great machine. Have since owned a Canon ipf8300 and now an ipf8400, both of which I have been very satisfied with. All three manufacturers will give great looking prints.
What do you do with the large prints?
Hang in house for my use, sell, or print for others.
Do you frame them, is it not quite expensive?
Framing is very expensive, thus one of the reasons for the shift to canvas gallery wraps.
Do you often make prints on letter size paper and is it a hassle?
I find letter size to be a hassle on a large printer. I will use a 10" roll instead and cut down the final print or print on a smaller 13" desktop printer.
Any comments would be most welcome. I'm in the early thought processing place with this idea. I'd consider the equivalent Canon printer but like to use QTR for my black and white images and according to a recent reply from Roy Harrington himself, QTR will not be coming to Canon. Also I heard/read that the Canon's work only with roll paper.
I can't speak for QTR or how important it is to you. Perhaps you should have someone with a Canon print a b&w for you for evaluation. My Canon handles cut sheet with ease and I use it regularly, but I don't own the latest model.
Bottom line is you will have control over your prints, but multiple prints may be necessary to perfect your vision of how you want it to look.
Miles
PeterAit:
--- Quote from: Eric Brody on March 24, 2018, 12:14:06 pm ---I'm an retired bum who loves photography and has been doing it in varying levels of intensity for over 50 years. Now, it's all I do, almost every day. I do some traveling in the US and internationally, but mostly stay at home in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. There is lots to photograph within a few hundred miles of my home.
I recently purchased a Sony A7RIII and have enjoyed it and its impressive resolution. I have used the Epson 38xx series of printers since 2007 and now use a 3880. It has been almost totally problem free. My largest prints currently are 13x20 in 22x28 frames. I occasionally, but quite infrequently actually sell an image but not so that I make any significant money. I'd like to try some larger prints, eg 24x36. Locally they cost in the US$150 range each.
My questions are for those who own a 24 inch printer for personal use.
Which printer did you choose and why? Epson-Canon?
What do you do with the large prints?
Do you frame them, is it not quite expensive?
Have you had to buy a new home to have place to display them ;D? I am fortunate to have a home with picture molding so my framed prints hang easily on wires from the molding without putting holes in the wall.
Have you come up with a way to display them effectively without framing?
Assuming I were to purchase an Epson P7000, and have read Keith Cooper's excellent review, (http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/epson-surecolor-p7000-printer-review/#conclusions) have you found it to be worthwhile? Do you often make prints on letter size paper and is it a hassle?
Any comments would be most welcome. I'm in the early thought processing place with this idea. I'd consider the equivalent Canon printer but like to use QTR for my black and white images and according to a recent reply from Roy Harrington himself, QTR will not be coming to Canon. Also I heard/read that the Canon's work only with roll paper.
--- End quote ---
1) I have had an Epson 7900 for about 5 years. I chose it because I was moving up from a 4880 that had worked reliably and produced great prints for 5 years before that.
2) I have a small “gallery” in the entrance hall of my home, with hanging rails, and I rotate new work thru there for friends and visitors to see. I also have local shows once in a while, where I sell a print or two.
3) Framing done by a shop is expensive indeed. Do it yourself, much less so. I keep a stock of metal channel frames and glass/acrylic and rotate prints. I also cut my own mats. Canvas stretching is cheaper.
4) New home? Lord no!
5) Google “poster hangers”.
Getting a 24” printer is no small deal. It is delivered by truck on a pallet, not UPS, and you’ll need some pals or hired guys to bring it into your house.
vjbelle:
I would recommend that you go ahead and buy a 24 inch printer. You have some wall space, have the time and appreciate the printing experience. Whether you purchase an Epson or Canon is another issue. They both can produce extremely good prints. I have owned both and have learned a lot from that experience. When the Epson's clog to the point of no self correction it requires a service call. That's fine if the printer is under warranty but if not then beware. Either way you may or may not find that the technician hasn't a clue as to what is wrong and will just throw anything necessary at the problem until its fixed. That's the real problem if you don't have a warranty. It becomes very costly and you still have a used printer with other issues on the horizon. Canon approaches this differently with replaceable heads which is a very easy process. I own a Canon ipf8400 and it replaced an Epson 9900 which I just junked after the heads clogged beyond self fixing. There are times when I don't print for 6 months and then I print in spurts - only for myself. The Canon's are better suited for this scenario. I have a large home with wall space dedicated for prints. I also use the AS hanging system as mentioned above which is a marvelous way to display prints. Regardless, you won't be disappointed with either printer - until there is a clog!
Best of luck......
Victor
loganross:
I recently had to pick between the two sizes. I ended up staying with 17" (Pro 1000 Canon). From an economic standpoint, the 24" printer (Pro 2000) made sense because of the larger ink cartridges. However, in the end, I decided it would be rare that I print larger than 17" wide, I generally prefer to work with cut sheets over rolls, and the 24" printer was clearly designed with rolls in mind. Thus, as a practical matter, it was easier for me to stick with the 17" printer.
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