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S900 vs online printing.
- Thread starter BRS
- Start date
I have not run the numbers to back it up but i will take my s900 over online photos any day. I tried all the free offers from online services and found that if i sent the same exact picture to 5 different sources i got back 5 different prints. 50% of the time the results were worthless and had to be returned. Nothing like getting green sky in all your pics or a nice 1/2" roller mark down every picture. They also varried widely in their birghtness. It was anything but consistant.
Here is the way i do it, ymmv.
I got the s900. I went to costco and purchased the 100 pack 8x10 from epson for $19.99. I then took 80 of those to a local printer, kinkos might even do it. and had each sheet cut into 4x6. This cost me $2. So for $22 i got 20 8x10's and 240 4x6's. I have gone through the cannon inks and have started using the tyler martin ones. So far i like them. I think it ran me $15-18 for all 6 colors.
Like i said, i have not done the math but even for 4x6's online it will run you $.24 each and i get instant results. No waiting for 3 days to find out that none of your pictures turned out.
Not to mention all the time i save in not having to upload all those pics.
BRS wrote:
So to answer your question......i am vary pleased with the quality of the s900 compared to online services. Durablility, time will tell. I think it is important to store them well.
Here is the way i do it, ymmv.
I got the s900. I went to costco and purchased the 100 pack 8x10 from epson for $19.99. I then took 80 of those to a local printer, kinkos might even do it. and had each sheet cut into 4x6. This cost me $2. So for $22 i got 20 8x10's and 240 4x6's. I have gone through the cannon inks and have started using the tyler martin ones. So far i like them. I think it ran me $15-18 for all 6 colors.
Like i said, i have not done the math but even for 4x6's online it will run you $.24 each and i get instant results. No waiting for 3 days to find out that none of your pictures turned out.
Not to mention all the time i save in not having to upload all those pics.
BRS wrote:
So to answer your question......i am vary pleased with the quality of the s900 compared to online services. Durablility, time will tell. I think it is important to store them well.
PrarieDog
Member
I had purchased a S900 and returned it because it couldn't compete with Walmart.com printing. The S900 was close, but the prices and quality of Walmart beat it handedly. Thats not to say that Walmart is perfect either.
I have become a bit cautious about some of the comments made in this forum regarding the quality of some of these printers. Someone might say that their prints are equivalent or surpass commercial photo processors, but I have not seen that to be the case. Not if you are truly being critical.
I can assure you that I am very critical when it comes to the quality that I want in a finished image. I was hoping that the S900 would be the solution for me, but its not quite there. The continuous tone output from Walmart beats out the dithered results of any inkjet that I have seen yet. Perhaps the new Epsons might get there. Let's hope anyway....
The new HiTi continous tone (dye sub) printers are showing great results for 4X6 printing, but this is a new product with unknow longterm prospects.
Regards,
PrarieDog
I have become a bit cautious about some of the comments made in this forum regarding the quality of some of these printers. Someone might say that their prints are equivalent or surpass commercial photo processors, but I have not seen that to be the case. Not if you are truly being critical.
I can assure you that I am very critical when it comes to the quality that I want in a finished image. I was hoping that the S900 would be the solution for me, but its not quite there. The continuous tone output from Walmart beats out the dithered results of any inkjet that I have seen yet. Perhaps the new Epsons might get there. Let's hope anyway....
The new HiTi continous tone (dye sub) printers are showing great results for 4X6 printing, but this is a new product with unknow longterm prospects.
Regards,
PrarieDog
Linh Nguyen
Well-known member
I will have to agree with you. Any lab will have a much better continuous tone. Some of the samples i've seen in sotres i don't believe are printed by those printers. I personally have an s820. While walmart does beat it out for the continuous tone, i prefer to print right now, right here. walmart for me can never seem to accept my cds. their system is always down, and i hate their online upload system (plus i don't like waiting). i've tried ofoto and shutterfly, and walmart wins handsdown for me.. but the canon does a very good job still. it again depends on who you are. for most people i deal with, it works out wonderfully.
my only gripe with the canon is reading about all this printhead stuff. makes me think i shoulda bought the printer at bestbuy to get the cheap 3 yr warranty. I hope i won't run into the problems some s9000 users are having. this and the printer is very picky about paper. i found office depot paper to be an excellent alternative. I just wish i could have used red river papers. the satin is what i'm really after.
Linh
my only gripe with the canon is reading about all this printhead stuff. makes me think i shoulda bought the printer at bestbuy to get the cheap 3 yr warranty. I hope i won't run into the problems some s9000 users are having. this and the printer is very picky about paper. i found office depot paper to be an excellent alternative. I just wish i could have used red river papers. the satin is what i'm really after.
Linh
Linh Nguyen
Well-known member
are you serious that kinkos will cut the paper for you? Do you know how they handle the paper? I wouldn't want them smudging their fingers all over...
Kinko's told me they would cut a stack of inkjet photo paper up to 5" high. The price is 2.00 for setup and .75 for each cut. There should be 3 cuts so it wold be 4.25.
Jerry
Jerry
If you are going to have some print shop cut them up for you, do yourself a favor and lay it out for them. When you are turning 100 sheets into 300 4x6's are you really worried about the top sheet getting finger prints on it? get real! btw i think it turns out to be more than 3 cuts but maybe you can make some 5x7's. good luck.
Linh Nguyen
Well-known member
Yeah, i just don't want them cutting something like 3 sheets at a time or something strange. Last time i had something there done, they botched it up.
To get three 4x6's, i would figure 5 cuts... at least that's how i do it.
To get three 4x6's, i would figure 5 cuts... at least that's how i do it.
I also agree with you about going to Wal-Mart, especially when you take the durability of the prints into consideration. You read report-after-report of Canon prints fading after only a few months on the frig. This will simply not happen with photo lab prints. It's obviously impractical to display every print behind glass.
If I have to get something printed out quickly, I will print myself. If it's for display, I'll laminate it for an extra layer of protection. Otherwise I let Wal-mart do it.
Beeeil
If I have to get something printed out quickly, I will print myself. If it's for display, I'll laminate it for an extra layer of protection. Otherwise I let Wal-mart do it.
Beeeil
Yep, you're right. I was thinking about 5x7's for some reason. Duh. I think I'm going to have some of each cut anyway.
Jerry
Jerry
Eugene Gallucci
Forum Enthusiast
Excuse me for being dense - but where may I find these report-after-report articles? Surely, you are not talking about printers like the s9000?
I have left a print from my Canon on a windowsill for almost 2 months (just to see what would happen) and nothing has happened yet??
Carpe Diem
I agree. Fading.....no big deal. I've found that the PPP paper works great and hasn't shifted or faded, but it's expensive. I like Jet Print Pro but will admit that it does shift after about 6 weeks.
Solved that by spray fixing my prints with American Tradition Clear Gloss or Satin. Absolutely perfect finish and 110% protected from just about anything.
I also don't know why others see dithering. I'm pretty picky and while some papers don't take ink well, JPP Paper on my S900 is awesome. I have my office covered in prints from 4x6 to 8x10's and everyone comments on how perfect all the pics are. They think I'm a pro
tim
Solved that by spray fixing my prints with American Tradition Clear Gloss or Satin. Absolutely perfect finish and 110% protected from just about anything.
I also don't know why others see dithering. I'm pretty picky and while some papers don't take ink well, JPP Paper on my S900 is awesome. I have my office covered in prints from 4x6 to 8x10's and everyone comments on how perfect all the pics are. They think I'm a pro
tim
Here are 10 examples I dug up in the past 15 minutes. They are posts about both Canon (800, 900, 9000) and Epson prints. Somebody said that s800, s820, s900, and s9000 uses the same ink (link #4). I searched for "canon fade", "canon fading", "magnet", etc.
Granted, many people have good experience with fading, but just as many people have bad ones. My point is, why take a chance for $0.24 per print?
1 - Canon http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=2777463
2 - Canon http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=3000053
3 - Canon http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=2627346
4 - Canon http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=2604146
5 - Canon http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=2957702
6 - Canon http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=2862335
7 - Canon http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=2780852
8 - Canon http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=2784819
9 - Epson http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=2984956
10 - Epson http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=2985081
I am not sure why your print hasn't faded, maybe 2 months isn't long enough. You may want to print another one, keep it in a drawer, and take it out a few months later for comparison. Sometimes it's difficult to see prints fade until you do A-B.
Beeeil
Granted, many people have good experience with fading, but just as many people have bad ones. My point is, why take a chance for $0.24 per print?
1 - Canon http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=2777463
2 - Canon http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=3000053
3 - Canon http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=2627346
4 - Canon http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=2604146
5 - Canon http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=2957702
6 - Canon http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=2862335
7 - Canon http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=2780852
8 - Canon http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=2784819
9 - Epson http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=2984956
10 - Epson http://www.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1003&message=2985081
I am not sure why your print hasn't faded, maybe 2 months isn't long enough. You may want to print another one, keep it in a drawer, and take it out a few months later for comparison. Sometimes it's difficult to see prints fade until you do A-B.
Beeeil
I just had a pack of od paper cut into 300 4x6 sheets, flipped the top couple of sheets upside down to stop fingerprints, and it cost 5.42. They put thin cardboard on the top and bottom so the prints wasn't much of an issue anyway.
Jerry
Jerry
Chris Ventura93896
Forum Enthusiast
I am very curious as to the setup with software, paper type, ink, camera and total process that leads you to believe that the new line of Canon printers have a dithering look to them. If the image captured is a quality image from a quality camera, printing on the S9000 with quality paper will definately provide results that rival any photo lab. I just got done printing off ten 11x14 photos from a Nikon D100 camera, and I can only see dithering using a magnifying glass. Is it possible that you are confusing dithering with digital noise produces by the camera you are using?
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