Do you print your own photos and how large?

[Onquake]

With all these big mega-pixel cameras available now, how large do you print your photos either yourself or via another source? What printer do you use and the media that you print on mostly? Do you use a pro-type inkjet printer? Do you make use of all those BIG MP's versus smaller 6, 8, or 10MP cameras? Thanks.

Onquake.
--
"Good fences make good neighbors"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV_041oYDjg&feature=related

 

[Charlie Self]

With all these big mega-pixel cameras available now, how large do you print your photos either yourself or via another source? What printer do you use and the media that you print on mostly? Do you use a pro-type inkjet printer? Do you make use of all those BIG MP's versus smaller 6, 8, or 10MP cameras? Thanks.

I sell a few prints, besides doing magazine work. Sizes start at 8x10 or 8x11-1/2, then hit 11x14, 11x17 and 13x19.

I use an Epson R1900 for those. For larger photos, I go to MPIX. Usually, those will be 16x20, with a very, very few running 30" on the short dimension.

My K20D handles that with ease if I do my job well.

--
Charlie Self



http://www.charlieselfonline.com

 

[BobMert]

With all these big mega-pixel cameras available now, how large do you print your photos either yourself or via another source? What printer do you use and the media that you print on mostly? Do you use a pro-type inkjet printer? Do you make use of all those BIG MP's versus smaller 6, 8, or 10MP cameras? Thanks.

Yes I print upwards for 50 to 100 a month.
I print using a epson 4800, 4880, and 9800.
Mostly Inkpress matt and Kodak Gloss.

I print mostly 8x10 with a canon 50d and T2i. I do print a few 13x19 prints which do take advantage of the resolution of my cameras and from time to time I go as large as 40 inches and the images hold up well.
Bob

 

[nor70]

Since I started using a digital camera (producing 12.4mp) I have always printed my own photographs. It gives me total control of how my images are presented and allows me to have prints when I need them.

Sometimes I print the whole image, other times it might be only a portion of the original, in the latter case you may be dependant on the amount of digital information within that cropped selection; then the amount of information originally captured is the key to quality within the final print.
I use Lightroom and Photoshop to prepare my images.

My monitor and printer both have colour profiles; this means that the final print is very close in colour, to what I see on screen.

My printer is rather long in the tooth being an Epson Stylus Photo 2100, this I use with Epson inks on Ilford Galerie smooth gloss paper. I print mainly in colour as opposed to bw. I print a variety of size of image, mainly using A4 sheet paper although occasionally I print A3+ if I there is a particular need. Size of image is controlled by the end use, from holiday images normally 6x4 inches to display A4 or A3+

 

[beshannon]

I print images from my D90 and my sigma DP2s as large as 13x19 on my Epson R1900 printer on Epson paper

 

[Dave_K]

Printed on 7880 on Epson Prem Luster. Image is a 19 frame stitch from Mk III, spooled thru QImage.

 

[Chris59]

I like to print as many photos as I can (and can afford) at home. Mostly A4 size on an Epson R2400 with Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl paper but occasionally on Gloss or Matte paper up to A3+ size.

I use a Canon 50D and try to use as many of the pixels as I can, cropping as little as possible and using the best lenses and techniques I can given the shooting situation.

 

[bill hansen]

I've tried online printing (Smugmug, two different printing services through them) but my own prints are much better, immediately available, and after I factor in shipping charges, they're less expensive.

I use both an Epson Artisan 810 and an Epson 2880. Most of my prints are 4X6 or 8X10.6, but I'll very occasionally print a 13X19 using the 2880 printer. If I want to print larger than 13X19, which I may want to do for the rare landscape image - I'm going to try having the print made online by Zenfolio.

If you don't need to crop, excellent 13X19 prints can almost always be made from a 10 MPX file. If you're unusually fussy, you can up-res the file, but if you've exposed carefully and have got the white balance right (and have shot at a low ISO) up-res'ing isn't necessary. Really good processing helps a lot: questions I ask myself as I decide whether a lower mpx file will print at 13X19: do you need a touch of noise reduction? Have you sharpened the file specifically for the size print you're going to make? and so forth......

 

[1eyedjack]

I print 8x10"s and only about 3 percent of my shots.
My wife does Scrap-booking so she has 4x6's printed at a local
camera shop, her percentage is about 20%.

 

[sean000]

I print most of my stuff at home using an HP B9180 13-inch wide pigment printer. I have paper ranging from 4x6 to 13x19, and in a variety of finishes including textured watercolor paper, matte, semi-gloss, etc. My cameras are 10MP and 12MP, but of course you sometimes lose a little of that when you crop to a specific paper size.

I also upload my photos to Smugmug.com, so when I need a whole stack of 4x6 prints or a print that is larger than 13x19 I order through them.

I like having my own printer because I can get exactly the look that I want, and I can experiment a lot more. This has helped me get some prints that are more unique and artistic than I would get just ordering online.

Sean

 

[Henry Falkner]

With all these big mega-pixel cameras available now, how large do you print your photos either yourself or via another source?

I used to print regularly - up to A3 size. But when the A3 printer died I did not replace it.

What printer do you use and the media that you print on mostly?

Mine is a Canon PIXMA iP4200. Plain photos are printed on Canon 'Photo Paper Plus Glossy II'. Last job was a historical family photo recovery.

Letters (rarely) and my amateur radio newsletters (every month) with pictures in them are printed on plain photo copy paper.

CDs and DVDs are printed on Imation inkjet printable disks. These I usually do after major cultural dance events I take part in.

Do you use a pro-type inkjet printer?

Probably not by today's standards.

Do you make use of all those BIG MP's versus smaller 6, 8, or 10MP cameras?

Yes I do. A noisy 800ISO 14MP picture reduces nicely to 900 dots wide (for a 2-column display) without needing noiseware. The change of quality was commented on at the radio club when I went from 4 MP to 7 MP. I got away with an 1800 wide conference panorama for a single column display from a 10MP camera.

While I could find a small number of 4MP pictures suitable for printing to A2, they needed extra processing. My low ISO 14MP Olympus Stylus 9010 shots have less noise in the sky at pixel level than my 4MP Olympus C-750UZ shots have.

I have never gone in for the bleeting about 'too many MPs'. With the exception of the Olympus C-2500L and the Olympus Stylus 7020, an increase in pixels has always brought more detail and less noise at a given print size, such as A4.

Henry

--



Henry Falkner - SP-570UZ, Stylus 9010, Stylus 7020, D-490Z
http://www.pbase.com/hfalkner

 

[aleatory]

I print up to 20x30" with 3 layers of 4.67 MP.

I could go up twice that without any noticeable loss in IQ. However I have no need to sell or show any larger than that.

Here is my best seller:
http://jasonpage.zenfolio.com/landscapes/e39999eea
--
Be the change you want to see in the world.
Ghandi

The idea came like a flash of lightning and in an instant the truth was revealed.
Nikola Tesla

Listen to the technology; find out what it's telling you.
Carver Mead

Live in America? Buy American when you can!

http://www.photoegap.com
http://www.facebook.com/jasonscottpage

 

[Conrad Birdie]

I use to do quite a bit of printing myself, but that has since stopped and here is why.

COST......lol.

It is so much cheaper to print online now compared to printing yourself. For 4x6 prints, we use the upload feature of Shutterfly and 1-Hour service at our local Target store. Very fast, very reasonable in cost, and great quality.

For larger prints, 8x10, I print those either at home, or through, http://www.myphotopipe.com . I have used them for my panoramic prints also as large as 24x36 in size, and they turn out simply fantastic. I am real pleased with their cost and service.

And finally, we have started making our own photo books now via http://www.picaboo.com . That can get expensive, but for those once in a lifetime vacations trips, it is well worth it to have a book to look through occasionally. The ease of use of their software is simply amazing also, so for anybody looking to make photo books out of your photos, give Picaboo a look.

With all these big mega-pixel cameras available now, how large do you print your photos either yourself or via another source? What printer do you use and the media that you print on mostly? Do you use a pro-type inkjet printer? Do you make use of all those BIG MP's versus smaller 6, 8, or 10MP cameras? Thanks.

Onquake.
--
"Good fences make good neighbors"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV_041oYDjg&feature=related

--
Conrad 'Bye Bye' Birdie
'Aspire to inspire before you expire'.

 

[Don Fraser]

Great topic. I print 4x6 for my family to carry around, and 8x10 for framing and hanging.

I don't print that many 8x10, but when I do, I'll spend an afternoon making the print, and then I get it framed professionally with a border frame and museum glass. Costs a lot, but if it's a great print, it's worth it.

What do you do about framing?

 

[sean000]

Great topic. I print 4x6 for my family to carry around, and 8x10 for framing and hanging.

I don't print that many 8x10, but when I do, I'll spend an afternoon making the print, and then I get it framed professionally with a border frame and museum glass. Costs a lot, but if it's a great print, it's worth it.

What do you do about framing?

I would love to go the custom route with the high end UV resistant anti-glare glass, but I can't afford it these days. Instead I hit the sales at Michaels, Aaron Brothers, etc. and stock up on inexpensive frames. I've also thought about ordering online since there are some sites where you can order custom frames or stock frames with better glass. I guess 8x10 custom frames may not be terribly expensive, but I print a lot of 13x19, 11x17, 11x14, and 12x12.

I'm thinking about putting together a few different series of prints that I want to display in matching frames. I'm thinking about heading over to our local frame shop and seeing if they will work with me on the price if I buy a dozen or so frames. I know there are websites that give you discounts the more you buy, but it would be nice to support a local business and get some really nice frames. It will be more of an investment, but I'm hoping to sell some prints.

 

[p51d007]

Not very often, mostly 5x7, 8x10, but I did print a couple that were
36" x 72" on one of these http://kc80.com/ (I work on them LOL)
--
Coming to you from the beautiful Ozark Mountain Country
where if you're too busy to go fishin', then you're too busy!

You think I should change it to if you're too
busy to take photos, then you're too busy?

 

[puttin]

If I have more than 20 4x6 prints I use Snapfish or Costco and I'm happy with the results. For poster size I use Costco. If I only want a few pics I print them myself and also if I want a 5x7 or 8 1/2x11. My Canon 4700 is good enough for that.

 

[Gato Amarillo]

I print exhibition prints and rush prints at home using a pigment inkjet printer. It's time consuming and a bit expensive, but the quality is limited only by my skill and patience. I can print up to 13x19. When I feel an urge to print larger I just check the prices on printers and quality paper -- that keeps thing under control.

Commercial prints come from MPIX. Ordering is quick, the price is right and the quality is better than what I used to get taking film to a professional lab.

Gato

--
Street Fashion and Alternative Portraits:
http://www.silvermirage.com

 

[Cubensis]

I use Pentax K20D - 14mp. Never printed before last year when encouraged on forum and made 36x24 inch prints out of 12 of my favorite photos. They look very crisp and fine at close distance even. 14mp is fine up to that point IMO.

With all these big mega-pixel cameras available now, how large do you print your photos either yourself or via another source? What printer do you use and the media that you print on mostly? Do you use a pro-type inkjet printer? Do you make use of all those BIG MP's versus smaller 6, 8, or 10MP cameras? Thanks.

Onquake.
--
"Good fences make good neighbors"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV_041oYDjg&feature=related

--
A wise photographer captures rather than creates light.

 

[RedFox88]

If I want to print larger than 13X19, which I may want to do for the rare landscape image - I'm going to try having the print made online by Zenfolio.

zenfolio does not make prints. They partner with print labs.