Printing photos

[kimmer]

I'm looking at buying a photo printer, and I'm curious what you might recommend. I might print a scenic shot from my camera now and then, but I'll mostly be printing photos of grandkids that I can slip in a frame -- and likely replace within 6 mths to a year with the newest, greatest, funniest, etc.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[Xairbusdriver]

I used to use Epsons. I now really like Canon. The more color cartridges the better the color (theoretically), but the more colors the higher the cost.

If you are printing from other peoples files, you may be disappointed with small files sizes that end up pixelated when enlarged even to 5 x 6 inches. The quality of your printer and inks won't be of much help.

I also highly recommend buying ink in bulk, so I like brands that have refillable carts available. But this is a personal opinion and few want the minor bother.

Frankly, many people would be happy using a commercial printing service which tends to force one to be more critical about what one prints. And even printing at a local pharmacy should be much less expensive than buying new ink carts!!

[jchuzi]

My Epson SureColor P600 prints outstanding photos. I prefer glossy paper, and Epson's Premium Glossy is wonderful. I don't use refillable cartridges because I don't trust third-party inks. I only use Epson ink cartridges and count the price as part of the cost of getting good results. If you are serious about color, you should invest in calibration software. I use XRite's i1Profiler but their Color Munki would probably do fine for you, and it's a bit cheaper. Amazon has the best prices.

I'm very fussy about my prints and color accuracy, so these procedures work for me. You may not be so critical, but that's up to you to decide.