Printing

[Jusselin]

really wanting to start printing at home, not at all sure what to even begin to look at...what do you guys/gals use to print and do you have a link?
What would you suggest in getting? Mostly printing portraits, senior shots, the occasional low light event.

[sjordan]

This really depends on your needs Jusselin.

Couple of questions:

1) Do you plan to sell your prints to clients? If so make sure your printer uses pigment ink. If not then any dye based ink will be ok for self use

2) How large do you want to print

3) What type of media do you want to print on. Anything special like canvas and very thick papers?

I personally use a Epson 7900. I started off with a Epson r1800 when I first started selling prints. I used the heck out the r1800 until it died about 2 years later. I then bought a HP B9180 which died after 1 year. I replaced it with a Epson 4800 which was a work horse for many years.

If you are ok with a max width of 13 inches then a r1900 is a very very good choice. It can print on multiple media types (including cd/dvd's) and makes a awesome print. It's only limitation in my opinion is max width. I actually have one for sale on the For sale section that is almost brand new with lots of extra ink.

Things to consider:

If you plan to sell prints stay away from 3rd party inks and CIS systems. I know many people have them working fine, but I can tell you first hand that its no fun to get a clog and waste $100's on ink to try and clear the clog while stressing about getting a print job done.

The epson 3880 is a good choice but it does not have roll capabilities, so if you want 17 inch printing on rolls (which saves you a good amount of money) you really need to consider the 4880.

Invest in a monitor calibration tool. No if ands or but's here. Get one if you print from home.

[Jusselin]

Thanks shane...i decided to let smugmug take care of it for now though