Help with newbie printer and ink costs etc

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Been reading a few threads on printing here and it seems as though the Canon IP7250 printer is a good starter printer for A4 printing, in the past I have sent of my images to labs to get printed and I have never really been that wowed so I have come to a point where my files just stay on my HD and I don't get to frame them and put them on my wall like I would like to. I would like to know what determines a good quality print? is it the paper, the printer or the size of the file or all of the abaove? and how much would I be looking to pay for ink? I noticed Canon OEM ink for this machine costs about the same as the printer!! would it be best to use Canon ink or can other third party inks be just as good? also what kind of paper should I be putting through this printer for best results?
 
I use a lab for most print jobs. Unless you're really clued up on colour management it is a nightmare getting the results that you want when diy printing, I've found.

DSCL can give you excellent prints at rock bottom prices. So it might be that your monitor is not correctly calibrated if you're not getting the results you want from a lab.

I use a cheap canon printer/scanner/copier and occasionally make colour prints with it. They're generally OK, if I've got my settings right. Over the years I economised using third-party inks but often had problems with blocked nozzles etc, so now I stick to genuine Canon inks. Yes, they're hellish expensive. One way to cut down on costs is not to turn the printer off. Every time you turn it on again it goes through the whole cleaning process, thus using even more ink!

That's my solution - others may differ.........
 
The printers are so cheap because they are sold generally as a loss leader. The ink is where the companies make their money. I have always used third party inks in my printer, but I don't print photos of high quality.

When I am doing general projects for clients I use DSCL, for fine portraiture, I use a small independent printer in manchester. Paper plays a massive part in the appearance of your photos and there are many guides online to explain which is best for what. Proper inks, whilst expensive, are considered to last longer and resist fading from UV. Don't skimp on the paper if its a special photo!
 
i use Asda online printing service and always get glossy prints
there quality is fantastic
 
high street printing services can't Print RAW files only Jpeg I believe. To print RAW files you need to go to a dedicated photo printing firm and make sure them print RAW as well as Jpeg.
using A home printer no problem I have printed out many Raw files on my Epson XP-950
 
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high street printing services can't Print RAW files only Jpeg I believe. To print RAW files you need to go to a dedicated photo printing firm and make sure them print RAW as well as Jpeg.
using A home printer no problem I have printed out many Raw files on my Epson XP-950

Printing RAW files, really?

I am interested to know your workflow to print RAW's...... hopefully you can elaborate?
 
Raw files need to be processed in to something else to be printable . usually Jpeg or Tiff.
I now only have a desktop scanner printer at home (CanonMG5750) It makes useful prints for home use but not what I would expect from DSCL and the like.

However I use look alike inks from sevendayshop.com A set of Five individual colours only costs £7.45 and work just fine, and little if any different than from OEM inks.
Canon printers have removable ink heads, that are easy to clean if they become blocked through lack of use. Unlike Epson Printers where it is not a user function.
 
One of the main differences with third party inks is their fade resistance, often the colour match is good, but the printed picture won't last as long as OEM inks. Now this may or may not matter to you, but if you want stuff to be good in 20 years time, then OEM is probably the way to go (along with decent paper)
 
One of the main differences with third party inks is their fade resistance, often the colour match is good, but the printed picture won't last as long as OEM inks. Now this may or may not matter to you, but if you want stuff to be good in 20 years time, then OEM is probably the way to go (along with decent paper)

That is more a function of Pigment Inks which fade Far less.
Most of the dies used in inks are sourced from he same few manufacturers, who ever provides the finished ink. Good quality paper is rather more important.
most commercial users of continuous ink systems use third party inks. and they are not prone to fading.
 
That is more a function of Pigment Inks which fade Far less.
Most of the dies used in inks are sourced from he same few manufacturers, who ever provides the finished ink. Good quality paper is rather more important.
most commercial users of continuous ink systems use third party inks. and they are not prone to fading.

True, but the level of printer mentioned in this thread is typically dye based inks (with sometimes an option for Pigment Black)
 
True, but the level of printer mentioned in this thread is typically dye based inks (with sometimes an option for Pigment Black)
That is the case with my printer MG5750 It uses Dye colours with a pigment cartridge for black only printing.
Though you can fit a third party continuous ink supply if you want. ( but I do not make that many prints to make it worth while)
The fade resistance of ink has improved by miles over the past few years..
 
I have had a Canon MG6150 printer now for a few years. Have tried a lot of 'compatible' inks which were horrible but have used the blue box inks now for a number of years. Amateur photographer only so not particularly worried about fade resistance. I have a drawer full of boxes of different papers but my go-to paper at the moment is a lustre.
 
I have had two of the Canon IP7250 printers and only ever used third party inks.
First one had a faulty power module, cheaper to buy a new machine than replace it.
Been using these inks for various printers from the same company for at least ten years. https://www.prink.co.uk/canon-ink-cartridges.php
Never had blockages or leaks and no noticeable fading either.
They are chipped too so no issues with ink remaining level indicators.
My daughter used these inks in an Epson Stylus printer when she was at University and printed literally reams of paper.
Paper is a personal choice, most companies do a sample set for about a tenner.
My favourite after much sampling is the well known and much used Permajet Oyster.
It's very important to use the correct profile for the paper you are using.
I have a custom profile supplied free by Permajet after sending them a test print obtained from their downloaded software
Equally important is monitor calibration, very often the cause of dark prints is an over bright screen.
 
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