Home printer for photos

[Damonlufc]

Tempted to get a printer to print photographs only. Not sure if I like the idea of printing on standard paper though, how much would I be looking at for a printer that uses the same print/paper format as you would get in a shop on the High street like max spielmans or even a machine like in boots?

 

[Box Brownie]

Tempted to get a printer to print photographs only. Not sure if I like the idea of printing on standard paper though, how much would I be looking at for a printer that uses the same print/paper format as you would get in a shop on the High street like max spielmans or even a machine like in boots?

Unless anything has changed of late the likes of the high street "shops" you mention use C type printers e.g. Fuji Frontier. So unless you have a spare £10k then you will not be able to print on the same paper(s) as those establishments.

All home printers/printing uses inkjet technology (NB some might be using dye-sub) printing onto a wide range of papers, a few of which can look like a C type print.

 

[john.margetts]

Tempted to get a printer to print photographs only. Not sure if I like the idea of printing on standard paper though, how much would I be looking at for a printer that uses the same print/paper format as you would get in a shop on the High street like max spielmans or even a machine like in boots?

If by 'standard paper' you mean ordinary typing/photocopying paper then no photo printer uses that unless you insist. Using photo paper will give you prints that are very similar to what the labs produce. Cheap paper is a false economy as the prints are likely to fade quickly - I once used Tesco 'Value' photo paper and the prints were visibly faded in a few weeks while Canon's quality photo paper should last for years.

 

[beercan]

My Canon MG5750 prints on photo paper to as good quality as Boots/Tesco instant machines. Tesco often have photo paper on offer too.
I use both "Canon photo paper plus glossy II" and Epson "Premium glossy photo paper". I've used Ilford Galerie in the past when I could get it cheap, with better results, but it's a lot more expensive full retail.
You'll get even better results from a dedicated photo printer than an AIO too. Having tried Epson, HP and Canon (twice), I'll be sticking with Canon now.

The trick is to work out if you're better off saving up a bulk of photos and taking advantage of something like the Bonusprint / Snapfish offers - recently I got 7*5 prints for 4.5p each which can't be sniffed at.
Tesco sell the Canon paper for £10 for 50 sheets of 6*4 so that's 20p/sheet. Even if you pick it up half price, at 5p/ print plus ink cost, it's not economical against an internet bulk print offer.

Having said that, for the occasional print, I'm happy with the price and results.

The Canon MG5750 is currently £99 in Currys but that's part of their artificial inflation ploy, as it'll be £49 in the "less than half price" sale again very soon if you're willing to wait.

 

[yzfmike]

I use an Epson P600 and the results, on proper photo paper (in my case Ilford Gallerie), are very good indeed.

However, don't buy a home printer thinking it will be cheaper - it probably will not.

 

[droj]

Damon - photo paper for a home inkjet can closely resemble lab photo paper, even if the process is different. It can have decent weight and come in gloss, matt, etc.

For smallish prints another option is something like a Canon Selphy (less desk-space).

Arguments against home printers are that they take up space, are often short-lived, can be cantankerous both mechanically and software-relatedly, and tend to be expensive in consumables as well as being time-consuming to operate. Also there's an environmental aspect, that a printer in the home is yet another short-lived consumer 'durable' to add to the river of other items that our homes are often stuffed with and which are on a one-way trip from raw materials to landfill having used up energy on the way. The popular ethos seems to be that if you can afford it, then you have a right to have it, but the poor planet's groaning under the load we're putting on it. It's not just about us, now, it's about our great great great grandchildren ...

As an alternative, photo files uploaded to a lab service are cheap, and often arrive in the post the next day. There might be a small learning curve in preparing files for print, but you get that anyway.