Printing your own

Livin The Dream

Livin The Dream

Messages
4,608
Name
Kris
Edit My Images
No
I must say i get more frustrated by the day printing my own photos. The top of my list of purchases really is a color munkey to calibrate my printer. I use a pantone huey to calibrate my monitor but i find all icc profiles are very generic and are still hit or miss.

To add to the tale of woe tonight i've had to clean my printer heads, twice standard and once deep clean and i've still got faint lines :bonk: and it's cost me about half of the main black cart doing so so far. Do i try another deep clean tomorrow or do they need cleaning professionally?

All in all, i hate printing. The last lot i had done from a lab on line were also very hit and miss so really losing the will to live with it. Anyone else feel the same?

Regards

Kris
 
I used to print my own but since discovering http://www.dscolourlabs.co.uk/ which I can get far better quality for the fraction of the price ( £1.10 for an 18x12 ).

* PS Are you the same living the dream from Welsh Flickr Cymru?
 
johnsy said:
I used to print my own but since discovering http://www.dscolourlabs.co.uk/ which I can get far better quality for the fraction of the price ( £1.10 for an 18x12 ).

* PS Are you the same living the dream from Welsh Flickr Cymru?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the above link looks like you get more control by sending photos with the profiles embedded etc. I used photobox last time whilst some were spot on others were way off.

Sorry, not one and the same from Flickr,

Regards

Kris
 
If you use a decent lab the quality of the prints should be way above what can be produced at home or on the high street, and unless you are printing loads of images not having to pay for ink/paper/printer/calibration kit etc will mean you are still quids in ;)
 
I'm affraid Kris its not all Plug & Go.

List your setup

You have to use decent ink with the correct papers after youve got a built profile.

I dont understand why you have to keep cleaning your heads

Dave
 
Well, i'm using a Canon IP4500 with canon inks & currently Ilford paper as i've found the profiles to be better than the canon ones.

I have been printing as per Scott Kelby's informative direction in his CS2 book for the last 12 months. However, having this morning looked at a link from dscolourlabs (http://www.drycreekphoto.com/custom/customprofiles.htm) it seems that actually converting the photo to the paper profile for printing (instead of RGB 1998 as per SK) and using proof set up to help adjust has opened up the can of worms again. That said, a few tests this morning have come out better than i had been getting (most of my prints have been too dark in the shadows even after setting the black points correctly).

My printers about a year old and i print infrequently, probably a few times a month. Up until now the heads have remained clean but i have now noticed lines running through prints. So, i've cleaned them, 4 times now deep clean and they're still not clean. Not sure what to do now as never been here before and it's costing me a small fortune in ink!??

Regards

Kris
 
johnsy said:
I used to print my own but since discovering http://www.dscolourlabs.co.uk/ which I can get far better quality for the fraction of the price ( £1.10 for an 18x12 ).

* PS Are you the same living the dream from Welsh Flickr Cymru?
Click to expand...

I use them. The prints are really good, just postage is hefty for A3s. The other alternative of getting a pro A2 or A3 printer doesn't sound that cheap either.
 
MagicMynx said:
I hate printing at home, I'll do the odd one if I must, but usually use snapfish. I've found their quality better than kodak, jessops and photobox.
Click to expand...

my daughter uses an epson printer jobbie with 6 inks...but i dont think the results are as good as my local costco...and while they are being done...i have done all the pp of course..i have a coffee and croissant...free:thumbs:
 
mrcrow said:
my daughter uses an epson printer jobbie with 6 inks...but i dont think the results are as good as my local costco...and while they are being done...i have done all the pp of course..i have a coffee and croissant...free:thumbs:
Click to expand...
I had an epson, took whole crtridges of ink trying to collaborate and it still didn't work, wasn't very impressed. I probably got a dud one TBH. I use a canon printer now and it's much better....but still hate printing photos.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top