Printing Photos at Home

[chell]

Does anyone here print their digital camera photos at home? I'm looking for recommendations on a good printer for photos, but not very expensive.

 

[janette]

I think the best deal is to get them developed professionally. There are several websites and most other places that develop film now offer this service. While the printers have improved they still don't have the archival and same quality that I think you find in regular film development.

 

[tstobb]

I can highly recommend the Lexmark X5150. It is a multi-function (printer, scanner, copier) unit that produces fantastic results and isn't too expensive. As with most printers, paper quality makes a big difference and I can say from experience that, on photo paper, it's almost impossible to tell the prints from this printer apart from lab-produced photos.
I also have a Tektronix Phaser 850 thermal wax printer that prints absolute photo quality on any paper (even cheap copy paper) but the printer (and the wax colorstick "ink") is expensive.

 

[Goofyposter]

You don't mention what your budget is....but I bot an HP Photosmart 7550 (I think it was in the $300 range) and I couldn't be happier! it does excellent 4x6's and even 81/2x11's (other sizes too) and it uses 3 ink cartridges....so I'm not buying alot of black cartridges unnecessarily.

Hope this helps!

 

[browneyes]

Goofy, does it use regular ink or special photo ink?

 

[ladypoo]

I print my photos on a Lexmark X75. They turn out real good. I print them on Jet Print Photo paper. Premium. I prefer the matte finish to the glossy. Paid around $100 for the printer. Cartridges are expensive though, to me. Around $30-35 each. It uses just 2 cartridges, black and a color one.

 

[chell]

ladypoo - About how many pics do you get from a set of cartridges?

 

[chell]

Originally posted by janette
I think the best deal is to get them developed professionally. There are several websites and most other places that develop film now offer this service. While the printers have improved they still don't have the archival and same quality that I think you find in regular film development.

Thanks, but we have already discussed this and I'm just looking for info on home printers right now. That's because I have already looked at the other options. As many pics as we have, it is just best to do this project at home.

 

[Goofyposter]

Goofy, does it use regular ink or special photo ink?

Both Browneyes....there's a black ink cart./a tri color cart. and a photo ink cart. .....

I'm guessing I've been about to print proably about 100 4 x 6"'s on one photo cart. It seems to use that mostly....but it must draw from the tri color cart. too....otherwise, I wouldn't think it would last that long (?).

 

[S. C.]

We have a HP 932. It does very well with the pics. I have printed out about 500 in the last year.

I also buy the photo paper from sams club. Kodak premium picture paper, heavy weight, high gloss. 75 sheets 8 1/2 x 11 in for around $20.

And Kodak medium weight paper 100 sheets for around $20.

 

[chell]

Thanks for all of the great info!

 

[TheLionKing]

If I was buying a relatively inexpensive photo printer, I would spend the extra money and buy one with six separate ink cartridges for all the colors. That would include the Epson 960 or the Canon 900i.

I find myself going through the 6 in 1 cartridges way too fast.

But I find the only advantage of printing pictures at home is that I have photo software to sharpen and adjust colors and then print them up to my personal taste. I have seen places like Ritz camera advertise printing digital photos for 29 cents. It is pretty hard to beat that price if it is for personal use.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Lab processing is by far the best, and usually least expensive. That said, I do have an HP Photosmart 1000 and am pleased with what I use it for. I have seen reviews for the Canon i950 and if I was in the market for a low cost photo printer, Iprobably would go with it.

 

[WebmasterAlex]

Here is a great site for digital printer (and camera) reviews, If you want photo quality the Hi-ti's look very interesting
Steve's
I do agree though sending them out is MUCH cheaper and easier

 

[Brisully]

I have a Hi Ti, the 640PS, reviewed here . The prints are unbelievable, but only come in a 4 x 6. The paper is $25.00 for 50 sheets, including the ribbon. We use them for when we photograph golf outings. The nice thing about this model is that you can print directly from your memory card, and preview it in the LCD screen. The printer itself is about $180.00.

 

[cyndilou01]

Photo smart works pretty good, but I have found for me and all the pictures that I do about 80 to 100 per month I do mine through the internet. I download them on my computer and use a company called shutterfly. .29 per copy and I can tell them how many copies of each I want they deliver right to my door no more standing in line....

well good luck in finding your printer...

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Originally posted by S. C.
We have a HP 932. It does very well with the pics. I have printed out about 500 in the last year.

We had one of these with our old pc. It did a nice job printing photos that I scanned (no digital camera, yet). The printer cost $140 a couple of years ago and the ink is $25-35 for black and color.


Currently we have an HP6122. I haven't tried printing photos yet . I've printed documents with pics that have turned out nicely on regular paper so I'm sure my photo results would be quite nice. I think DH paid $130 with his company's discount. It uses the same ink as our 932 did.

The original pic, below, was scanned and printed on the HP932. I scanned that print and uploaded it on imagestation. I'll scan something later today and post an example of phot print quality here.

I use the Jet Print photo paper too, from Walmart. They have different grades of quality.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Michelle,
As promised, I scanned a photo and made a print with my new printer. The first time I have and the first pic I tried using the wrong side of the paper. The image you're about to see is from the internet. I printed the photo on Jet Photo Everyday Photo Paper (from Walmart). It's soft gloss, not matte and not glossy. It was less than $10 for 20 sheets. This was printed on my HP6122 using the "right side" of the photo paper, it's not the original image saved from the web to my pc. I didn't make any changes other than cropping.

Here's the original pic I saved off the web.

 

[I am JEN]

I've been printing my digital prints at home for over two years now and got the HP 7550 this past December and love it! I actually do not use this printer hooked up to my computer though...I have three photo printers. I am a scrapbooker and I wanted the 7550 to sit on my scrapbook desk...I can take pics, print them immediatly and be scrapbooking in minutes! This particular model of printer can change to black & white/sepia/zoom in and crop the picture right on the printer itself. But from experience it's actually more expensive after buying ink and photo paper, than it is to take my memory card and have them professionally developed! Just my 2cents worth!

 

[chell]

Thanks Kris for doing all of that for me!

Thanks to everyone for the replies!