Cheapest photo priter(ie ink)

[popey]

Hello

I'm new here and I didn't see any info sofar that answers my question.

I am in the market for a new photo printer that I will be using to print lots of photos each day. Going to a lab every doy is not a good option for me as I live far from one (about an hour away). I would be printing out about 20 to 100 5x7 prints every day.

My question is what would be the most economical printer that prints deasent prints and what I can expect my cost to be per picture?

Any info would be much apreciated.

 

[fotofreek]

Try to find a Canon printer that is not the present generation with computer chips on the carts. IP5000, IP6000, etc. If your budget permits buying one of the remaining i9900 printers you will have the option to print large format photos as well. I mention these printers because you can buy aftermarket cartridges or refill your own with bulk inks (be sure to buy only the aftermarket carts or inks recommended by actual users on this forum or other printer newsgroups.) If price is a consideration and you want an all around printer that will do good photos and excellent text you can buy an ip4200 now for around $80 or $90. You can refill these carts and disregard the warning messages that tell you that your printer will self-destruct as it thinks the carts, with the computer chips measuring ink used, are empty. The ip6600 is strictly a photo printer and uses six dye-based ink carts. Here, again, you can refill these carts as a few vendors now have bulk ink for them, but there are no aftermarket carts available as the computer chips on the carts haven't yet been cloned.

Cost of prints? Cheapest would be with the IP4000 or IP5000 and you refilling the carts. Not easy to find these now as they are out of production. You would also do well to use Costco's Kirkland glossy photo paper. It produces excellent prints and is very inexpensive - $19 for 125 sheets. At 7.6 cents per 5x7 for the paper and probably 5 to 10 cents for ink (if you refill your carts) I am guessing that you will have a cost of about 15 cents, give or take a nickel. Using Canon paper and Canon OEM inks will be considerably more expensive, and using any other printer with OEM supplies will be quite expensive compared to my suggestions on printer, inks, and paper.

An important issue, however, is do you intend to sell prints or do you need them to be of archival quality? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, you will need to use one of the mid priced or better Epsons as they use Pigmented inks and produce photos that have more fade resistance. Canon has just brought out a printer with all pigment-based inks as well. I don't know anything about it and hate to be the first on my block to buy the first run of any new model til I see a long term evaluation.

 

[Osage]

To popey,

Fotofreek has given you about the best compact answer that covers all the bases I have seen. The only thing I might add is that your purchase choices may be dependent on where in the world you live--with those in the USA often having the best market access---but the photoprinting community is world wide--and is united by printing and not divided by politics.

So posting your general but not specific location may get you better advice on what are easy options for you.

 

[popey]

Thanks for the advice.

I live in Japan at the moment and Iwould be selling the photos. I'm not sure how I can go about geting third party ink in Japan. I was looking at Epson or Canon printers. I was thinking that anything up to 70 cents a print including paper and ink would be cost afective. Is this a reasonable expectation for 5x7 on eather an Epson PX-G930 or a Canon Pixus iP7500? Also witch one would be cheaper if I can't find third party ink?

 

[Tin Ho]

You need a printer that produces archival photos. If you use a Canon printer that uses dye based ink your photo may begin tofade in a few days if you expose the photos to direct sunlight. If you display the photo outdoors to sell them they will probably fade before they are sold. Epson printers with Durabright ink (pigmented ink) is very affordable and popular. But pretty much you have to use OEM cartridges that are quite expensive. The photo will be
very fade resisting. But the photo will not look as vibrant as photos printed by Canon printer with dye based ink.

 

[d86cfv]

Re: Fading - The new canon inks are "rated" for 100 yrs obviously in optimum conditions. However if your prints are stored correctly then fading shouldnt be too much of an issue. If they are to be on display then they MUST be prutected, either in a plastic sleeve or some sort, or behind glass.
One thing to bare in mind with the Epson Pigmented ink is that it will only work well with certain papers.

I use a Canon MP760 which uses the IP4000 print engine, its a fantastic bit of kit. I recently printed off 100 4x6 prints on a set of half full cartridges and they have only now just come up as low. I'm using Comp's that cost me 0.65 pence each - I'm doing some comparison tests re fading at the moment.

 

[alchemist]

Popey,

Japan Paper and Pulp makes some very good archieval photo papers that cost less than 50% of the Epson papers. American InkJet and Image Specialists make some inks that may still be available in Japan. Our testing at the Texas A&M lab say they are as good Epsons and at 40% the cost.

If you can find inks from China or Korea in Japan, there are some very good pigmented inks made there. They use Cabott dispersions that are used by the best US ink manufacturers. These should be your lowest cost option, about 25% of Epsons, in the US.

Alchemist

 

[LelandHendrix]

I'm suprised someone hasn't brought this up already: continuous Ink Systems

With your print volume, you'll be changing carts all the time unless you invest in a continuous ink system (CIS). Google for more information on CIS + [your printer model]

They are available for Epson and Canon models.

Btw--I use both Canon and Epson, and the durability of epson the latest gen prints are unparalelled. However, my ip6600s CLI series ink produces more vivid AND more durable prints than the BCI series ink I used with my i900