Is it Worth Printing Your Own Photos?
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
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Printing your images is the essential final step to bringing your photography to life. In this video we will be focusing on printing as we discuss why, how and the costs involved. We’ll also compare a photo printed on a high end printer, a mid range printer and also using an online lab. The results are pretty surprising.
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#photography #printing #spon
so much how much it cost to get a photo printed off by a company?
Yeah sorry. I should have said but forgot. Print was £20. Delivery about £5.
@@Firstmanphotography ha, no worries. Always enjoy the content.
Thanks.....appreciate the comment.
Enjoyed the video Adam. One other problem I’ve had from printing my own images is deciding which ones to display in my home!
Hi , I agree entirely with you, printing your own photographs give you more than something to look at, it gives you memories. Something in later life you need. Great video and content.
Recommended to me by a long time ink and paper supplier, I use a Brother MFC-J5945DW. Granted I don't sell them, but using red river high gloss, and metal photo paper I can make up to 11x17 prints that rival any prints I've seen on the canon at a third of the price. Plus the ink lasts a long time, and isn't too expensive to replace.
I’ve just bought a Canon Pro-300 and when I saw my first print out I thought to myself it was worth every penny. The quality, colors and sharpness coming out of the printer are simply amazing. Good video as always BTW and your comparison to children at the end, entirely agree with it.
I was about to press the button on that one - I might just yet!!!
Have you compared the output from your printer with prints from a good shop (I love bayphoto.com)?
@@MalcolmRuthven I have had mixed results with Bayphoto and have had to get a refund on several prints. Too dark, colors off, lines running through the print.
@@bigtredunzo Interesting, and sorry to hear that it happened to you. My experience with them has been %100 great.
With the greatest respect Adam , I have found that calibrating my screen made a HUGE difference, Before I was getting prints that where miles away from the colours on the screen, Since calibration (Spyder pro 5) The prints pretty much match the image that I edited
I didn't say it makes no difference. I have just found that the idea of calibrating monitors puts a lot of people off even trying printing. Like i said its also not even possible with many screens.
For me it's a priority lower down list when we can just print off a 4x6 and adjust a bit if it's not right.
I have found that newer modern laptops and computer screens come with good calibration and when I calibrate it doesn't shift at all - just my experience.
@@lorrettaclarke709 I would agree that my BenQ 27 inch Monitor came well calibrated BUT the screen on my 1 year old Dell laptop is wildly out of sync
@@nigelwest3430 Hmm - I just have a MSI laptop which is a gaming laptop. I bought a calibrator and quite honestly haven't seen a difference at all. Maybe it depends on what the laptop or computer is built for. The BenQ is built for photography, or at least good graphics.
@@lorrettaclarke709 We can debate this all night, If it was possible to post a picture here I could show you the huge difference between calibrated and no calibrated screens that I have experienced, If you haven't had that problem then that is good, I was just trying to save people the experience of sending a file off to be printed and being hugely disappointed in the result as I was before i calibrated my screen
Absolutely is worth it. Outrageously expensive per photo, but hobbies are not cost effective. We do it because we love it.
I think Adam's intent is to make at least some beer money!
@@Swaggerlot 😂 he can’t, he’s got ink to buy.
If your hobby is home printing, then yes.
It was a great explanation!
indeed, it’s hella expensive. but hey, the camera gear was expensive to begin with anyway
Financially - it might not be the very best choice to be able to print at home. However, if you know what you are doing, you can expect very good to excellent prints when printing at home. One of the main reasons that I enjoy printing at home is to be able to have prints ready almost instantly. I shot a few images of my friends daughters in their Easter dresses and it was nice to be able to present the prints to them a short time after I shot the images...
Yes (in response to the question posed by your video title). I agree wholeheartedly and thanks for posting. There is a Zen-like joy when the print emerges that rivals that of discovering the potential image, pre-visualizing, recording, and getting the results you want in post-processing (I left out anticipating a photo session, heading out, etc.--come to think of it, photography is mostly a joyful experience!)...
Let's just get this out of the way: A photograph is a print, not a post. If you don't print, you're not a photographer. Full stop. Regarding cost, there's no price you can put on the thrill of printing, but if you print much, it doesn't take long for lab fees to exceed what you'd be spending to do it yourself (depending on the printer), plus you have control, which is everything. Regarding size, bigger is not necessarily better--it depends on the image, as many actually look better smaller, but of course others will look better larger. That said, there are relatively few cases where anything larger than A2 (17"x22") is really warranted (public spaces mostly, as few people have enough room on their walls to accommodate larger prints, or want to pay for them). In those cases, it's probably better to farm it out to a trusted lab (you can furnish them with a smaller proof/specify the paper and say "please match this"). That leaves the decision of which printer/papers. For archival prints, you need a pigment-based printer, such as the Canon seen here or an Epson (I have the P900, also A2, but most recent printers are quite capable). Read reviews before purchasing, but you can't go wrong with either of these printers. Of course, use quality paper (there are almost too many choices--I consider luster, baryta, and a few others essential). Most paper from the likes of Hahnemühle and Canson are great, but so are Epson's better grades (I can't speak to Canon--although I have one of their printers, it's dye-based). Remember this: Printing requires experimentation, and what you see on the screen (even on a calibrated monitor) will rarely match the print exactly. You will waste some paper, but that will decrease as you move up the learning curve--it's an art. There are also many instructive RUclipss out there (Keith Cooper's dedicated to this subject and is very thorough).
So brilliant as always Adam. This time I'm wowed by the fact that I didn't even know there was a Canon Print Studio Pro app or how to get to it. Just ran a test print from an image I've struggled getting to print correctly for years both from my printer and professional jobs. First try and bang on. Keep up the great work of educating all of us.
I am in the need of upgrading my printer from a Canon Pixma to a Canon Pro. You have given me some "food for thought" as I am not sure whether to go for the Pro 100S or splash out a bit more and go for the Pro 10S. Thanks for you honest option and video.
love this video along with all your videos so helpful....so natural
Wonderful video. Thanks so much. The prints look great. I need to start doing this more.
Super helpful. Thank you for sharing. I struggle with screen brightness settings and how the print comes out from the lab. I seem to have my screen brightness to high which results in a print that’s too dark. Any advice on this. I run everything on a MacBook Pro
I’m no expert, but setting the screen brightness to around 50% has resulted in faithful prints for me from a Mac book pro
Get a screen calibrator like a Spyder, it is very simple to set up and it just runs automatically. I use one on both my MacBook Pro and iMac to make sure the outputs match.
The third print seems to be warmer. Is it just my monitor?
I think the light was catching it a little differently because it was rolled paper.
There looks to be more blue in the home printed images, is this a another print company variance, i.e. controlling colour?
I'd print my own photos if:
1) I had the money for a good quality printer.
2 but actually the only reason) I was actually any good at taking photos.
I have a pixma pro 1 is that a good printer?
Can u run a roll off canvas on it?
would you recommend Canon IP8720?
350GBP? OEM prigraf1000 inks right now cost at least 520GBP!!..crazy!
20:23 What is that device?
@loupedeck
I am looking for a print your pics series on my channel starting soon. and one thing is indeed that backlite thing. was not sure if that proof-print emulates los of backlite or not.
13:02 "quite a mouth full" ?, don't try eat your printer then. :)
14:36 im wondering because they updated that printer if the Pro-1000 is not being updated soon.
would love to see a price per print. what you forget is that printing yourself you can print now and send your print out asap, if it didnt come out right you can re print. if your print company makes a mistake it yet again takes time. other thing your not uploading your images to a strangers computer that might leak data and your high ress images would be in piratebay. when you say limited edition you have the whole process under control. so no files on other peoples computer that might run a few private prints or leak data. and why did you buy your camera and not one below it, why a 5D4 and not a 5D3 or 6D ? doing the whole journey from taking the image, editing, printing it and finally framing it and hanging it on your wall is something else. that makes being an artist awesome.
not even discussing learning from it and improving your work.
i love seeing you do so well and seeing you grow and your channel too. doing good mate.
New t-shirt logo....'Up the Shadows'!
Yes, this is indeed a thought-provoking video, for both photography nerds as well as other species of nerds. There is a principle at work here. If you turn a hobby into a job, then you lose the hobby. I know this well since the time when I worked in the photographic business full-time. I completely lost interest in photography at the time because of that. That was the bad news. The better news though, is that since I've been retired, my photographic hobby has returned to me with a vengeance. I do photography now with a feeling of fulfillment once again.
Stemming from this, if you are fortunate to have photography as a hobby only, you don't need to care what other people think of your work or your working methods. You're doing it for you. It's crystal clear to me, that having your own capable printer is at least as important as having a capable camera. So, if you have earned the cash from some other source of income - don't think twice about it and go get that printer that you crave. You only live once! Since it's for your beloved hobby, it's not necessary to make out a business case for this acquisition. Do it for the creative pleasure you would get from the purchase and don't even think about the money side. Sod what others think!
This speaks to me. Thanks.
That should speak to everyone in any situation! Simple!
I'm only 8:30 in and this is the most useful printing video I've seen in years. You see a lot of videos about using profiles and setting profiles, but very few that teach you how to tweak for conditions, like creating a proof copy (didn't know this) and compensating for backlight (kinda knew this, didn't know properly how to work with it). This is phenomenal, great work!
You spend £500 to £1000 on a good lens at least three of, You spend £1500 + on a camera, what's £500 on an A3 printer and £100 on ink and £100 on paper, you then knock out an A3 print of your best work and it makes all that effort and money on the gear worthwhile. If someone want's an A3 print and you sell it for £100 then the inks covered. You won't look back and you have total control.
having a print of your work in your hand is so rewarding ! I shoot film and I always make scans of my negs and small prints by my local lab before editing (I find it easier to see which ones deserve some attention). The few I like are then print bigger, and some even go in the darkroom.
I am so glad you touched on printing. I am just going through offering my images for sale. I am so glad you mentioned Canson papers also as the only information on printing I have been able to get on printing textures online is about Canson papers. I would love for you to continue and extending information on this subject. I would like some information on what size of prints you offer, whether you offer a print matted and whether you take into consideration the size of the image, the mat and what standard size of frame all these fit into. I would also like to hear about different textures of paper to a specific image. I would also like to know whether you have had printed (or would consider ) sourcing out to have images printed on other media, like boards etc. There is a Huge gap of information on youtube about these subjects and I would encourage you do fill this gap - PLEASE!
I print my wildlife/bird photos at home with the Canon PRO1000 on Espon 17x22 Exhibition Fiber Paper.
That Canon Pro-1000 is the biggest waste of money ever. Runs thru 700$ ink like its nothing. Maintenance carts need replacing every other time. And it's extremely slow. I couldn't sell it for 100$, so i took it to the dumpster and outsource all my prints now. Now i save so much time and money.
you MUST print big volume to maximize the COST of owning a printer
BECAUSE each startup it will purge inks...LOTS AND Lots of ink.
if you print 5 per month and each time you just print ONE
then you are dead.
You are better off, printing Once in 6 months all your 5 x 6mth of prints
yada yada yada... i need to know if there printers out there which simply WORK for years. inkjets still seem to make trouble over and over again for DECADES.
I have found a third way of getting my images printed. As luck would have it, my local community college has one of the best print labs in the state of New Mexico in their art department. A total of 16 work stations, three of which are connected to Epson 5000s, plus two Epson 9000 printers. You prepare your work at one of the non-connected workstations and then move over to a print station when you are ready to print. All monitors are calibrated. You have to enroll in one of the excellent photography classes which costs about $80.00 per semester including a lab fee. They teach you photography and of course how to print. All you have to bring is your paper. They pay for the ink.
A lot of the local photographers and artists take advantage of this which makes for a great art community as well.
Now, Santa Fe NM is an art center and this is exceptional, but it might still be worth for some to look into what programs are offered at their respective colleges.
Sounds excellent. I could emigrate but you people vote Democrat. How could you vote for brain dead Biden I don't know. You would never know who was running your country.
Hmmm, I’m in Albuquerque. Is this college in Santa Fe?
@@paulscottfilms Mentioning Presidential politics on a photography video?? Please...spare us.
I’ve just picked up within the last month a Canon IP8750 which is the model below the Pro 100s and uses a 6 ink dye system. For me as someone who does this as a hobby I have been over the moon with the prints it produces for £200. Like you say just being able to finish off the process and hold your own work after going out, taking the shot, coming home and editing it is very rewarding. Julian Baird is also a really big proponent of printing and he has some great videos on the topic too. All the best Adam, keep up the good work 👍🏻
Totally agree, I have the same printer, in the same time frame!
Agree wholeheartedly, I have the IP8750, brilliant printer for the price, and the thrill of seeing my photos at A3 size is fantastic.
I think I would have no pb with the printing process but I have more questions about the framing thing. Going through a photo lab, one can choose as well the framing, to have your pictures stuck on an aluminium plate,…. This should be more difficult to replicate at home.
Great video. I believe you have both Pro 1000 and Pro 300, right? Any preference between two? I think the price of the machine is not much different, but the maintenance cost could be somewhat different I suppose?
Not the video I was expecting... so much more! This is all information I've been looking for! Thank you so much!
Great comment to receive. Thanks.
OK so here is the rough maths, pls check and comment. If the A2 printer is £1000 and lasts 5 years without a repair cost, that is £200 per year in cost. A lab printed image is £25 with postage. The cost of self printing is £2.00 per print for ink and £4.00 per print for paper. That is a total of £6.00 per print. Take £6.00 off of £25.00 gives you a difference of £19.00 per print (i am going to round this to £20.00 to make the maths obvious. So you save £20.00 per print vs a lab. So if you print 10 times a year, then you have saved the £200 per year your printer cost.
This assumes no electricity costs, no print errors (reprints) either at home or with the lab, no printer breakdowns.
I’d say any serious amateur would print more than 10 per year, but that is a personal assessment. I’d also say at home you would reprint a little more often than with a lab as you will make mistakes, and choose to print a little darker/lighter on occasions.
Also I’d say that the ability to select your own papers, using smaller trial packs, have a print immediately (rather than plan in a lab lead time), iterate on versions (mono/colour) etc, all make the home printing a very controlled and satisfying experience. These last few items do add to you home printing cost.
So in summary, I’d say it’s closer to 25 to 30 prints a year to break even, but the experience at home is overwhelmingly better.
Very good breakdown! Thankyou! I ordered 7- 12x18 inch prints from lab a few weeks back. on sale, price 40 percent off and free shipping. I paid around $72.00 US dollar- and this was the sale price.
At full price I would have spent a good chunk of what a basic printer would cost me. Prints arrived in 3 days- they were nice, well done. But i keep thinking what i spent could have had me halfway to a decent small printer.
My spouse wanted me to order another 7 prints- i said no- it would be at full price- the sale is over-- i said I'm going to go look at printers for what we would have spent on another 7 at full price. I love printing, but it's not for everyone! Your summary made it easy to explain it to my spouse. I am semi retired, but i am bored and going back into photojournalism and making prints, lots of sports images! thanks again for the summary.
Fantastic video and very inspiring. Quick question(s) for you Adam. What do you do with all the prints you make for yourself? Do you archive them in storage somehow? How do you keep them to hand so you can look at them from time to time? Lastly, how do you keep them safe?
Thanks again!
That is a very good question. I wonder that myself and will do a bit of research on that.
did you figure out the answer regarding storing large prints?
I have also had the same question for years now. I have come up with a system where I try to rotate the images that go on the wall, though I'll admit it is difficult to part with some of them, and I have large archival storage boxes (from B&H) where I store the unframed prints. It is always a treat to open the box and see prints that I haven't seen for a while. Face it, the ones hanging on the wall become old news eventually. I am totally sick of seeing images on the screen and have been printing more and more lately and it's very gratifying. Also another important element of backing up.
You made me laugh hard when you talked about having kids!! haha
Myself working in printing, we do use inkjet large format Epson printers. When they work it's great but when the inkjet nozzles get clogged from sitting to long they are a mess to fix. It's very important to understand that or if you are using all the colors in the unit ... all the time. If not that ink has a life span of about one year. Our printer had a Matte Black cartridge that we, unknowingly, had never been used and was very old. These printers push the ink to the heads and some even share ink lines. We ran out of Photo Black and attempted to use the Matte Black and ended up pushing old gelled ink into the line shared by the Photo Black. When it failed to print and we got the Photo Black in, it also failed ... as the line was clogged. If this ink gets into the head it can damage it trying to super clean the heads. We also bought cleaning cartridges but to perform the clean, it will use up much of your ink so the standard inks have to be replaced before performing this cleaning. It's so expensive (9 inks at $100 a cartridge) that buying a new printer was cheaper. So don't use old inks and check the time stamp on inks you buy. Later we found that the Matte Black was used to print basic text items which we don't and have never done, thus the ink might have been 5 years old. We even tried overnight soaking the heads with Windex soaked rags. This does work for slightly clogged heads but our problem was gel in the lines. A technician can replace the lines, replace all the ink cartridges and clean the head but at a cost so high it's just cheaper to buy another printer. Sadly we had to trash it. So another factor you forget to mention is longevity. Our printer was almost ten years old (but was running fine until we allowed the Matte Black to print) and we did get enough time out of it whereas buying a new printer was expected.
Am I missing something here? If it costs £25.00 for a lab print and £5.00 ish for home print then 50 prints at the lab would pay for a printer canon pro 1000?. Excuse the vague guestimates!!
You forgot ink and paper and misprints
Children: 90% frustrating, 10% magical :) :) :) Most depressing thing I've heard all week. I'd say you got the two switched around pal ;-)
Lol.. wow that high, I would say more like 95% frustrating and 5% magical.
I've been doing professional level output since the technology began and recently semi retired. Most of my work was for the architectural industry. It will ruin your life! 😄😄😄 Now being semi retired I have a color calibrated display system. The display itself was $1,200 US, calibration software for display and print, $3,500 US, at least extremely powerful custom PC's can be had for a bbout $1,900 US. I have 5,000 Kelvin lighting in my home editing studio, heavy drapes to block the windows and a properly lit viewing area.
The reason for all this information is so you can understand that with all this effort and expense for a long time I went through a self examination with a long period of not being really happy with any print. A very steep learning curve! After a few years I found that while I was still critical of the prints I developed a real skill set and an appreciation for many of the prints when I viewed them after a few months. Interestingly it developed into a demand that threatens my retirement.
Having a printer will not be cheap, it will not save you money per print, it will be frustrating however it can be rewarding in ways that I cannot explain.
Very much enjoyed this presentation plus I learned some really good stuff thanks...being an old-school darkroom guy (anyone remember Cibachrome?) printing my own work is a given...I bought a Canon Pro100 A3 printer with inks etc all in perfect cond at an auction for £40 and about 6mos later got an older model Epson A2 printer (+inks) for £20 that had never even been taken out of the box... By adding excellent lower cost Marrutt papers in to the mix my exhibition quality prints were soon ready to sell at a small fraction of the cost of of buying the latest new gadgets ...It can be done!
I’ve not even started this video yet, but YES YES YES!!!! gets me so excited and motivated everytime I see a print of mines. (Just need to afford my own printer instead of sending off for prints!)
I have the Canon Pro 10-S - to avoid the Canon cleaning cycle, ensure you print something (small) off at least every 60 hours if you're not otherwise using the printer. Also, never, ever, ever turn it off and pull out the mains plug (ever) as this will initiate a deep clean which uses around 6% of your inks. Did I say ever?
That‘s why I have the Epson P800 and not the Canon 1000 Pro.
A most thorough and convincing argument for doing your own prints. You are certainly very passionate about what you do. Thanks for sharing. Greetings from 🇨🇦
OMG, LMAO comparing having children to his message - so true! Absolutely loved the video, First Man is well spoken, expressive, and encouraging. Plus, video is very helpful:) Thanks, subscriber from Florida.
Great topic for a video. I wish you had re-ordered that third print so the comparison would have been conclusive. I agree on the cost issue. I’m using Epson printers, and the costs are high. But I like doing the smaller test print at home and adjusting accordingly and getting the print quickly without the long turn-around. Home-printing wins for me!!!
Very insightful! I also would like to know which lightroom keyboard are you using (timeline 20:23) to tweak lightroom parameters. Thank you!
It's been a while since i made this video so not sure, but it's probably the Loupedeck
Yes, it is. Is it worth ?
Well done! I have been using a Canon Pro 10 for some 3 years now, printing 13x19s and 8 1/2x11s strictly at a hobby level. Often give away my prints as gifts, plus mount a few in our home. FYI, my favorite papers include Canson PrintMaking Rag (formerly BFK Rives), Canson Baryta Photographique, and Hahnemuhle Photo Rag 308. Moreover, I find that Red River Aurora Natural and Moab Entrada Rag Natural serve very well as substitutes for the fine art matte rag papers, which are much more expensive. If I am doing testing prints, I often use the Moab Entrada Rag papers if my final print is targeted to the Canson PrintMaking Rag. Not sure if you can feasibly get the Red River and Moab papers where you live, but I imagine there are some choices for you that can serve the same purpose.
I highly recommend some sort of printer calibration. In my case I have an older Colormunki device paired with the i1Studio software for printer calibration. That has worked quite well for me, as I have custom color and black&white icc profiles for the papers I use.
In summary, I heartily agree with you that printing my work has made a huge difference in my photography! Now I am saving my pennies for a Canon Pro-1000.
Just my opinion, but if you admit that you made a mistake by not telling the lab that you made adjustments already, it's really not fair to include said print in this comparison. Because it really looks bad. You should order another print without having them do any adjustments and THEN do the comparison again. Because, as it stands, I can't make an accurate and informed decision whether to buy a printer or go with the lab because the methodology you employed is admittedly flawed.
Cant put a price on passion . I do both print my own and use labs depending on the project I still make way more money printing my own and love having them in hand right away All part of the artistic process .
My Epson Eco-tank costed about $750 in 2023, but after this expense there is a feeling of relief that I can literally print as much as I want without worrying about how much ink if have left in my cartridge. No cartridiges the in EcoTank. Only tanks of ink! (My work can be seen here at The Acoustic Rabbit Hole, for those interested). The Eco Tank prints up 12" x 16." That being said, I am a full-time graphic artist (unemployed and work over 40 hours a week on my work). Therefore I have the the extra TIME to play with different papers. So, printing my own work may not be for everyone. Just sharing my experience. // Be well! - The Acoustic Rabbit Hole
Q: if doing a limited-edition print-run, do you order enough in one go from a commercial outlet? If self-printing, you can print only as many as you sell, at any one time, which must surely be advantageous for a pro., like yourself.
What a fantastic video. I am convinced. This is what life is all about!
I made the mistake of buying a Canon Pro 1000. As a hobbyist, I simple do not print enough to justify this printer and I am not talking about the capital investment. Because of the design, the ink waste during cleaning cycles is outrageous-far higher than smaller Canon printers probably due to the size of the print head. I’m talking about the printer wasting 5-10 times the ink put on paper. Your ink cost will NOT be lower because of the larger larger tanks. They are needed to cover the waste. Unfortunately, Canon does not mention this. I’ve felt ripped off. But.....the prints are beautiful.
Hi Adam, I loved your closing argument and the 'having kids' analogy. So true...Keep up the good work and printing. All the best, Graeme
Great video thanks! I learned a lot. One maybe obvious point to make is that it doesn't have to be all or nothing. I have an 8 1/2 x 11 printer that I'm happy with for "small" prints. If I need something bigger I'll send it out. For hobbyists, this may be a reasonable alternative.
I got myself an Epson ET-8550 with third party pigment ink from Farbenwerk. The results are lovely and the expensive part of printing photos is the paper, not the ink. Paper and ink for a Hahnemühle A3 print comes to less than 7EUR for me and a random well known online service asks for 18EUR for the same format. Am I going to print at least 60 photos over the life time of the printer to make that up? Maybe. It does have other uses for me as I am also printing high quality certificates for tournaments and being able to use pigment inks for that alone is a huge plus.
What I do see is a huge jump from in price from 6 ink A3+ as with the Epson ET-8550 to A2 printers with 10+ inks. So I would consider it a more sensible compromise if photography is not your main source of income.
I am still not sure if I should get into printing at home. For me it would only make sense If I get a printer like the canon PRO 1000, especially of the paper size. But on the other hand there are the costs and they are - as far as I see - a huge factor, nobody really talks about. I really would like to get the information of 1) price of the full ink set 2) price of the used paper 3) prints on A2 and 4) price for one print on the printer (ok, lets exclude the price of the device) and 5) compare this price with an online print service. My estimation is, that a printout in the Canon will be around 30-38 $ oder Euros. Btw, a really great video and thanks for sharing!
Iv got like 30+ Printers no joke anyone got any tips on what I should be using? Alot of the Canon Pixma, also have couple Kodak. The only real expensive I have is HP and its really big but its retail is over $1,000 the rest Retail anywhere from $100-$500 not sure if price means better
if you are going to buy a high end printer to sell prints, you need first to use that printer daily or it will
destroy itself very quickly you also have to realise the cleaning cycles on these printers use a lot of ink
and they will force a cleaning cycle after a short amount of time without use around 36 hours, the overflow tanks
on canon is a service job once full your printer will error and force you to service this costs a lot of money, printing edge to edge
or full bleed is REALLY bad will fill up your waste tank also many unnecessary cleaning cycles will fill that tank , workaround is print something
tiny every 35 hours full colour will void the cycle, you really need to buy a good calibration device XRite is quite good, you have to calibrate your monitor
and your printer to your paper this isn't an option you really have to do this and you don't do it once you calibrate your monitor at least monthly if not fortnightly
as phosphors change over time and use and you have to calibrate the printer for each different paper you use, all monitors are different we all see through our own eyes differently
you need to calibrate to take all these variables away so the ICC/ ICM profiles you create are accurate to what not only you see on your monitor, but if you decide to take your job
to a lab their equipment will be calibrated so what you see and print at home you want the EXACT same result at a lab, also from home if you notice your images are a lot
darker in print and maybe also colour casting magenta that means you have double profiled, you are using an ICC in software AND colour management in the driver/ printer
always turn printer settings to manual or off and use the created ICC in lightroom or PS or whatever you are printing from, these are just the basics and yes it's worth it, but you need to
learn what and why or it will cost a small fortune with average results, good vid Adam thanks.
I finally got a printer because, no matter how much I try to calibrate my monitor, I just can’t get good looking results from a lab. At least now, I can trouble shoot what I’m doing wrong without having to wait two weeks for the results
I picked up a number of pro-2000 printers from a shop that was closing and for under $1000 I have 4 sets of 700ml ink and spare heads and a couple of printers. These things are practically given away used as nobody wants them. The pigment inks last a long time despite canon putting an expiration date on them which seems to be a usa only thing to help sell ink. Dye inks are a little more saturated and much cheaper so I will proof on a pro100
As a buyer you also have the added cost of framing the image.... The Camera equipment seems cheap in hindsight
Not having a print at the end of this artistic pursuit is like having the leash without the puppy. It simply is not enough to stick an image on Instagram. As far as photographers go I think the print separates the men from the boys...in my case, the women from the girls. OMG it is incredibly expensive, but I must print for my final satisfaction. I am choosy about my choices and try only to print my very best work. Thank you for your insights on all of this...just what I needed to hear and you are right...99% of the shooters dont need to do this...but like you...I have to do it as well! Thanks again. Jan in NYC.
Great video! Thank you for the explanation!
What is that special key board that you are using? Loupedeck+ The Photo and Video Editing Console?
Hi there, what about the quality of the image over time? Does the foto last for as long either if printed in the lab or at home? I mean, if I fill an album with photos from the lab and another one from photos from home printer, in 20 years, will they all be equally good? Or will the home printed ones have faded? I am very concerned with that, as I am creating family memories. I own a Brother J1050DW. Is it a good printer for photos? Thank you very much!
Canon large format printers like the Pro 1000 are money pits. I know. I bought one and it used more ink in its mandatory maintenance cycles than the prints that I made. I worked out that you need to be using it at lease once a day. It does these maintenance cycles every 60 hours regardless of how much printing you do. These cycles can us 30% of the ink in the cartridges, so it's quite possible to consume $500 worth of ink in two months must in cleaning and maintenance. The Epson's however are much more economical. I sold the Canon and bought an Epson P400 for smaller A3 prints and I send out my big prints to a lab.
I agree completely. I treated myself to a Canon Pro-100S a couple of years ago and love printing my images. I have made the wall at the top of our stairs a gallery to display my A3 images. It's a great incentive to go and take even better photos.
I believe screen and printer calibration (if you use your own printer) is really important and will prevent a lot of frustration. Laptops and many tablets can also be calibrated! I do a lot of printing at home, I create custom profiles for every paper I use, that along with a calibrated screen gives me great consistency and also repeatability, it also saves a lot of wasted time, paper and ink.
I agree, a photo only really becomes a work of art once printed, love your videos!
I fully agree on this. I bought a set of colorimeter for monitors and printers for 350EUR a few years ago and it has certainly been worth my money.
Look for used deals as well- picked up my Stylus Pro 3800 with 74 prints for $150
Short answer. No. The cost to maintain a printer is unsustainable for most people. Owning your own printer is a luxury and should be viewed as such. Check out jtoolman on RUclips. He's the ultimate authority on anything printing related
Όλοι όσοι κάνουν αυτή την ερώτηση ξεκινάνε από λάθος υπόθεση. Δεν είναι οι φωτογράφοι το μεγαλύτερο αγοραστικό κοινό αυτών των εκτυπωτών αλλά οι καλλιτέχνες. Γιαυτούς αξίζουν.
Will this video is not a side-by-side comparison I really wish you would have asked them to do the correct print or do another video so we can actually tell if there is a difference between the lab and your printer. I watch the video until you said that and then I just clicked off, there's no reason to keep watching it's not a side-by-side comparison I'm not sure if you did this on purpose since you're pushing Cannon or not since it's not a real one-on-one printout. Just by watching the lab print it looks washed out really wish you would have as for the correct print from the lab.
The Canon PIXMA PRO-10 is discontinued, its niche filled by the slightly less expensive PIXMA Pro-100 and the significantly more expensive, and newer, imagePROGRAF PRO-300.
I love my Canon Pixma i6820 (i6850 in Europe). I've gotten some great 13" x 19" (A3+) from it. A part recently broke that I cannot find a replacement for, so I'll need to buy another soon. I would consider the next higher model (iP8720). No way, as an amateur, could I justify a Pro 1000 or even a PRO-100, but if I hit the lottery, I'm so there.
Pro-100 is $500 now. Cheaper than the 8720 at $600.
I'm looking at buying a Canon Pro-10s used for £95 - do you reckon thats an alright deal for a hobbyist? Thanks
The thing that would put me off is the cost of replacement inks. It would be cheaper to buy another printer!
Not when the printer costs over a grand.
For most hobbyist, this printer wouldn't make any financial sense to be honest. However we still spend on expensive lenses and camera bodies all for the love for photography. A printer of this price point to me follows that same argument. Sending a print to a lab to print is missing out on the fun behind brining the picture to paper. I have seen a ton of people warn you about why getting this printer wasn't worth it.. All of them fail to realize to many the worth of something is beyond just financials.
Wow, you made me cry at the end bro. 😢 I will defenetly own my own printer someday. Regards
As for the cost of the ImagePro 300 ink. In Canada (where I live) a complete refill set of 10 inks is about $203 Cdn (aboutish £120 equivalent). With taxes, duties and Brexit, your mileage may vary :) Incedentally, the 300's an excellent printer. Superb. Great video by the way - thanks.
Really nice Adam. I have the pixma pro 100. Novice level. But i so agree it is awesome to hold it in your hand
Don't you think there is a replacement 1000Pro coming soon? With more saturation in the black like the new pro 300? Please let me know what you think.
I love printing my photographs, and I don’t mind paying the price. What I don’t like is paying for matting and framing. The cost of that is outrageous.
printing your own work is gratifying and as close as you can get to a darkroom. I had an epson 9900 in one of my bedrooms after getting approval from wife. It was fun printing and selling my own work. Until it wasnt fun anymore. It got quite expensive when i would try to print a 40x60 and then drop the print or try to varnish it only to muck it up. Bottomline, its NOT worth it.
@Pete Melon you would think i would of thought of this. I was stubborn, stupid and didnt want to farm it out. Lessoned learned, its not worth it.
Worth getting a printer especially now with this virus outbreak
Why do all the English speaking RUclipsrs have the Canon Pro 1000 and not the Epson P800 for instance???
REALLY enjoyed your vid so came back for more - great presentation and your adice has been very informative. Im not a photographer but I do create digital art and Ive recently purchased a Canon A3 printer so was just breezing thru helpful vids but ive subbed as your content is really good.
Great choice of printer .... the only drawback with printing is that like photography itself it needs practice to get images that compare favourably with the images on screen ... and that means wasting paper and ink.... and money. Once you get it right though nothing can beat an A3 or larger print on good quality paper.... (fotospeed is now my go-to)
The labs in my country do not provid their ICC profiles... You place an order and pray it turns out ok...
I have my own printer for the convenience of it. If I don't like the result, then I can do it over right then and there. Yes, it costs more, but then I am not fooling around with idiots either. I have my own gallery at home and every photo hanging there has a story.
Great Vlog Adam, I really enjoyed it, I dread the first time I print an image, it looks perfect on the screen proof, everything is set and calibrated, the button is pushed ! A cup of tea is made and then I look at the print, first glance, it looks good, but then ever so slowly it appears, a sensor spot, Aggghhhh. bloomin missed one again
Yep. I've been there. The 'visualise spots' tool in Lightroom's Spot Removal has saved me from a good number of wasted prints since it was introduced.
Thanks for reminding me that it's "OK" for me to spend so much money on ink and paper for my hobby.
Loved this, thank you! I need to start printing (have never done it). Thanks for the tips.
Definitely looking to “gift myself” a pro1000 or such, then just keep ink in stock ;) the self satisfaction of pronto g your own work, and signing them and handling of that print from printer to your clients....”priceless” ... there is a place for your work, it’s all about capturing your buyers with your style...
12:47 too bright in highlights. Midtones and shadows are perfect. I think when you increased the 3rd stop at the beginning, you should have compensated by bringing down the highlights and increased saturation and vibrance by a touch. If you bring down the black point that increases contrast and boosts a little oomph into your pic. In this particular case this image didn't need contrast but when you are doing educational videos you should try and cover all of your bases. Or not do it at all for the sake of not spreading wrong information around, just because you have a platform. Compared to professional gallery photographs, the Canon prints are a bit too over saturated in blue. Makes it look too digital because it is simply not possible to get that blue in any other dark room, or off set printing. It is also the reason why it is good to understand history of art before creating art. Art, like energy cannot be created nor destroyed but is evolutionary. All in all nice video though!
I am on my second Epson Pro4900(17” wide roll paper ). Still incredible results. Archival prints for $2 as opposed to $20 fading lab prints
Yeah, but you gotta print loads of photos till its worth it. Print shop I get prints at charges £8 for a fine art archive print. For a printer that could come close to that quality it would cost me over £1000. So id need to print like 200+ photos for it to be even, and probably over 500 for it to be worth it
@@Robstrap my switch was the lab kept stuffing up orders so I had to drive across town again for a reprint and the print/ paper price went from $20AUD for a 20x16 to $2. Throw in rush orders ( lab price +50%) the ability to print your own exhibition and it quickly paid for itself. The new version of the printer is $2000 ( $3500 for the original) but takes smaller ink tanks. So like everything you have to evaluate time money convenience. ( And running long ink draining cleaning cycles if you don’t use it frequently enough or the ambient temp is high between runs ).
Thanks for the videos. What's the best (and cheapest) A2 printer printer today?
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on printing. To me printing has always been a “black art” reserved for those that stay up late at night experimenting with different papers and inks. I’ve had a Pro-100 sitting in the box for more than a year as I just haven’t had the time to break it out.
not worth doing the prints at home, not solely based on cost but the time and maintenance and hiccups when the paper feeds wrong too much time can be wasted that you could have been out shooting images