Help with printing

[dcanadaca]

Hi,

I'm new to the digital camera. I was into photography during the dark room days. I have a few questions regarding printing. I wanted to know if most of you print your own photos or do you have someone do them for you? If you print your own could you recommend a printer? Are the printers professional quality or do you have to take your photos to someone for that kind of quality(looking to do "professional" portraits of my children)? Any guidance would be appreciated! Thanks!!!

Debbie

 

[user111]

epson printer is recommended by many. exact model i dunno..

 

[solarii]

How large will your prints be?

Easiest option would be to ask a colour lab to do it for you if you want 4R/5R, or use one of the printing services (ie @ Canon Media Hub) if you want larger sizes like A3.

I don't recommend buying a printer specially for this purpose unless you intend to print photos regularly or are hunting for a new printer anyway. The inital outlay for a good photo printer will set you back several hundred quid, plus inks and media. Not to mention the time you spend sitting in front of your com.

The advantage of DIY is that you have more control over the output though.

 

[dcanadaca]

Thanks for your responses. If I could ask a couple more questions. If you take it to someone for printing do you get basically what you see on the your computer? Or is it a trail an error type thing? Do you get a test sheet first so you can decide if it's worth printing? Sorry just really new at the printing without actually seeing a hard copy.

Thanks again,
Debbie

 

[solarii]

Haha its a loaded question. You generally won't get what you see unless your monitor is calibrated to work with the output capabilities of the printer. Its a little trial and error if you're fussy about the details.

Color labs will tweak the shot somewhat if the image is too dark, or there are obvious colour tints. I suppose you could stand next to the person and give your input if the shop allows it!

To get test sheets, print a small copy (ie 4R) of the image you want printed, before going for the larger A4 or A3. They'll serve as a gauge to what the final output will be.