From what I understand, quality from home inkjets or whatever else may also be lacking - especially as far as archival purposes go. The inks used supposedly do not maintain as well as the type used in more professional print labs.
For me the best printer is the Canon CP-600 although this is not the cheapest to run. In your situation I would certainly choose the Epson PictureMate.
Both the Epson and the Canon produce lab quality prints - personally I would not consider anything that does not produce prints of such quality and longevity.
I was just about to praise the CP600 as well but colda has done that.
The prints are surprisingly cost effective and you'll be able to get them exactly as you want them. The quality is fantastic and the size/portability is great. I've got one sitting next to me at the moment and I hardly notice it's there!
I was just about to praise the CP600 as well but colda has done that.
The prints are surprisingly cost effective and you'll be able to get them exactly as you want them. The quality is fantastic and the size/portability is great. I've got one sitting next to me at the moment and I hardly notice it's there!
GET ONE!
Rich, just a quick question that you may be able to help with - is it possible to get the Canon paper without the postcard template on the back?
Colda, you need KL-361P or KL-181P paper/ink set.
It's 119 x 89mm for KL as opposed to 148 x 100mm for the Postcard size but all the 'Postcard' sizes do come as postcard templates.
I don't really understand how a small 6x4 (or whatever) printer can be cost effective. If the printer costs, say, $200, how many pics do you need to print to recover your money?!
Depends on the definition of cost effective in this case.
The original question was to 'keep the cost down'. Having invested $130 in the hardware the prints then cost about $0.30 each.
No, compared to high street or internet printers the Compact Printers can't compete on price. But as soon as you factor in your requirement for speed, convenience and the ability to get the photos exactly as you want them, the CP printers become very attractive indeed.
If you're going to pump of hundreds of photos per day then again - the CP can't manage that cheaply - but if you'r going to print off fun photos every so often then they're great.
Plus the CP600 is tiny and is completely portable with the battery pack.
As Rich says, there is no way that they can compete with the services that are currently available, but there is no way that you can have the services available when you're in the middle of the nowhere.
