I did a lot of research and eventually went out and bought an HP Photosmart 7260 printer. I would have gone for an A3 printer if I'd had the money. There are of course many great photoprinters on the market and they appear to get better every month.
The secret though, is not in the printer, but the paper. With my HP, some papers give seriously crappy results and never dry. We have bought reams of paper from many different manufacturers and finally hit the jackpot with Ilford Printasia.
It has this really un-professional packaging but wow ... what a result....
- Firstly; the paper is heavy at 280gsm. It's heavier than some papers used by commercial houses.
- Secondly; it is instant-dry. I don't know how it does that, but it is dry the seond it's printed.
- Thirdly; it is a perfect match for HP inks with excellent colours and densities.
- Finally; it comes in a Pearl finish which is to me the perfect finish for exhibition work as it is bright and sharp but doesn't reflect light off the surface which makes it impossible to view the whole print.
Kari1 and I have entered print competitions using professional printers but in the end found that our own is superior (and cheaper!) using these tools. We estimate paper and ink costs us about $2.50 per print which is better than the $12.95 retail price.
Brett |
