Looking for a good printer for digital pics.

[quaidmon]

I just got a Nikon D60 and I'm looking for a good printer thats compatible with a Dell laptop.I would like to be able to make up to 8X10 prints. There is a Photospa store about 10 miles from my house but it is located on one of the busiest roads in NJ. Has anyone ever been to Photospa? Thanks in advance for any info or advice.

 

[Sodbuster27]

Quaidmon:

You might want to think about that purchase. With the cost of the printers being low it is tempting to just go out and get one. Take your pick, the low end Canon, Epson, HP, etc, etc will do fine for up to 8x10 prints. You definately want to get one specific for photos. The more ink cartridges, the better. Then you can replace only the inks you are using rather than have to chuck a lot of ink still left in a "one-size-fits-all" ink cartridge because you ran out of cyan and need the red to make a decent print.

But, I would also suggest you take a look at some of the on-line photo services or your local stores. Walgreens, Costco, Target, Walmart, all have a do-it-yourself photo boutique so you can enlarge your own digital images. Many of them also have services on-line that you can submit your photos to and they will mail you the prints back. Some do professional work and they cost a little more but the quality matters.

Many of these on-line centers have masks you can place over your photos such as Christmas or other holiday masks for greeting cards and such. They also do color correction which, if you have tried to set up a good printer on Photoshop (I have -- Epson R1800) it's a bit of work and costs as you get the profile set for the printer.

So, you can check out and create a profile for the online photo centers at some of the following:

Walmart On-line Photo Lab Login / Account Creation

Miller's Professional Photographic Lab

Costco's On-line Lab (naturally, you have to be a Costco member to use the lab.

Google for digital photo lab and you will be inundated with choices.

Just another 2c.

Sodbuster

 

[Sodbuster27]

Okay, and I forgot the place that I personally have used, Mpix.com. They do a great job of packaging your photos as well as processing. I like the chrome prints in color as they add a metallic sheen to the photo (not for all photos, but you will know after you see a few which ones would look good that way). Plus there are a lot of options you have for processing your files to print.

Sodbuster

 

[bobnoodle]

I have found that I can not purchase and maintain a decent photo printer @ home for a reasonable cost...
It's more expensive when you compare it to the online sites and the services available...
I often upload them to Wal-Mart and then go get some groceries, and pick up my photos.
If you want a glossy finish, you may have to wait a couple days as they process centrally and deliver to your local store.
If you have ever had fifty or sixty bucks worth of photo cartridges dry up because you didn't use them, you'll feel that agony for a while.
I use a Samsung ML-2010 laser printer for my printing needs other than photos...
Crisp and clear text and never dries out... (Sixty five bucks after rebate...)
I have had it a long long time and still on the original toner...
Replacement..? A few bucks on eBay...

Just my thoughts on it all...
Bob

 

[Bill in Texas]

Ever since I went to HP I have had no trouble, ever time you put a new cartridge in you have a new set of ink jets. I guess this is still true with the newer HP's. I have had my photosmart for about 4 years now. I take out one color cartridge and keep a black there for everyday printing on Fast-draft. Then when I print photos I put the photo color cartridge back in and change the settings. I keep the cartridge that is not in the printer in the special holder furnished with the cartridge. I have never had one dry out. When I had Ebson and a Cannon printers my Cartridges were always drying out. Bill in Texas