"Chip Louie" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote/replied to: >If you're complaining about the price of media and ink that means is that >you're wasting too much material trying to get good prints and wind up with >too few good prints for the money. It costs about $40 for a single 11x14 >(and about $140 for 6 of the same image, so about $23 each), Type C LightJet >print at A&I. For about $40 I can replace the color and black ink carts in >my 1280S, 13x19 Epson PGPP is about a $1.50 per sheet. I can print a LOT of >13x19 prints for a lot less than I can get them from A&I Color, about 80% >less including waste. I can generally get excellent color the first time >and almost never have to reprint due to color problems. If I reprint it's >usually due to something I see in a large, first-time print that I think I >can adjust better to improve the print.
Hi Chip, Well, I go to my local minilab which has a Frontier. They can do up to 10" by 15", and cost is about $5. These of course are Fuji photo paper prints and last well on the wall, which is where I like to put larger prints. I put them in frames with glass of course. The inkjets I have made and put under glass have lasted pretty well, those on the wall not under glass have faded badly in a couple of months, with indirect sunlight. Even though ink is cheap here, the good paper isn't and when you add it all up, plus the time it takes, it's hardly worth it. It's certainly not cheaper. And I really like the Frontier's output. It's not only very accurate but has a more 'real photo' look to it. And it can make a low res cropped image look very nice indeed, much better than an inkjet of the same, whether upsampled or not. I don't actually get that many images printed. I have a 4 by 6 Frontier print made for each decent 'keeper' which I put in a small portfolio album. I have a 10" by 15" made for anything I want to frame and hang on the wall. Costs for all this is pretty reasonable, and I don't have to do anything but prepare the file, which is very easy with digital. I take my images on CF card instead of buring to CD, so there is no cost involved there. I have told the Frontier operator to make no auto adjustments, and that's working out very well. I do find highlights blow out easier so I have lowered contrast a tad. Otherwise, what I see is what I get, everytime. So until the day that inkjets are more perfected as to fading, I'll keep on sending to the Frontier. My inkjet does mostly text now, and some proofing and goofing around :-) -- Jim Davis Nature Photography http://jimdavis.oberro.com Replies in plain text only please! * **** ******* *********************************************************** * For list instructions, including unsubscribe, see: * http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/eos_list.htm ***********************************************************
