shmungerwos/Liam - Introduction / About Me

[shmungerwos]

Hey guys,

Name's Liam

Relatively new printer owner here.

Been shooting as a hobby for 2 years. About a year ago, Canon ran their promotion once again. My sister bought herself a Canon P&S, the Pro-100, and a pack of 13x19 Lustre Paper. She got a $400 AmEx card after spending about $600. So she paid the same price the camera would have costed, and got a free printer and paper.
Needless to say, she had no use for the printer, so I took it off her hands.
The printer sat in my room for about 8 months before I actually unpacked it and set it up.

I've since already switched rooms and moved the printer, but only printed one photo....
This is mostly due to the fact that I only have that pack of 13x19 paper, which seems to be a not-so-standard photo size.

With the holiday season upon us, I figured I'd grab some paper from Canon, with their buy 1 get 9 deals now (it's usually buy 1 get 4). At the same time, I started looking into ink, as I know this will come up later and getting new sets is expensive.

Apparently this forum is popular, since it was the first result after YouTube and Amazon.

I've been reading one thread and browsing through the welcoming material. I'm really liking the atmosphere so far. Really hoping to learn a good deal here and eventually help out others when I can.

For the most part I started shooting random objects. Eventually, when I got the courage and confidence, I started shooting others (not sure if they're actually considered portraits). Lately, since June 2014, when we lost one member of our team (my day job) as he went off to start his own business, my workload has prevented me from shooting, much less editing and printing. Thankfully, things are about to calm down. We're in the process of finding a new hire to replace me so I can move up to a Senior Systems Admin position (I'm currently SA and Lead Support Engineer - IS - for a data/software company) where my schedule will allow more time for hobbies.

I've attached some photos that I like most of what I've edited in the end of 2013.

Some favor other photos that I've posted. Feel free to check out my facebook page
I recently started bringing my camera along whenever I go clubbing. There's a lot of skin, so I just made a new page for those sort of photos...
I'm aware my club photos are shit. It's something I did twice. It will take some time, but I'll get my mojo going

And by now, I realize this post is mostly about my photography...

So...
Yeah. I guess most people always have things at home they know so little about. Hopefully, by spending some time in this universe, I will learn more about printing than I ever thought was possible.

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[fotofreek]

Welcome aboard! I'm sure you've noticed the civil discourse and helpful nature of the participants. This is unlike some similar sites - we like it and keep it this way.

The good thing about these larger format printers is that you can print many sizes up to the 13x19 that you've mentioned. The usual home use printers are restricted to 8.5x11 format as a maximum size. While that is more than adequate for most people, it is nice to have that additional size feature if the mood takes you to do a larger print. As you become a more accomplished photographer you may find that a particular picture would look much more dramatic in a larger size, be it 11x14 or larger. You can always trim the paper to get the width/hight ratio equivalent of the smaller standard sizes or experiment with a custom format of your own.

For many years I used a poster program that broke up larger images into 8.5x11 pieces to be printed on the more common printers. I was then able to do a paste-up to whatever size I wanted on poster board or foam core board. While it was suitable for a poster for a party or one time use, it is really nice now to be able to make a print in near-poster size at 13x19.

For quick glossy 4x6 prints the best price is Costco's Kirkland glossy paper. They also have 8.5x11 glossy paper. For special projects I've used Red River papers. You can get a very inexpensive box of samples from them to evaluate the various weights and surfaces. When on sale Staples Photo Supreme double sided matte can cost about $2 for a 50 8.5x11 sheet box. I've only bought that on sale, though. It has been useful for greeting cards as it can be printed on both sides and is a reasonably good weight. If you have a Staples store in your area get on the email list so you will know when that sale comes up.

I don't have that particular printer, but I expect that very good aftermarket ink and accessories for refilling your carts are available at Precision Colors. They are in Canada but ship regularly to the US. Mike, the owner, is an active participant on this forum. His web site includes his phone number and he is very helpful.

Finally - I like your pictures. Very good start for a life-long avocation!

 

[shmungerwos]

Welcome aboard! I'm sure you've noticed the civil discourse and helpful nature of the participants. This is unlike some similar sites - we like it and keep it this way.

Yup. I've seen many forums for different reasons, be it hardware, software, OS, photography, houseware, etc. This is the first forum in a long time that I joined in the first few hours of seeing it. I won't be consistently active, but when I am/will be, I hope to be able to contribute!

For quick glossy 4x6 prints the best price is Costco's Kirkland glossy paper. They also have 8.5x11 glossy paper. For special projects I've used Red River papers. You can get a very inexpensive box of samples from them to evaluate the various weights and surfaces. When on sale Staples Photo Supreme double sided matte can cost about $2 for a 50 8.5x11 sheet box. I've only bought that on sale, though. It has been useful for greeting cards as it can be printed on both sides and is a reasonably good weight. If you have a Staples store in your area get on the email list so you will know when that sale comes up.

Thanks!! This is great info. It will definitely help me down the road. For the time being, I took advantage of Canon's "Black Friday Sale". I got 1000 sheets Glossy II (resin-coated) 4x6 for $19 and 500 sheets Glossy 4x6 for $10. 1500 sheets for $30, I figured it's not a bad investment to at least have the ability to try them out.
I do shop at Costco quite a bit, so I will most definitely look at their paper, as they are pretty good on their promise on quality.
As for Staples, I'll have to see when I start printing on 8.5x11. I don't normally print altogether right now. I figured I'd have some 4x6 sheets handy in case I ever want to give anyone a sample print or something. I can see where 8.5x11 would be better though. I guess it's up to the sale schedule...

I don't have that particular printer, but I expect that very good aftermarket ink and accessories for refilling your carts are available at Precision Colors. They are in Canada but ship regularly to the US. Mike, the owner, is an active participant on this forum. His web site includes his phone number and he is very helpful.

Yup! I spent a few hours viewing a few threads. First came across this comment by websnail where he mentions OctoInk and Precision Colors.
Only after having gone through Precision Colors site did I come back and check out some more threads. After a bit I pieced together that Mike aka mikling is the company. Pretty cool, though. I'm super psyched to start printing and needing to refill my cartridges!

Finally - I like your pictures. Very good start for a life-long avocation!

Thanks! I really appreciate you taking the time to comment with such detail. It means a lot, living in a busy city, where people try to keep everything short (and usually leave out important details... ).

 

[stratman]

Welcome to the forum. I enjoyed your photos as well. There are a number of good photographers here who you may enjoy commenting with.

Concerning the Canon Pro-100, this is a wonderful printer but there is a known bug for refillers. The CLI-42 Yellow ink that comes with the printer may gel in the cartridge and print head if you use that original cartridge to refill with after market inks. (Yellow Gello as forum member The Hat calls it) This may render your print head inoperable and cause you to purchase a new print head. The point here is if you are going to use Yellow refill ink -- NOT original Canon Yellow ink -- then you either need to be incredibly thorough in flushing the Yellow cartridge before refilling OR buy a replacement empty CLI-42 or CLI-8 from Mikling at Precision Colors when you purchase refill inks. Since the supply of empty CLI-42 cartridges is low, it may be easier to just use an empty, flushed CLI-8 cartridge and swap the chip from your CLI-42 to the CLI-8 cartridge. All of this is easy and instructions can be had when you are ready.

In the meantime, check out Precision Color' explanation of this refill issue at http://www.precisioncolors.com/PC42.html.

 

[Roy Sletcher]

Welcome aboard Liam.

Really liked your picha's. A refreshing change as most of us regulars don't post a lot of images on the site.

I really enjoyed the fact that you have a good eye for composition, together with a good technical presentation and tonal range. Blacks not crushed and whites not blown out. They should print real good on your Pro-100.

Don't see why you can't call them portraits. They are your pics after all. Term that I am seeing frequently now is "Environmental Portrait", in place of what we old fogies used to call "Candid"

I would be somewhat remiss if I did not warn you of the downside of printer ownership addiction. Soon you will have acquired so many printers together with the refilling paraphernalia you will encounter storage space problems. Fortunately all printers come in large boxes, so as a last resort you can use the box as a shelter whilst you camp in your garden or under a nearby bridge or underpass. Thus ensuring even more space for printers in your comfy abode.


Roy Sletcher
All statements in my posts represent my interpretation of data, research opinion or viewpoints and are not necessarily a representations of fact. They are subject to change without notice.

 

[The Hat]

Gees Roy you certainly know how to make a guy feel real welcome…

 

[shmungerwos]

Welcome to the forum. I enjoyed your photos as well. There are a number of good photographers here who you may enjoy commenting with.

Thanks! Good to know I didn't go too off topic...

Concerning the Canon Pro-100, this is a wonderful printer but there is a known bug for refillers. The CLI-42 Yellow ink that comes with the printer may gel in the cartridge and print head if you use that original cartridge to refill with after market inks. (Yellow Gello as forum member The Hat calls it) This may render your print head inoperable and cause you to purchase a new print head. The point here is if you are going to use Yellow refill ink -- NOT original Canon Yellow ink -- then you either need to be incredibly thorough in flushing the Yellow cartridge before refilling OR buy a replacement empty CLI-42 or CLI-8 from Mikling at Precision Colors when you purchase refill inks. Since the supply of empty CLI-42 cartridges is low, it may be easier to just use an empty, flushed CLI-8 cartridge and swap the chip from your CLI-42 to the CLI-8 cartridge. All of this is easy and instructions can be had when you are ready.

In the meantime, check out Precision Color' explanation of this refill issue at http://www.precisioncolors.com/PC42.html.

I actually spent ~6 hrs yesterday between here, OctoInk and Precision Colors. I've learned A LOT about refilling ink on the Pro-100 in the first 3 hours. The other 3 were mostly spent moseying around this forum, looking at some random (and some not-so-random) threads.

Btw, in your comment, you wrote

"The point here is if you are going to use Yellow refill ink -- NOT original Canon Yellow ink -- then you either need to be incredibly thorough..."

Keywords: NOT original Canon Yellow ink. Is there even such a thing? It seems that all the 'Ink Tanks' made by canon are not for refilling cartridges. Rather (I didn't look this up, so it's just my 5-second-theory), for CISS, or maybe just very large cartridges, if that was ever a thing.
If I took that too literally, no need to respond. But if that is a thing, if you wouldn't mind linking some threads/discussion or other wikis/product pages with info, that would be awesome. Who knows. Maybe I'll do a job for some corporate prick that insists on genuine Canon inks. Never rule anything out.
I think I'm going a bit overboard here...

Really liked your picha's. A refreshing change as most of us regulars don't post a lot of images on the site.

*blushes and looks at his feet uncomfortably, waiting for someone to move the spotlight*
At first I included them at full size... lol. A quick peruse through some other posts revealed no pictures at all

I really enjoyed the fact that you have a good eye for composition, together with a good technical presentation and tonal range. Blacks not crushed and whites not blown out. They should print real good on your Pro-100.

As my non-knowing (I searched for a better word. Looking for photography-inept, but more like they have no clue...) friends would say, "Wow. Nice shots. You must have a great camera!!"

Don't see why you can't call them portraits. They are your pics after all. Term that I am seeing frequently now is "Environmental Portrait", in place of what we old fogies used to call "Candid"

To be honest, the ones I posted are mostly portraits. I used to say I shoot candid, but then i stepped up my game and started actually communicating with the subject.
I was mostly speaking of the general style I shoot, which I can't decide as I haven't had enough time/experience to find out what I truly enjoy most. I imagine it will be that way for decades to come.
Photo #3, with blue on the right and someone out of focus on the left, was actually shot at PDN PhotoExpo NYC 2013, on a Canon 5DMKIII with a 400mm at 2.8, as they were closing up. I think he was staff, glaring at me to get out. The guy out of focus on the left was (I think) less than 3 ft away.

I would be somewhat remiss if I did not warn you of the downside of printer ownership addiction. Soon you will have acquired so many printers together with the refilling paraphernalia you will encounter storage space problems. Fortunately all printers come in large boxes, so as a last resort you can use the box as a shelter whilst you camp in your garden or under a nearby bridge or underpass. Thus ensuring even more space for printers in your comfy abode.

Aye aye, cap't. Thankfully, it's not in my budget at the moment. Like I said, only printed one image. Still having Costco do my 4x6 prints, since I don't do this as a profession in which I'd need to offer prints, and I'm ok with whatever quality I end up with.
Still on the starter set. Just making mental notes (and bookmarking) my options for refill inks once I do have time and money for that.

Gees Roy you certainly know how to make a guy feel real welcome…

Hey! In my few hours on here, I've learned that you guys are top dawg. In the amount of help you give all around, the random wacky threads, etc. It makes me real excited that all of you guys are commenting on my thread!
The Hat, not sure if that was sarcastic or not. Either way, as you might be able to tell, every single comment on my thread is making me really happy. Useful info, ego boosters, and just the all-around feeling of being truly welcomed.

Speaking of, my ego. Just a heads up. I'm a very moody person. Sometimes I hate compliments and sometimes I can't get enough.
I think I figured out the basic rules tho:

• If I worked on it and I like it, then I love any compliments I can get, cuz it validates my opinion of it.
• If I worked on it and hate it, please confirm how awful it is, otherwise you're just showing that your opinon is not as real as I thought, and I won't be able to ask you for improvement ideas on future work.
• If I did an act that should be a social norm, i.e. pick up trash on a NYC sidewalk, run to open the door for someone, don't dare congratulate me, as I'll go off on a rant on why it should be the norm and not something praise-worthy.
• And lastly, if you compliment something I was born with, I simply have no clue how to respond. I can say thank you, but I don't like being general that way. My responses, as you can most probably tell, actually demand thought.

btw, the above is not directed at you guys. It's mostly to explain the reason for difference in some of my comments' tone of ego/mood in this response.
----------------

Finally, when I started this response, I had no idea it would be this long. It was supposed to be mostly one-liners after every quote.
This is what happens when I get into something...
I look for one file, I end up sorting 5 gb worth of files into a very comprehensive structure.

Unless I'm having a shitty day.

 

[stratman]

Btw, in your comment, you wrote
Keywords: NOT original Canon Yellow ink. Is there even such a thing? It seems that all the 'Ink Tanks' made by canon are not for refilling cartridges. Rather (I didn't look this up, so it's just my 5-second-theory), for CISS, or maybe just very large cartridges, if that was ever a thing.

There is no better cartridge for refilling than an OEM Canon cartridge. Also, CISS and Canon are NOT a good combination and to be avoided unless you want more aggravation in your life.

When I mentioned "NOT original Canon Yellow ink" I meant if you refill the cartridges and use aftermarket ink such as that sold by Precision Colors, the link I provided in my previous post.

The CLI-42 cartridges the Pro-100 uses can be refilled easily and may be substituted with CLI-8 cartridges from previous model printers. However, the chip on the CLI-42 will need to be placed on the CLI-8 cartridge in order for your printer to recognize the LI-8 cartridges. Also, you can purchase a chip resetter for the CLI-42 chip so that native ink level monitoring of the printer may still be used. All of this is explained in the tabs found on the CLI-42 / Pro-100 link I posted previously.

Refilling saves a lot of money and the quality of the prints can rivial Canon OEM inks, especially if you use Precision Colors (PC) Image Specialists inks and one of mikling's (owner of PC) custom ICC Printer Profiles to match your printer to his inks and a specific paper. See the "Custom ICCs" tab on the link for more info.

Otherwise, mikling's Image Specialist inks are very good match for OEM Canon inks even without a custom ICC, but you will be the judge for yourself. If you are selling your prints then use Canon inks because they will most likely last longer. Otherwise, your output can be optimized with a good ICC and paper combination.

 

[shmungerwos]

There is no better cartridge for refilling than an OEM Canon cartridge. Also, CISS and Canon are NOT a good combination and to be avoided unless you want more aggravation in your life.

When I mentioned "NOT original Canon Yellow ink" I meant if you refill the cartridges and use aftermarket ink such as that sold by Precision Colors, the link I provided in my previous post.

I was not even daring to think of combining CISS and Canon. The bit I read on CISS points that it is definitely not something that would entertain me.
I'm a nut on phrasing, especially if it's a nicely detailed post such as yours. You saying '"Yellow refill ink - NOT Canon -" made it sound that you were excluding some type of Canon OEM refill ink, as opposed to OEM replacement cartridges. Forget I ever asked. It was foolish of me to ask when I already knew the answer.

Refilling saves a lot of money and the quality of the prints can rival Canon OEM inks, especially if you use Precision Colors (PC) Image Specialists inks and one of @mikling's (owner of PC) custom ICC Printer Profiles to match your printer to his inks and a specific paper. See the "Custom ICCs" tab on the link for more info.

I had not even begun to think of researching profiles and what exactly it means, just yet. Thanks for this info! I'll make sure to look there when I'm ready.

Otherwise, mikling's Image Specialist inks are very good match for OEM Canon inks even without a custom ICC, but you will be the judge for yourself. If you are selling your prints then use Canon inks because they will most likely last longer. Otherwise, your output can be optimized with a good ICC and paper combination.

Eh. Not giving Canon all that mula. I'll get the PC IS inks as soon as I need/want/can afford them. ICC and paper will be researched if/when I dislike the output.

Thanks!

 

[PeterBJ]

The reason that Canon CLI-42 Yellow cartridges should not be refilled is that the Canon OEM CLI-42 Yellow ink can react with refill ink or even plain water used to flush the cartridge and form a gel that can clog the print head. It is recommended that the CLI-42 Y cartridge is not refilled. Instead the use of a cleaned and relabelled CLI-8 cartridge with a CLI-42 Y chip attached is recommended. For chip transfer see this.

Here and here are threads with more info about the gelling problem.