Using an old printer

[Ink stained Fingers]

a printer that's capable of doing good quality prints of my photos which I can frame and sell. But also one that doesn't drink ink, and is affordable when it comes to replacement inks?

Which format are you looking for - A4 or A3 ? Which type of inks are you planning to use - dye - TS6350 or pigment - Pro 1? And which type of paper(s) are you planning to use - glossy - matte - or else ?
Affordable replacement inks - do not use any 3rd party dye inks - don't even think about it - their longevity is mediocre - but the GI-53 inks of the G550/650 Megatank printers are Chromalife inks - the same as in the TS6350 cartridges - these inks could be used for refill. If you go for pigment inks there are some possible alternatives - but inks and papers need to be tested together for the best look - there are some pigment ink specific issues like bronzing and gloss differentials.

 

[raggamuffin]

Wouldn't be any bigger than A4 with this new printer - I'd use it only for my photographs, but I'd want the quality to be suitable for sales at Art & Craft fairs and exhibitions.

The Pro-1 is too thirsty to be practical for me to get to grips with learning Photoshop and printing my pictures etc. So I think a smaller, more affordable printer would be the way to go.

I'm not sure on the differences between inks I'm afraid, and the same goes for paper times. I really am a complete beginner when it comes to this kind of thing.

I do want to have decent quality prints, but I don't want it to cost the earth. I know that you tend to get what you pay for when it comes to technology. So wanting quality and a cheap price might not be that easy to accomplish.

Ed

 

[The Hat]

which I can frame and sell. But also one that doesn't drink ink, and is affordable when it comes to replacement inks?

There are two things wrong with your plan..

First, yes you can get a reasonable printer to do good quality prints for framing, but if you intend to use 3rd party inks then I wouldn’t recommend that, because these would not be suitable for selling on to customers.. fade like crazy..

If you intend to use cheaper inks then I’d suggest you look at using pigment inks as better alternative. Your customs would also approve..

 

[raggamuffin]

I'd use genuine inks, but I need something affordable. Buying genuine Pro-1 inks will have to wait. I want to get comfortable with editing and printing on a more affordable printer first.

I'm not sure about paper types to use, or affordable printers for A4 photography prints though.

Recommendations are more than welcome.

Ed

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

You may start with an Canon G550 printer - a Megatank model, with Chromalife inks, there would not be a need to use alternatives since this bottled ink is already heavily discounted vs. inks in cartridges. And again - do not plan to sell prints with poor longevity if printed with other 3rd party inks. Such A4 printer would give you enough opportunity to learn and test various aspects of printing - pre-editing in Photoshop or else - the look and (dis)advantages of different paper types - color management - calibration and profiling.
Photo printers with pigment inks start with the A3 format - currently beyond your plans, this would be the Canon Pro-300 or an Epson P700

 

[raggamuffin]

Thanks for the recommendation. I've been reading the review here and it seems to mention issues with Macs with regards to printer profiles (about half way down the page):

https://www.northlight-images.co.uk/canon-g550-printer-review/

Ed

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

it seems to mention issues with Macs with regards to printer profiles (about half way down the page):

' yes you can make good colour managed prints on a Mac (we have no PCs here at all). It takes some effort, but it can be done.'
so Keith states that it can be done - that is more a Mac issues than a printer issue apparently and part of the challenge and learning curve. There are no complications if you print with a Windows computer.

 

[raggamuffin]

I could always edit on my Mac and print on my PC I suppose.

Is this printer going to be different from my Pro-1 though? None of those cycles/checks which drink ink in the process?

Mind you, I have a lot of photos and pieces I have to work on and want to print, so I think this will get a lot of use.

Any recommendations for places to get paper from? Brands to go for etc? What sort of pack sizes does paper tend to come in and cost ranges?

Ed

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I don't know where you are living, but it should be easy to find decent shops for photo paper , just google for brand names like Tecco, Fotospeed, Canson, Hahnemühle and similar brands which are more at the upper end of quality and pricing. Shops typically sell more than one brand only, you may look for sample packs which can give you a good chance to test various papers and surfaces. You can get as well very good photo papers from Canon, Epson or HP. Amazon offers are mainly at the lower pricing range with nonname products, you need to test yourself, I won't make recommendations in this case; I just warn you against the cheapest types of papers - sellers promise everything - great colors - highest resolution etc, such photo papers - cast coated - have a paper like fibrous backside , deliver less gamut than premium papers and reduce the longevity of your inks - cheap and good don't go together. Papers come with various weights - typically between 180 - 300 gr, but you can get other types like 120gr or double sided - you need to test and decide.
The G550 comes with user replaceable printheads and a user replaceable waste ink box which makes maintenance easy.

 

[raggamuffin]

I'm around Cambridge in UK. I wasn't sure if online would be better to source good deals on paper etc.

I definitely want colour and longevity. With that in mind, and the fact I'm going to be printing photos only - are there any good starting points with regards to paper coating and weight? I know you said you didn't want to make recommendations due to the huge variety of brands/types etc. plus each person's needs and requirements will be different. But I'm sort of going into this a little blind. So I'm not sure if there's some safe options to start off with, before I branch out and explore more?

Ed