Quality Color Prints From Microtek 1800f 4x5 Scans

[nikonf]

Can any of you experts recommend the best lab I could use for making 16x20 prints from my Microtek 1800f 4x5 Fuji and Ektachrome scans? Is it possible to make high quality prints myself from these scans on a Epson 4800 color inkjet or similar printer myself?
I need to make a couple of prints for a Children's Cancer Organization by the 21st of October.
How much superior would drum scans appear if I used these to make the same 16x20 prints?

Many thanks,
Mike

 

[Lars]

Can't recommend a lab unless you mention what part of the world you are in.

My 1800f produces decent scans from well-exposed slides, I'd say it's pretty good at 900 dpi and no tonal range adjustments, which is borderline for 16x20 WRT resolution. Perhaps scan at 1800 dpi and downsample to maximize detail and suppress noise.

Also look out for dark current noise in the sensor - during a long scan the sensor heats up turning blacks into green. Less of a problem with 4x5 than 8x10 but keep an eye on those blacks.