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Lack of participation on printing forum.

Dan Berg

New member
A large photography fan base to work with but poor to almost nil participation in the printing forum. 4 threads in Dec. and 47 in the entire year?
That is quite bleak to say the least. The average printing threads on Luminous Landscape are around 100 per month and over 1200 for the year.
Isn't anyone over here printing? Maybe it is just me but I am into photography so that I have something to print and mount. It is not only a business but a true passion.
Would love to see a survey of all the members here to see what they are doing with their images. How many have a print studio? % of people printing versus sending images online to one of the web viewing sites?
it is possible this site is more of a consumer site rather then the business oriented group on LuLa and that may well be the difference which is ok.
Come on guys and gals if you have interest we need your participation. Maybe you will get hooked like I have.
 

ShooterSteve

New member
Hi Dan,

I print weekly on my Epson 9800 and a smaller Epson 2880 which I am waiting to replace with the Epson 3880 soon. I usually print with photo black in my 9800 and matte black in my 2880 for my portfolio print books.

As far as discussions, I usually don't have any issues printing. Once I learned how to use the Epson software for printing black and white, my results have been excellent.

But, yes, I print all the time. There is no better way to feel rewarded for all our hard work picking the best hardware than looking at a great 40" print. I also have framing tools and matte cutters and learned how to make frames.

I agree that printing is the other half of the story of what we do. Looking at images on a screen just doesn't do it for me and can be very forgiving compared with a large print.
 

Dan Berg

New member
Nice to hear from you Steve. I share your enthusiasm and look forward to participating considerably more in 2014.
Happy Holidays.
Dan Berg
 

kdphotography

Well-known member
Dan, I think it's more because there is a larger audience over at LL, and GetDPI is just a smaller, different, and happier family with a slightly different emphasis. I wouldn't mind seeing the printing portion of the forum grow.

To me printing is the other half of the equation in photography. Probably 99% of all my printing is done in studio. (I ain't doing wallets!) Fine art printing has grown to be a side-business for me, and I do quite a bit of reproduction work for artists and printing for photographers as well. I think on LL (at the moment) you're more like to hear about the clogs/problems with printers, whereas imho, there are a lot more happy printers working contently and silent from the the forums. My 9900, K7 9890, and 4800 are simply workhorses in my studio.

There is always something to learn in fine art printing. But my guess is it pales in excitement to someone in the GetDPI family getting a new IQ260/280....and asking for help on how best to spend their money next. ;) It's difficult to show the beauty of a fine art print, maybe the texture or feel of a nice fine art paper---on the web. But yes, it'd be nice to see more on printing issues/topics here at GetDPI. :)

ken
 

tsjanik

Well-known member
Dan, I think it's more because there is a larger audience over at LL, and GetDPI is just a smaller, different, and happier family with a slightly different emphasis. I wouldn't mind seeing the printing portion of the forum grow.

......... I think on LL (at the moment) you're more like to hear about the clogs/problems with printers, whereas imho, there are a lot more happy printers working contently and silent from the the forums. My 9900, K7 9890, and 4800 are simply workhorses in my studio.

But yes, it'd be nice to see more on printing issues/topics here at GetDPI. :)

ken
Hi Ken:

I agree with most of your comments, but if you look at the numbers on line at Getdpi and LL at most times, there are more here!
I agree that this is a happier, less argumentative group and like you, I have a 4900 that just works. Dan, I think more printing discussions would be a great addition.

Tom
 

Shashin

Well-known member
+1 (If that makes sense.)

Most of my printing is either instruction for students or printing for others (artists, museums, achieves, and a host of other events). I do print some stuff for me. I run Epson 9800, 4800, and 4900 printers.

I guess one of the problems is how do I show a 4x3 foot print on the web?
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
A large photography fan base to work with but poor to almost nil participation in the printing forum. 4 threads in Dec. and 47 in the entire year?
That is quite bleak to say the least. The average printing threads on Luminous Landscape are around 100 per month and over 1200 for the year.
Isn't anyone over here printing? Maybe it is just me but I am into photography so that I have something to print and mount. It is not only a business but a true passion.
Would love to see a survey of all the members here to see what they are doing with their images. How many have a print studio? % of people printing versus sending images online to one of the web viewing sites?
it is possible this site is more of a consumer site rather then the business oriented group on LuLa and that may well be the difference which is ok.
Come on guys and gals if you have interest we need your participation. Maybe you will get hooked like I have.
No we are just better at printing and don't need help. ROTFLMAO

Seriously who gives a **** what LL is doing. The real answer is they just have a bigger base as they been on longer, there is no other reason than that. We are not here to sell videos. Da
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Hi Ken:

I agree with most of your comments, but if you look at the numbers on line at Getdpi and LL at most times, there are more here!
I agree that this is a happier, less argumentative group and like you, I have a 4900 that just works. Dan, I think more printing discussions would be a great addition.

Tom
I could NOT have said that better myself.
 

Dan Berg

New member
No we are just better at printing and don't need help. ROTFLMAO

Seriously who gives a **** what LL is doing. The real answer is they just have a bigger base as they been on longer, there is no other reason than that. We are not here to sell videos. Da
This was not meant to be a comparison between GetDPI and LuLa.
I am trying to broaden my horizons and I really like GetDPI.
My main area of interest is printing and mounting. So I pop in to see whats going on and there are 2 threads in the last 2 weeks. Thats all I was saying,certainly nothing derogatory.

Oh and Guy,selling flashing advertisements or videos you are in the exact same business.

Keep up the good work. I am a fanboy really!
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
I know I was just joking around. We are not in competition with anyone, we have a different prospective here and it is about learning and sharing but more important helping each other. Love to see more on printing myself.
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
What Ken has failed to mention is he has 2-44" printers and a smaller one (I forgot is it a 24 or 36?) he's got enough to start his own print shop. :grin:
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
All kidding aside, printing is a huge portion of what I do as well. I upgraded my Epson to a 9900 last year and so far (knock on wood) no problems. I also have a much small Epson Artisan 50 in the studio in Tucson I use to print DVD's and one here in Jackson to print proofs of images we plan to print full size one we get into the studio in Tucson.

While the majority of our work is still offered on either canvas or paper we have begun to offer prints on 6x8 and 8x12 ceramic tiles. I quickly learned that the ceramic tile printing is cost prohibitive so that's the only thing we farm out.

I love the 9900 and feel it a huge upgrade from the 9800 which I used for almost 6 years.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
I print quite often, but I haven't had much need to discuss it.

My beat up old Epson R2400 has logged on the order of 8000 11x17 equivalent pages output since 2005. It's still chugging along. The front panel no longer stays shut, I have it taped together, and I've figured out how to keep it printing consistently and reliably with all the papers I use.

Most recent print jobs I completed (within the past couple of weeks) were five 13x19 prints for my annual photo workshop holiday party print viewing and swap, 120 holiday cards to mail out, and 15 8.5x11 pages for another photo folio I gave as a gift.

Someday this old thing will croak and I'll feel comfortable replacing it with the 3880 or whatever the next larger size upgrade model is at that time ... :)
 

D&A

Well-known member
Quite agree with all the comments so far...more contributions to the printing forum would be a valuable asset to the getdpi community. Have two Epson 7800's (soon putting up for sale I hope) and a 9800 and print for a variety of commercial interests and clients (and of course for personal use). There are so many variables in printing these days that not only technical discussions would be welcomed but the almost unlimited pallet of printing materials at our disposal that are worthy of mentioning and the sharing of our experiences in utilizing them.

Dave (D&A)
 

Tim

Active member
Oh dear, and here is me, I just acquired at no current cost the use of an old Epson 2100 - 7 colour. The 2100 will do roll paper or up to A3. Some paper and ink came with it. I just need to get the heads clear and it will be good to go.

There is some RIP software with it but I am unsure if I really need to run this for just one off casual jobs.

BTW: I DO print but most of mine has been Fuji minilab stuff. I like to do albums/ and now do 6x8 two images per page.
 

sinwen

Member
I must say that I am not a pro and do not need to print to make a living, so it is a totally different approach.
I started printing since the first Epsons hit the market. I switched from wet lab to digital lab. When the Epson 4000pro arrived I placed great hope in it. I tried the all lot, quad rip for B&W only etc... In fact I spent my time mostly trying things, filling boxes of trial prints.
This beast keep clogging all the time and I spent a fortune in inks. Today it seats here unsued, it doesn't grab the sheets of paper anymore, the lines are full of air I should get rid of it very soon.
Then I made a book over the internet, for 60 bucks you get thirty pages of excellents quality letter size.
That was it, making a book forces you to have a good thirty pictures serie, you place it on any shelf, you find it right away to flip through whenever you want and you don't mess up cupboards piling up prints of differents sizes. I don't spill inks anymore all over the place.
If I want a big print, I go to the lab, I saved a lot with this system.
I loved printing in the wet lab, I never found the same magical with inkjet, however it opens up the final picture as you can have it on so many different papers.
I droppped printing.
Then two weeks ago my small printer for desk work went down. I have left some boxes of letter size fine art paper so I looked at what was on the market. I realised that you don't need pigments inks anymore, dyes ink have improved a lot and a hundred years is a long way to go.
For 100 bucks I bought a lovely Canon MG6350, six inks sets, the results straight out are much better than Eps 4000, and for desk work you get wifi, scanner, recto/verso ect....
Never a gain will I get large printers, I may make a profile or two but that's going about it.
So effectively I won't go much on a dedicated forum
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
To be honest, I am printing less and less and delivering digital formats more and more. But I suspect that's more a function of where I live that may be more digital thinking than other areas of the world. I still print on my Epson 7900, and still enjoy the results, but I am also reasonably certain it will be my last large printer -- unless I find a screaming deal on a gently used 9900 :D The other side of this is my printer works well and I enjoy the papers I use, so am fairly well "set up" as respects printing discussions.
 

stngoldberg

Well-known member
For over 40 years, I was in the business of coloring textile fabrics with dyestuff and printing textiles with pigments. The technology of applying color to either textiles or paper has evolved to an extent just thrills me especially after the years that I struggled with Cibachrome in my darkroom at home.
I understand and appreciate the fact that most images today and in the future are/will be conveyed in the digital form, but to me the pursuit of getting the look and feel of that digital image on paper is the most satisfying part of photography today.
I would like to learn from others and share what I know with more participation on the printing forum here
Stanley
 

Dan Berg

New member
For over 40 years, I was in the business of coloring textile fabrics with dyestuff and printing textiles with pigments. The technology of applying color to either textiles or paper has evolved to an extent just thrills me especially after the years that I struggled with Cibachrome in my darkroom at home.
I understand and appreciate the fact that most images today and in the future are/will be conveyed in the digital form, but to me the pursuit of getting the look and feel of that digital image on paper is the most satisfying part of photography today.
I would like to learn from others and share what I know with more participation on the printing forum here
Stanley
+1
Paper,canvas,acrylic face mounted,dye sub metal and a whole lot more.
At my workshop this past weekend I laid out 2 tables full of photo mounting options for the student,I think there was 13 in all. The only ones missing were no matted or glass framed prints. I get zero request for those options so do not demonstrate it.
The process of most interest nowdays is acrylic facemounting and dye sublimation on Chromaluxe metals.
 
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docmoore

Subscriber and Workshop Member
To be honest, I am printing less and less and delivering digital formats more and more. But I suspect that's more a function of where I live that may be more digital thinking than other areas of the world. I still print on my Epson 7900, and still enjoy the results, but I am also reasonably certain it will be my last large printer -- unless I find a screaming deal on a gently used 9900 :D The other side of this is my printer works well and I enjoy the papers I use, so am fairly well "set up" as respects printing discussions.
After printing a series of wedding photos for the extended family I took a bit of a rest...and my 4900 head froze up....had to dismantle and cart it out to the street for the recycle/trash. I unloaded all of my extensive paper collections and will need to start afresh at some point.

Part of my problem was printing for self and ran out of wall space...:ROTFL:

I have been working with PDF books and am now exploring Blurb via inDesign and using a local very accomplished printing firm to do larger prints.

Do miss the discipline as I think it helps one visualize better....but am pleased to regain the floor space in my office at home.

I would love to find a small studio and return to digital negative contact platinum printing at some point....

Bob
 
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