How often do you prnt?

[aam1234]

Was preparing to send photos to Mpix for printing and realized I only printed once in the last 3 years or so.

How often do you print for yourself (not clients).

Cheers

[billg71]

I print a lot. I guess I'm kind of old school, to me it's not a photograph unless I can look at it even if the power goes out....hold it up to the light, turn it this way and that, frame and hang it or just thumbtack it to the wall so you see it out of the corner of your eye as you pass by. To me, these are the things that make my photographs a real and tangible expression of what I saw and how I felt when I made them.

My friends will often ask me for a CD of the photos I made on a trip or at an event, but you should see their eyes light up and the big smiles when I give them a small binder with 30 or 40 5x7 prints instead.

But that's just me. As I said, I'm kinda old school but I wouldn't have it any other way.....

Bill

[Ellbee99]

Not very often, sadly. Money is too tight to print my own stuff.

[SunshineAlly]

I've just realised that I dont print all that much anymore. Bit sad really seeing as my photo albums I have all contain photos of when my 5 year old was 2years and under. I guess I have so many images on my computer, it makes it just that bit harder to pick the best of the bunch!

[aam1234]

Originally Posted by billg71

I print a lot. I guess I'm kind of old school, to me it's not a photograph unless I can look at it even if the power goes out....hold it up to the light, turn it this way and that, frame and hang it or just thumbtack it to the wall so you see it out of the corner of your eye as you pass by. To me, these are the things that make my photographs a real and tangible expression of what I saw and how I felt when I made them.

My friends will often ask me for a CD of the photos I made on a trip or at an event, but you should see their eyes light up and the big smiles when I give them a small binder with 30 or 40 5x7 prints instead.

But that's just me. As I said, I'm kinda old school but I wouldn't have it any other way.....

Bill

So true, Bill. When I received the photos the first thing that came to mind was...what a huge difference between seeing a photo in the monitor and holding it it in your hands.

[aam1234]

Originally Posted by Ellbee99

Not very often, sadly. Money is too tight to print my own stuff.

Mpix (and probably others) has great prices. Check them out if you haven't already.

[aam1234]

Originally Posted by SunshineAlly

I've just realised that I dont print all that much anymore. Bit sad really seeing as my photo albums I have all contain photos of when my 5 year old was 2years and under. I guess I have so many images on my computer, it makes it just that bit harder to pick the best of the bunch!

I know what you mean. Have the same problem with pics of nephs and nieces.

[Ellbee99]

I buy my snaps from mpix already...times are just really tough right now...even for Mpix prices.

[aam1234]

Wishing you the best, Ellbee99.

[Ellbee99]

Originally Posted by aam1234

Wishing you the best, Ellbee99.

Thanks...things will get better. Until then I just keep backing up and waiting until the day when I can order my images.

[daveor]

I print lots for myself on my printer at home, I refill my own cart. so not near as spendy as if I had to buy them already filled, I do lots of 8x10s and 11x17s, very few 13x19s though, Canon i9900 printer, Red River paper and Media Street Ink. Nothing like holding the print in your hand vs on the monitor, only order prints if I sell something. DAve

[Worm324]

Ever since I got my Epson PictureMate PM 260 4x6 portable printer, I print all the time Other than that though I prolly print once a month or so for myself on the Canon Pixma Pro 9000, or from the lab if it's larger or a Pano. The Budget is tight these days Otherwise I would be constantly printing for sure! I have lots of walls to fill, and having the large inventory is great for those random shows.

Best,
Jay

[JDArt]

This is an interesting thread because it makes me realize that I am not alone in printing very seldom. Ironic, isn't it, that on-demand printing has actually reduced the number of pictures most of us carry along with us in paper form? Of course, in the days of film we all probably had printed for us a bunch of really bad pictures. At least, though, we had pictures--in our albums, on our walls. And how many of those "really bad pictures" actually bring back really important memories, even if the pictures themselves are bad from a technical or photographic viewpoint. Now those "really bad pictures" simply don't get printed--and are essentially forgotten, probably forever.

Now if our hard drives go south, we could all lose years' worth of images and memories. Just another reason to question whether we're really better off with all this technology at our disposal.

[Lee4145]

And how many of those "really bad pictures" actually bring back really important memories

Great point, JD.

I have printed very few things myself.

[jhawk1000]

I am in a most favored position. Several years ago, my wife bought a pro color lab which was heavily into processing film and printing from negatives. She immediately sold the large enlargers, sold the film processors, worked out a deal with another lab for film processing and went 100% digital with Fuji Frontier small processors, Fuji scanners, put in many computers with a RAID server, set up an upload FTP account and geared up for the really large enlargements with a ZBE Chromira printer and a Kreonite wet based processor. Coupled with Fuji Crystal paper, she could print anything from thumbnails to 30" wide by 160' prints. Immediately our large Epson printers went into semi-hybernation. We do not print that much for ourselves but strangely we are in the process of redoing her displays in the Photo Studio and in our home. We have been busy today sending files by FTP to be printed in black and white of our trips to Romania and Czech Republic. One is a Pano which was converted to BW and is 10" x 40". She printed one of my other panos at 7" X 86" which I have on an easel in my office.
The cost of paper and chemicals are not that much more, if any, than all those inks. It is kind of nice to hand a CF card to her and tell her to proof it 10X15.

Mel

Mel

[tleonhar]

I usually print a few right after a shooting session. Then I must qualify that my shooting is primarly in the snapshot catagory with family, friends etc. Then print for the wife's albums.

[jonpaul]

I make about 2 to 3 8.5"X11" prints once a week; sometimes, if it's something I really care about,I'll up the size to 13"X19". I use an Epson r2400 printer and Epson Ultra Premium Presentation Paper Matte. I also have a full wet darkroom that I haven't used in over 2-years. My wife seems more happy with me using an ink printer instead of what she calls "smelly chemicals." Although, I think I prefere the wet darkroom overall.

[Jon]

I've worn out three printers in two years printing crap for my brag book and to hang around the house, though I have to say I go in spurts.

For "real" prints I take my files or chromes to a local pro lab.

[georgep]

Not as much as I would like - I ususally print a couple of images at 8 x 11 from a card after a trip - the ones that seem to be "Keepers". Then the real problem begins. If they are good I want to send them to MPIX for larger editions and that starts the real expense. MPIX printing is relatively cheap; mounting, matting, frames (even the cheap sectional metal ones) and glass starts to add up. Finally, there is the question of where to hang it! In short, I don't print as much as I'd like . . which is probably just as well.

[aam1234]

To answer my own question. Now I print when I have 10 or more photos worthy of printing, because shipping within the US then to where I reside can add up.

Never mounted a single photo on a wall. Which leads to another question....

What is the typical photo size do you hang on your wall(s).