This article looks at the criteria digital photographers should use when selecting a printer for pictures they wish to display. Some criteria apply to both colour and monochrome prints, while others are specific to colour or B&W. Which criteria are the most important will depend to some extent on the photographer’s personal taste. Some photographers judge print quality by looking at the tonal range in the image, while others look for bright, vibrant colours and deep, rich blacks. Many photographers suffer from budget restrictions and, although they might like the top-of-the-range model, have to ‘make do’ with a lower-featured unit that may not be so well built. To help you decide which printer to buy, we have outlined a set of criteria that you should examine. It’s up to you to prioritise those criteria in their order of importance.

 

This article looks at the criteria digital photographers should use when selecting a printer for pictures they wish to display. Some criteria apply to both colour and monochrome prints, while others are specific to colour or B&W. Which criteria are the most important will depend to some extent on the photographer’s personal taste. Some photographers judge print quality by looking at the tonal range in the image, while others look for bright, vibrant colours and deep, rich blacks. Many photographers suffer from budget restrictions and, although they might like the top-of-the-range model, have to ‘make do’ with a lower-featured unit that may not be so well built. To help you decide which printer to buy, we have outlined a set of criteria that you should examine. It’s up to you to prioritise those criteria in their order of importance.

Paper Handling. Can the printer handle the paper sizes and weights you wish to use? Pay particular attention to paper weight as many desktop printers can’t be used with some ‘fine art’ papers that are commonly used for display and exhibition work. Watch for paper mis-feeds and jams. If the paper is loaded correctly, it should pass cleanly through the printer. Printers that suffer from frequent paper jams and mis-feeds will have higher operating costs due to paper wastage. They are also more frustrating to use!

Paper Range. How wide is the range of papers offered by the manufacturer for the printer? The wider the range, the wider your options of ‘benchmark’ papers catered for in the driver and the more likely there will be additional ‘out of the box’ support, such as ICC profiles.

Running Costs. When calculating the cost of making prints, take account of potential for wasting inks and paper through misfeeds, over-inking and user errors such as incorrect driver settings, poor colour control and unsatisfactory working conditions (dust, power surges, etc). Photo Review printer reviews provide average cost-per-print calculations (allowing for approximately 10% paper and ink wastage) that can be used as a guide.

The ‘Look’ of the Prints. Does the printer deliver a full and evenly-distributed tonal range from highlights to deep, rich blacks? Check for highlight and shadow detail and avoid printers that block up tones at either end of the range. Examine the surface of the print for smoothness. Discontinuites are created when different densities of ink are applied, and give the print an obvious ‘inkjet’ look. Watch for signs of surface bronzing – another telltale ‘inkjet’ sign. How do prints look in colour or B&W on glossy, semigloss or matte papers?

Colour Accuracy. Does the printer reproduce the hues in the image accurately? Do those hues look ‘right’ in all types of lighting?. If the print takes on a colour cast under one type of lighting and this cast changes under different lighting, the impact of the print will be affected by the lighting in which it is displayed. Such prints are unsuitable to exhibit. Take particular care with B&W prints as some printers impart very subtle colour casts, due to incorrect ink distribution. If B&W printing is important, a printer with two or even three black inks and sophisticated tonal range control is advantageous.

Ink types and Print Longevity. How long will prints on different types of paper last? In general, prints made with pigment inks are more stable than those made with dyes – but dye prints from some recently-released printers are as stable as some pigment prints. Check print longevity, using data provided by the Wilhelm Research Institute (www.wilhelm-research.com). Test data for most popular printers can be found at this website. Don’t rely on manufacturers’ figures as different manufacturers may use different testing criteria. WIR figures are based on standardised tests that allow you to compare printers from different manufacturers. Note: Longevity figures vary with different paper types so make sure you match paper type to printer.

Robustness. How resistant are prints to damage under normal handling conditions? Look for papers that are resistant to surface abrasions and those that can withstand exposure to water and humidity. Papers that dry quickly have an advantage over those that take minutes or hours to dry – especially if colour changes occur during the drying process.

Speed. Some printers are fast; some are slow. If you need prints in a hurry, a fast printer will deliver the goods. But check the way the ink is laid down, looking for signs of banding and blotchiness as these may be sacrificed at the expense of speed. Fast printers may also produce less colour-stable prints.

Workflow. How well does the printer fit into the way you work? Can you extend your capabilities and learn more by using this printer?

Testing by Photo Review has shown the following A3 printers are capable of producing high-quality B&W prints:

Canon i9950 (RRP $999) – a fast, high-resolution printer that uses ChromaPLUS (dye) inks and delivers detailed prints with bright, saturated colours. Canon (which uses the same test criteria as WIR) rates prints on Canon Photo Glossy Photo Paper Pro that are framed under glass at 25 years (prints stored in albums have a 100 year rating).

Epson Stylus Photo R1800 (RRP $1299) – a high-resolution printer that uses the Epson UltraChrome Hi-Gloss ink set and produces prints with a smooth, abrasion and water resistant surface and wide tonal range. WIR rating* for prints on Epson Premium Photo Glossy Paper – 104 years (colour and B&W).

Epson Stylus Photo R2400 (RRP $1925) – Espon’s high-end desktop printer that uses the new wide-gamut UltraChrome K3 Ink set and a 1-inch wide, multi-layered piezo print head. WIR rating* for prints on Epson Premium Photo Glossy Paper – 85 years colour and 135 years B&W.

HP Photosmart 8750 (RRP $899) – The most affordable printer on the market for making long-lasting colour and B&W prints for display. WIR rating* for prints on HP Premium Photo Paper, Glossy – 130 years for colour; 140 years B&W

* WIR Rating is the longevity rating determined by Wilhelm Imaging Research for displayed prints framed under glass. Testing criteria and figures for all papers in each manufacturer’s range are available at www.wilhelm-research.com.

FEATURED LINK: www.epson.com.au for all your printing needs.