Event Printing

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Hi

Can anyone reccomend me any portable printers which are good quality. I am wanting to be able to print at events so i can get sales directly.

Ideally cheaper than 10p a print for a 7x5.

Any ideas?

thanks

Mark
 
visualisetheworld said:
Hi

Can anyone reccomend me any portable printers which are good quality. I am wanting to be able to print at events so i can get sales directly.

Ideally cheaper than 10p a print for a 7x5.

Any ideas?

thanks

Mark
Click to expand...

Less than 10p per print? You'll probably struggle mark :)

I use Fuji Dye-Sub thermals on my event printing, and a 7 x 5 works out at 26.4p + VAT ....

Check out www.photomart.co.uk for DyeSub printers :)
 
£1700, crikey. I was hoping for less than £100.
 
You could try something like an Epson R220 (or whatever the latest equivelant is) they are sub-£100 and the prints are ok. Using cheap paper and compatible inks you might get below 10p for a 7x5...but the quality wont be amazing, it will look good but only in the right light..and over time it will fade.
 
If you want to get into printing images for pennies, then you need to spend literally hundreds if not thouands on equipment.

You make your money on them in the long run. But you'll need a warehouse to run one :lol:
 
Jimmy_Lemon said:
You could try something like an Epson R220 (or whatever the latest equivelant is) they are sub-£100 and the prints are ok. Using cheap paper and compatible inks you might get below 10p for a 7x5...but the quality wont be amazing, it will look good but only in the right light..and over time it will fade.
Click to expand...

But the quality of your print is really, what all your customers are left with.

You don't want people to associate "Joe Bloggs Event Photos" with "Cheap, flimsy prints"
 
Thanks JL and Lee,

I currently trying to take photos an then sell thenm to owners but my problem is at the moment I have to wait to the next week befpore i can catch them as i need to get them printed so this be a good way.

I am willing to pay upto 50p a print for ink and paper as long as the quality is better it is just the machine cost i would like to be a low as possible
 
If you're willing to spend more per print, then the Epson R1800 is a super event printer.

It has 8 cartidges, and approx £10 each however you'll only replace the ones you use the most of course.

Prints from 40p on 7 x 5 with genuine Epson media (buy it when they're buy 50, get 50 free) etc.

Outstanding quality. Just need to keep it clean and get your computers calibrated.
 
LeeP said:
If you're willing to spend more per print, then the Epson R1800 is a super event printer.

It has 8 cartidges, and approx £10 each however you'll only replace the ones you use the most of course.

Prints from 40p on 7 x 5 with genuine Epson media (buy it when they're buy 50, get 50 free) etc.

Outstanding quality. Just need to keep it clean and get your computers calibrated.
Click to expand...

And you can print from 6 x 4 through to A3+ on the day....
 
LeeP said:
But the quality of your print is really, what all your customers are left with.

You don't want people to associate "Joe Bloggs Event Photos" with "Cheap, flimsy prints"
Click to expand...

too true...but I think it is probably the only way to get a 7x5 for 10p.
 
you can't print directly from memory card then
 
so you can't do small edits in printer then, such as crop straigthen
 
visualisetheworld said:
so you can't do small edits in printer then, such as crop straigthen
Click to expand...

I've never used those printers Mark to be honest. Someone else maybe able to comment though :)

I was thinking things like clone, levels, sharpen etc - what I do on events.
 
Do these event locations have a free power supply?
 
Well it isn't an event strictly speaking but yep, it will have power
 
RIght.. if you've got a printer, that means you've got power, if you've got power, you can connect a computer to the printer... bang the memory card into the card reader, quick load into photoshop, auto levels, crop, straighten and print.

When I did this for LeeP, I reckon after a bit of a practice, I could bang out a 10x8 from copying from card, to sending to the printer in about 30 seconds flat (obviously printing time varies, but not much you can do about that) if the setup is right :)
 
ok, just portability will be the only issue and setting it up every time?
 
visualisetheworld said:
ok, just portability will be the only issue and setting it up every time?
Click to expand...

Well - if you take a laptop and the printer, it'll take you no more than 5 minutes realistically to get setup.

Plus - you could set your screensaver to go off every 1 minutes, and build some advertising images to be displayed when people are waiting :naughty:
 
another option to buying is to hire a printer, but it's pricey see phototmart.co.uk
£100. per week + delivery + cost per print. it depends on how many prints you need but well over the 10p you mentioned
 
Just worked out not including buying the printer but with a canon Selphy CP740 i think you can buy catridge and paper for 108 prints for about £20 thats about 20p a print for 4x6 size. The printer will cost and the £70 too which isnt half bad. Not sure on quality though.
 
People are prepared to pay a premium to take a print away there and then, but they'd also expect a decent quality of product as well (not colour laser prints as per 'The Apprentice'). You'd want to ensure a decent product as it may effect resale / reputation.

I would suggest a dye sub printer would be best - the consumer grade ones are typically 6x4 but commercial ones will handle a variety of sizes but are expensive and less portable. I've no idea how good the consumer ones are in terms of fade resistance.

You'd also need a good workflow to ensure maximum throughput with minimal effort.

One way would be to look for bankrupt stock, closing down sales or companies upgrading. Fair investment, but sensible pricing and good sales technique means it could pay for itself fairly quickly.
 
I managed to get an HP A717 complete with case and optional battery for a bit over £20. It'll print JPEGs or TIFFs straight off a card and has a built-in 4GB hard drive. Can also hook up to a PC. Not a pro printer but what pro printer is as small and with the battery power option?
 
That Hp sounds pretty reasonable. The canon one i suggested earlier prints 300x300DPI (not 100% what the quality is like) and can do a few different sizes 4x6 and below but not larger. So you can vary sizes and ink/paper packages are reasonably priced.
 
I should add that the replacement cost of the HP A717 and accessories would be over £200. It'll print up to 5x7. The printing cost for 4x6 glossies is between 13p and 25p depending on what you're likely to be able to get a Valuepack for.
 
Where did you pick up the A717 at that bargain price?
 
Ebay, but they usually go for £40-£70 as a basic 2nd-hand item. There are two listed on eBay right now, ending in four days' time. Larger memory cards can't be read by the printer's own reader, but will work in a suitable card reader plugged into the printer's USB port. The Epson "lunchbox" style are another type to consider.
 
thanks guys i need to look into this more.

Ithink a standard printer may be OK to start with
 
Whats the average size print most people sell at Events? and how much do you sell them for ?
 
I only sell 6x9 at events it only costs a few pennies more to print than a 7x5 or a 6x4 but I can sell the photos for 2x more (typical prices are £5 for a 6x4 and £10+ for a 9x6).

However, events are alot more than just printing photos, you need to find a quick way for people to view the photos to select the ones they want. Viewing and printing from the same machine doesn't work if it's busy - you'll loose custom as people get bored (trust me on this I know from my first experience)
 
4 laptops networked, the 3 viewers running of an image webserver on the working laptop.

As for Dye Subs other than a few cheap and chearful machines with limited size (max 7x5s which may be suitable for testing the water). The lowest priced 6x9 printer is the Olmec OP1000 and is about £800 IIRC and is well rated.
 
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