So who does their own printing?

[Flightphoto]

Just curious on this one guys!

I've been using my printer (60'' HP Designjet) for a while now and have sold a few prints here and there and a lot of work for friends but realized I've been severely under charging people

I know it's friends and all that but recently I sold a 40x60 inch print on 38mm framing for £60, I had a quick look online and most retailers are charging £200

Still, it's cheaper for me to do my own than to do it using one of those online retailers!

 

[meonshore]

I have been printing my own (up to 16x20" prints) for the last 4 years on an Epson 3800. Larger and it goes to my local gallery who have a LF printer.

It allows me to offer fine art papers which up until recently the pro-labs didn't really do, and what I lose on cost of prints I make up for in postage costs from my labs and of course the ability to produce work at short notice, and notably near Christmas when there is a rush last minute demand for prints as gifts and the labs have closed for the holiday period.

As for profitability well thats really to do with your pricing rather than if you self-print or have a lab do it - if you are selling prints at anything like reasonable prices then there is sufficient profit to easily absorb a few pence of difference.

FWIW I wouldn't even sell a 20x30" print (unframed) for £60 let alone one four times the size with a frame. You are seriously underpricing - and probably losing money on that with ink/paper and depreciation costs of the printer.

 

[Daryl]

yep just started......... with the last bill we had it was crazy not too. Next on list is a large printer....

Still using pro lab for back up and online oredering.

But if it were just one offs then you just need to see which is cheapest.... Lab or Home.

 

[Unomelodica]

Up until recently most of my large prints were out of labs or online - to value add on a large print was doable in most cases but I found the convenience of home printing and upsell more practical for my purposes.

The epson 3880 gives me options up to A2 which for our application is ideal.

Ink costs can be prohibitive if sticking to branded manufacturer but going down the route of CIS or even other ink systems may give you value add per print.


G

 

[Nod]

Only go up to A3+ but do virtually all my own printing here, using a Canon iX4000. I always use genuine Canon inks (after a bad experience with a cheap 3rd party cart) but a selection of papers ranging from cheapo Lidl/Aldi stuff to Canon's own. If I have a lot of 6x4s to do, I get them done wherever's cheapest on the High Street - basically as proofs to see what's worth printing bigger. The successful candidates get any necessary attention and done here. Of course, it's hardly cost effective but I don't have to wait for the postman and can do a reprint if I feel it's necessary as well as knowing what to expect.

 

[Bristolian]

I print small volume upto A3+ myself but anything else goes to a lab online.

Printing myself isn't particularly cost effective but there's nothing better that the look and feel of a print as it comes off the printer ... well, okay there are better things

 

[Pookeyhead]

I print my own stuff up to 44" wide... and as long as I want on a Epson 9900 at work, and up to A2+ at home on a Epson 4880.

 

[Flightphoto]

Cheers guys, It's good to know that there are a few out there! Before I was made redundant I decided to buy 2 LF printers from a liquidation firm so I have a designjet 800 42'' and the Z6200 60'', I must admit, the manufacturers are slightly biased on their print times
With regards to the cost, I ended up buying a mix of canvas rolls, I opted for a poly canvas and a genuine Kodak rustic cotton (semi gloss) and both come out with excellent results, It worked out at £1 per meter for poly and around £14 for the cotton! The most expensive part soo far is the frame, I used a company called Canvas plus for the frames (38mm pine) but you find it doesn't stop there, you then need to think about any lacquer if you're asked for full gloss so then I had to order a gallon tub of giclee varnish! Still, I'm enjoying doing it soo far! At cost, it's probably around £19 for a 60x40 inch print but that's not including my time (around 30 mins from print to framing)

I bought a CIS from a chinese company on ebay for £50 for the z6200 and use inks provided by a bulk supplier in america as the cheaper stuff just appears washed out!

I just need to market it a bit more as I'm mainly using the printers for family prints and UAV designs as part of my business etc (I design those grey things that fly above keeping a mindful eye on you ) but that kind of work is drying up as there are larger companies getting the better contracts plus a few have stolen some of my own ideas - just had a gut full!

 

[Steve]

I use an Epson A3 printer.

Being an accountant I did a sad cost analysis and found that for my low volume amateur use, with a five year life of the printer and not being able to buy ink and paper at trade prices it was way more expensive to print myself than use a lab.

Still purchased the printer anyway and print at home as it's a hobby for me and I love being in control of the entire process.

The sums will be different for pro printer use of course, but it maybe worthwhile just doing some back of a fag packet calculations before committing to an expensive printer.