[dogdots]

I have a weird question. If you take a 4 by 6 picture and put it onto a card do you use an A6 or A7 card? An A7 card will give you alot of white border around your picture while an A6 gives you alittle. Do you print your photo onto the card or do you use a real photo? I was in a artist shop and the photographers use the real photo. According to them it is art if the real photo is used. I went to a web site where the photographer prints his on watercolor paper in a 5 by 5 size. Wouldn't printing onto paper like that distort your picture some. Also he said hand printed---what does that mean? Hope some of you out there in Pixalo land can help me----

[stepheno]

Originally Posted by dogdots

Do you print your photo onto the card or do you use a real photo?

I don't really understand what you mean with that question. All you need do is buy some 6x4 photo paper and print directly onto it. In my case I print 7x5 so I guillotine A4 into 7x5s and then print using borderless. Takes the photo right up to the edge. Am I missing something in your question?

[Dabhand16]

Or are you asking about mounting prints?

[stepheno]

On re-reading the post I think Graham has it.

[dogdots]

I see how you do it. You print your own right onto photo paper and make your own A7 card if I understand correctly. I was asking about mounting the photo onto a card--is there a standard size one uses usually--like a A7 vs A6. A new question. How many pictures can you print on a full load of inks in your printer. Say printing a 4 by 6 photo. I'm curious on the cost difference between self printing vs printing at a Ritz store.

[Dabhand16]

Up until recently it was much cheaper to get prints done by a pro printing store. The downside was/is that they will probably not be able to get as good quality as if you had a proper photo printer and a lot of time on your hands. A consumer magazine did a trial and found that DIY printing could cost as much as £2 per print in paper and ink.

Modren printers use ink that is cheaper than the old inks, and the printers are more economical too, so the differential is now less than before.

If you can find a proceesor that can deliver what you want at a reasonable price you can save a lot of heartache by using them, but I guess it depends on how much printing you want done.

I print very few pictures, so up to A4 I print my own, but for larger prints I use an on-line printer. If I order by about 3pm, the print is in my hands by 9.30 the following morning.

With regard to mounting, I tend to keep it simple, but mounting and framing are an art in themselves and I got a book on this subject years ago and tend to follow what it says. There are some conventions like having a wider margin on the bottom, and 'hanging' the print by only sticking the top edge and using a mount to keep it in place on the backing card, sandwiching the print. I like wide margins - at least 2cm on an A4 size print, and going up from there.

Obviously, if you crop an image, you are then in bespoke territory. If you look at images that are displayed in a gallery you will see how prints are mounted and framed. That will give you a much better idea, but in the end it is what pleases you that counts.

[dogdots]

I can get my pictures done for 19 cents a picture (4 by 6 print). I was looking into getting a printer to print these, but don't know if it is worth it or not. Is it? For my bigger pictures I have those done at a different place that does very professional work. Graham you gave me so much info----thanks May I ask what on line printer you use?

[Dabhand16]

I have an obsolete Canon i560 - about 3 or 4 years old now. I paid around £75 at the time. Not expensive. It has a 4 ink system, and was given a best buy rating in a test of similar printers because of the Photo and text print quality (it is not a specifically designed photo printer) and it's economy. At the time I did no photo printing at all, but since I've started I have been very pleased with it's performance.

In a pro lab, I can get 6 x 4 for around 7 UK pence and there is no way I can print that cheap! however, I sometimes just want a print right now, and there is some satisfaction in doing the job yourself. As I said, I don't actually print that many photos, just a few of my GrandSon for the family album amd the odd good shot that I get.

If I were starting over, I would not get a photo printer that just pushes out 6x4 direct from the camera. Get a printer that can go up to A4 - they are more flexible and usful and can do more than just photos.

[dogdots]

Sounds like you have a nice printer if your happy with it. My printer is a HP all in one printer. Nothing special. Came with my computer. I was looking at a canon ($500.00) the other day and was wondering if purchasing one would be good. I do print mostly 4 by 6's. Anything else goes out to be printed. I gotta ask...what size is a A4? Dabhand16 can you tell me how much 7 UK pence is in American money. Is it close to 19 cents? I tried a conversion on the internet and just kept messing up. I feel the 19 cents I am paying is ripping me off.

[Dabhand16]

A4 is 29.7cm x 21 cm - that is approx 12 x 8 inches. Close the the old 'whole plate' measure.

7 pence is 7/100 ths of a pound, so your equivalent would be 7/100 ths of a dollar - 7 cents. If you factor in the exchange rate, this is about 12-13 cents. FWIW - I am quoting the Costco price for 6 x 4 prints, and over here, they have started doing an on-line service. They also do bigger sizes.

Mind you, it seems to us Brits that in a lot of things you get a better deal in the US. For instance Adobe Lightroom is $199 on the US Adobe website, but £150 on the UK site. An HP printer is $149 in the USA, and £149 in the UK, so maybe the deal you can get over there can't be compared with our prices.

Even if you only print 6 x 4 photos, I would still go for a printer that will do larger sizes. They don't cost much more, and are a better all-round machine. All-in-ones are improving in quality, but most will still see them as inferior to a dedicated printer.

[dogdots]

Thanks for the exchange info. It is really helpful. The difference between 12-13 cents and 19 cents is something. I think I will get a printer and print myself. I was looking at the Canon Pro9000. Do you know what people think about that printer? Prints up to 13 by 19.

[sweet_sac]

dogdots...a simple rule just now is the rate is £1 = $2 roughly. It fluctuates a little but that is the financial market rate of exchange.

Can't help you on the printers though, I'm an economist :-)

[dogdots]

Then the Adobe Lightroom is $300.00 in the UK -- right?

[vin5518]

Originally Posted by dogdots

Thanks for the exchange info. It is really helpful. The difference between 12-13 cents and 19 cents is something. I think I will get a printer and print myself. I was looking at the Canon Pro9000. Do you know what people think about that printer? Prints up to 13 by 19.

I would steer clear of the small 4 x 6 inch printers - they are purely an expensive convenience. The dyesub type like mine cost around 13pence or 26cents a print. Lovely quality but when you can get 100 7 x 5inch prints from jessops - good enough for proofs at 7pence or 14 cents each its worth waiting an extra day. I tend to use the 540sparingly and as an accurate colour match directly from the memory card matched to my monitor.

[Dabhand16]

Originally Posted by dogdots

Then the Adobe Lightroom is $300.00 in the UK -- right?

Give or take a couple of bucks - yes.