Digital Prints

Want top-end photographic output with the look, feel, and smell of a wet-chemistry C-print?
Think about using a service with a digital photo printer (see Chapter 2 for more about these).
However, there are plenty of advantages to inkjet, and it’s a safe bet that an inkjet printer will
meet most, if not all, of your requirements for high-quality digital output.
Even within the inkjet category, there are many choices depending on the type of printing
desired. Do you want to print on CDs or DVDs? Epson makes several inkjet printers
that do this. Want to combine printing with additional functions like scanning, copying,
and faxing? Consider the popular “all-in-one” category with multi-function devices from
Canon, Epson, HP, Lexmark, and Dell. Dying to make black-and-white or quadtone
prints? Then consider either one of the newer HPs or Epsons with multiple black inks or
using an inkjet that can be retrofitted to use specialized black-and-white inks and drivers
(see Chapter 11). Oversized fine-art prints for gallery display? Consider wide-format
printer brands such as ColorSpan, Roland, Epson, HP, Mimaki, or ENCAD.
Sometimes, a printer designed for one purpose is used for another. Take the Epson Stylus
C84/C86. It’s really an office printer, but digital photographer-artists instantly saw its
advantages—high quality, low price, waterproof, pigmented inks—and claimed it for
themselves. Similarly, HP’s Photosmart 7960 is a consumer printer that’s great for black
and white, so pro photographers immediately “stole it” for themselves.
Chapter 6 ■ Selecting an Inkjet Printer 183
The Epson Stylus Photo R800 desktop
inkjet printer (and also the R200 and
R300) lets you print directly onto
inkjet-printable CDs/DVDs.
Courtesy of Epson America, Inc.