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Geoff,

I bought 'ink refills' yesterday for my Canon printer .... very significant price difference from OEM (the real stuff). I have stayed away from non-Canon ink and had heard the same stories you apparently have. But, the price difference is so great I just had to give it a try.

If I was a pro like Don Diego, and especially if I was selling prints to the public, I probably wouldn't do this.

Haven't used the ink yet. Will see if I can tell a difference.

Rusty
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness" - Dave Barry

If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough. - Robert Capa

www.prestophoto.com/photos/gallery/19932
Rusty, please let us know your experience with the generic ink. I've heard stories and I've been afraid to try it, but the prices for the manufacturer's ink is outrageous.

Anita
Will do.
But.... it's not going to be anytime soon. I'm not out of anything yet.

Rusty
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness" - Dave Barry

If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough. - Robert Capa

www.prestophoto.com/photos/gallery/19932
I've used refills from ink-4-art in my small printer quite successfully. Other brands clogged the jets on me. I stick to brand inks in my large printer.
I envy those who stick to "genuine" ink, but that price difference (in Canadian Dollars it's $700 compared to $320) is a little too much to bear. Though DonDiego's link still compares favourably with the "direct from Epson" inks, which are $130 each (a bit over $1000 for the set!).

I've decided to go for two of the non-Epson cartridges very soon, to replace the two that are really low. If I detect any deterioration whatsoever I'll have to go for the Epsons. Or get a new printer complete with a new set!
PSE6 on WinXP, Pentax K10d...... and now a Canon G10.

Gallery
Ok, I pay at atlex.com $82.98 per 220ml Epson ink cartridge x 8 = $663.60 US plus shipping. I was paying close to $800.00 US at B&H for the same ink. Now I tested the non Epson inks on a smaller Epson printer and it was a desaster both in quality and clogged nuzzels, for that reason I will continue to use Epson inks on my 24" printer. Now that I buy from atlex.com I'm saving close to $200.00 of what I was paying at B&H not only that but I'm saving 50% on shipping when buying from atlex.com than from B&H.

When it comes to paper I now use Moab not Epson. Moab gives me an excellent D-Max and the clossest thing to darkroom paper on their Colorado Glossy. They now came up with a new Entrada paper that I will buy as soon as the need arises. Now quality wise I find the Moab as good or better than Epsons for a lot less dinero.

I have no problem changing paper IF they give me the quality I demand of a paper. The same with inks, the problem is that the non Epson inks that I have tried on my printer don't produce the quality I need and they plug the printer heads.

The reason manufacturers sell their smaller printers inexpensively is because their profit is on their inks. There is were they get you.

Now my suggestion to you all is that you get your prints on mats and take them to art shows and fairs any place you can sell them and make your money to pay for your ink and paper and make some profit. You will be surprice how well you will do. Success come with persinstance you may sell one or none on the first show but if you keep it up as I did the time will come when people will be looking out for your work.

Just my two centavos on the subject.
Shalom,
Don
A well conseived image is a poem written with light.
PSE6 - Lightroom - CS3 - Win-Vista -Epson 7800
Nikon D80 - D-700 - Canon G9
http://www.condeimaging.com
Thanks, Don Diego.... OK, I'll stick with Epson inks. As for paper, I really only use the Epson Enhanced Matte (in a 100ft roll). It's CA$70 via my local photo shop, which I think is a reasonable price - I get some good discounts there as a 'regular' so I think I'll stick with them - though I bet they couldn't come up with a better price for inks.

I've got three prints in a local exhibition (out of 84 being shown there) and I know some are priced above $300. I've no idea what to put on as a price but I was thinking about material costs x 3 (to take account of time, software etc). My pictures won't have prices this time around but if I get any interest I'll see how it goes.

The three I have are at http://www.prestophoto.com/photos/image/1318287/24460
PSE6 on WinXP, Pentax K10d...... and now a Canon G10.

Gallery
Geoff, when pricing your work a 3X for materials = 3 X Labor =3 X creativity = Profit.

A sheet of 8 x 10 paper cost you. $1.00 plus $2.00 ink = $3.00 x $20.00 x Hr. LABOR = your cost $23.00.

Now you multiply your cost $23.00 X 3 creativity = $69.00 That should be you minimum selling price for the first print. No mats no frames, that's additional.

I will recomend buying paper in rolls like Geoff do and you cut it to the size you need. You wont belive how much money you save by buying by the roll. Look at this:
A 100' of 10" wide Epson Premium Luster 260 cost at atlex.com $44.15 now multiply 100 x 12 = 1200 inches, now divide 1200 by 8" you get 150. That means you get 150 8x10 print per roll of paper. Now divide $44.15 by 150 = .29 cents now the local price of a 50 sheets box of 8-1/2 x 11 paper is .45 cents per sheet. You see were the saving is? Now the good thing about buying by the roll is that you are not limited to one size like when you buy by the box. You can print 10x10, 10x13, 10x what ever you name it. See my point? hope this help you all to make better buying desitions.
Shalom,
Don
A well conseived image is a poem written with light.
PSE6 - Lightroom - CS3 - Win-Vista -Epson 7800
Nikon D80 - D-700 - Canon G9
http://www.condeimaging.com
Interesting.... my prints are usually 11"x14" or 16"x20", so they would be three or four times the sizes of the 8x10 examples, in both ink and paper.

Therefore my costs would be (for a 16x20)..... Paper $4, Ink $8, Labour @ $20 per hour, so I think my basic costs for the 16x20 would be about $32. But there would (in a business) be costs for a percentage of transportation, clothing, computer and photographic equipment... so I'd apply a flat $10 for those. I think those are reasonable numbers. It would give cost per large print as $42. I'll round that up to $50 as I'm in Canadian dollars.

Multiplying x 3 for creativity gives $150..... I'm beginning to see where my club colleagues get their figures from. So next year, for a matted and framed print, I'm going to price it at $150 and see what happens.
PSE6 on WinXP, Pentax K10d...... and now a Canon G10.

Gallery
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