Photo quality printing at home

[attrayant]

This question is Epson-specific because that's the brand I like, but might apply equally to other brands.

I'd like to have the ability to print the occasional photo-quality image now and then, but the price of their basic "photo" printer is about the same as the price of the top-of-the-line regular multifunction inkjet. Both the photo printer and regular inkjet advertise the same printing resolution of 5760 dpi.

I used to have an Epson 960FWD and I notice the driver has a "photo" and "best photo" print quality option:



Sadly I can't test this now as the print head is bad (and that's why I'm now shopping for a replacement). I'm wondering if I use that print option and insert the glossy photo paper, will I get a printout that's equal in quality to their photo printer line? Has anyone tried this?

I poked around the Epson forums but there isn't much traffic there and most threads don't have any responses.

Edited June 7, 2015 by attrayant

[lopburi3]

Photo printers normally have more ink colors to mix to make the photo - but would highly advise staying with what you have and when you want a quality print put on a usb drive and take to local store - you can edit to exactly what you want prior to putting on the drive and there print will last more than a few months. Home prints just do not last in the light of Thailand (believe they rate there life in a dark cave on the arctic circle). It is very frustrating to have prints made at very high cost using factory paper/inks turn into faded wallpaper in a matter of months. Have had much better results with cheap commercial prints from Fuji places.

As for current printing if you use glossy paper use the best quality photo setting - it likely prints a much higher resolution with a cost of time and maybe a bit more ink.

[attrayant]

That's what I do now - go to a mom & pop print shop in the neighborhood, but they use a basic Epson T60 inkjet photo printer. It doesn't look like anything fancy and prints nice quality photos that look the same as I get from Kodak or Fuji professional places. In fact this is where I always get my mug shots for immigration & labor purposes. I guess this is the most cost-effective way of doing it unless one is planning to open up a copy shop.

[lopburi3]

The prints I get from Fuji last a lot longer than those I make at home - and they are really not expensive at all. For passport photos at home type printer is fine as they will be filed or under a coating to protect and not hung on a wall. But for anything on a wall, even if never in direct sunlight, the life span seems to be months rather than years; in my experience.

I see I said local store - my meaning was Fuji/Kodak type place rather than a computer or copy shop. Sorry.