The best printer for your fine art prints and photos - what marketing can't tell you 

Again, a big, brilliant dose of REALITY. Thank you, Keith. So refreshing. "What's the best printer? The one you know how to use properly." And . . . "It actually means you can get perfectly good results out of cheaper printers." SO TRUE. Keith, I started getting serious about photography, out of sheer love for it, about 50 years ago when I got my first 35mm SLR camera and learned black & white film (Zone System, how to properly expose when shooting, darkroom printing, then Cibachrome, etc.) Then 20 years ago I learned to use a DSLR and learned even more about shooting, editing. More recently I began to learn about and do some color printing. And I keep learning and learning. Which is why I love your discussions and sound advice. When I decided to "try" printing at home, I didn't invest a fortune. I got a Canon iP8720 and I applied all the years of photography and editing skills I had to the process. Many photographer friends kept telling me, "You really need a better printer, you really need a pigment printer if you're serious and you want good prints -- or you at LEAST need a Canon PRO 200." They laughed when I said the 8720 was a dedicated photo printer and bashed it even more calling it an "office copier/printer". Ummm, no, it doesn't "copy" or "scan" and is not an "office printer." I began to think perhaps I'd made a mistake and should have invested in the more "pro" models. Then I saw some reviews on RU-vid and elsewhere, of professional photographers churning out beautiful images with the 8720. And I was turning out very good images myself with the printer. In fact, I told a Canon rep, I couldn't be more pleased with what I'm getting from the 8720 and can't imagine getting anything better from a Pro 200. So you are very right in saying that taking the time to learn and develop the skills required to make good prints (and good photos) is far more important than going out and purchasing "the best printer". Really enjoyed this video. Love your "rants"!

Keith, Thank you, again you hit the nail on the head. You can be a hack, photographer, image editor & print maker and it won’t be too surprising that your printed images don’t shine. I try to approach each of the three areas as a separate skill set and devote time every week to improving each a little bit. Having all three aligned perfectly on an image for me only happens a handful of times every year. I print with two old printers, the Epson 3800 setup with Matte ink and the Epson 4880 for Photo Black. When I “nail it” both printers will still give outstanding results.

I love this video. You highlight the exact subjects that needs to addressed before youeven start sending images to a printer let alone printing yourself.

This was another interesting video, Kieth. Your wisdom and willingness to tell it like it is, is appreciated. I also commend you on the amazingly thorough reviews you offer on your web page. Thank you!

This apply and relate to everything we do. Ensure you get to that level first that you can really utilise the best, understand that you need better & then go for it. Thank you for the video

Points well made. To a degree, it's not what you've got, it's what you do with it. Also, be careful what you wish for! Have to say that your videos are very helpful and inspirational. Can't beat common sense!

I love my Canon Pixma Pro 200. Pro luster paper prints great, I use a calibration monitor too. Fine art and photography is what I print mainly, 19in by 13 in

Another great video! Thanks Keith.

Great Real-Talk. That’s how it is. Thank you

You're absolutely right. Again. 🙂 👍

Wise words, thank you.

Epson SC-P9500 with EFI Fiery XF 7.3 . No discussions. And you are right. Without a skilled operator and skilled prepared files, every printer is a bad printer. I see this every day in my fineArt printshop.

People often think the solution to any problem is to throw money at it and assume it will fix itself. Money no object and all things being equal ( which they never are ) often proves that the more you pay the better you get. This assumes that you know what you are doing in the first place. Selling my Honda Civic and purchasing a Formula 1 race car won't make me into an amazing driver! 😋 Even with the very best knowledge and unlimited budget the issue of diminishing returns comes to play too. Some state they can hear the improvement a £100,000 Hi Fi can make over a more modest set up, but can you?. Most folk these days believe cellphones take pictures as good as any professional. I personally don't subscribe to that but ultimately it doesn't matter what I believe, it changes nothing regards the perception others have. There are simply too many variables and subjective opinions to state categorically that anything is really the best at anything ☺️

Excellent advice.

Thank You Keith! As always on point! Have you ever considered an instructional video for beginners - from bringing the good printer home through assembly, connection, callibration, paper choice/papper profiling, proofing - to producing a good quality prints?

The best advice! Thanks! 😉👍

What an excellent point, that you need the skill level it takes to get the most out of whatever printer you have. What I know is tea, and relative beginners get obsessed with getting the ultimate teapots that will give them the results that actual Tea Masters get, because they don't understand it's the knowledge and skill that does it. There's no point in handing a beginner a specialized pot because they haven't got the skills to access the attributes that it can bring.

Thanks for all of your help, Keith. Just received my et-8550, very happy and satisfied with it. Question, shouldI try to avoid borderless printing? I don’t mind adding a 50 pixel stroke if it would keep the printer happy.

My recent purchase of an Epson P900 was based in part on your recommendations, and I've been quite happy with it so far (helped I'm sure by your great advice). It pairs quite well with my Benq PD3200U, which is factory calibrated and what I see on the screen is generally very close to the print (depending on lighting of course, and following processing with a DxO-based workflow). That hardware combination is well under US$2,000 and can produce beautiful, museum-quality, archival prints--IF, as you point out, you put in the work. There is of course a learning curve (as there will always be with any hardware or software) and that curve never truly ends. Thanks again for helping anyone savvy enough to watch your channel (and check out your website) to up their game! As you've probably pointed out, doing your own printing will definitely improve your photographic skills (in the field as well as on-screen) as you become much more aware of the "minor" details that make the difference between an "OK" image and a transcendent one. It starts with previsualization and ends with displaying the print (point/shoot/post does not a photograph make). It's also a great feeling when you see that print emerge!

Thank you for this video. Printing is a highly technical process which makes it impractical to own a printer unless the volume of prints justifies the outlay. Having watched many of the RU-vid videos by Jose Rodriguez, it become apparent that understanding the mechanical aspects of a printer (ink consumption, printer cleaning, replacement of parts, etc.) is also crucial. Given the overall complexity, it seems the best option for someone who only prints occasionally is to find a local fine art print shop and develop a relationship with the staff. This will help you get the best results. The cost may be higher, but as one of the fine art print shops in my area advertises, "its cheaper than disappointment".

I'm looking for a printer to make my own 11x17" (essentially A3) prints, mostly black and white, for decorating my home office and home pub, but I'm a complete noob to the task. This is helpful.

Thanks!

Love your videos, very informative. Could I ask your opinion on the following please. We use our printer for craftwork, tags invites etc on 300gsm card. At present we have an ET2750 that has done the job but we have never liked the colour, it is never vibrant and colour matching is terrible. We are looking to purchase either a ET8500 or Cannon G6050, which would you consider to be best suited for this line of printing ie colour accuracy and able to handle the media. Thank you in advance.

Thanks for your useful video. Is there an important difference in quality between the results of dye based and pigment based inkjet printers that you could discuss about?

What is the best RU-vid Channel about printers and printing? Top 3: Keith Cooper, Keith Cooper and Keith Cooper.

Right on! Good results on any printer means you must commit to learning how to manage all the variables. How many of us want to put in the time? Asking experts: “What is the best printer” indicates you have not put in the time.

Thanks Keith. You can always be relied on for your honesty. In fact, "What is the best printer?" is a pretty ambiguous question to be honest. How long is a piece of string? Ok, right.. I'm going to ask you a much simpler question. I want to start printing my own images. I'm a complete beginner as regards printing, and I have a pretty low budget of about £500. I can't see me wanting to print anything larger than A3.. What is the best printer? 😂😂

My output is photobooks, produced by one of the online print-on-demand companies. While the product isn't Steidl finest duotone standard, they are very good and excellent value, especially with rolling price promotions such businesses offer. What is noticeable, is the colours are always accurate to the file on screen. It's a standard resolution 19" screen, uncalibrated, and across a range of camera brands and formats, colour print rendition is virtually perfect. I assume this is because the print house (I suspect multiple European firms use the same factory in the Netherlands) has state of the art industrial machines capable of reproducing what we send them. The devil is in the detail, as ever, but when I see the lengths people go to get a decent print, it's curious that commercial printing companies manage colour accuracy repeatedly. I purchase 39 x 29 cm books, which might not look big on a wall but is large in a hardbound book.

Would love to see videos on the P20000.

Hi Keith. Thanks for the great videos :D I started out with an used Canon Pixma Pro-200, and was deeply impresed by the ease of use af quality once I firgured out to turn off the compensations-options in the driver, as I thought everything would be fine, as long as I used ICC-profiles :) Then a got a GREAT offer of an Canon Imageprograf 1000 (actually cheaper than my Pro-200)... I have found that Ilford Smooth Pearl is, in my eyes, a great paper when I comes down to value. I thinking of trying Hahnemühles Photo Pearl, as I this cheeper in rolls for panorams pictures. But I have caught my self thinking - What about the "baryta" papers? Again a great thanks to you for the videoes - "Start with OEM paper", print test-images for reference, use ICC-profiles to other paper... But I'm still asking my self - "I'm I doing it right"? Could I get even better prints? So could you do a series with tips on editing for printing and so forth :)

Looking at buying my first printer. You are the print thanos I see lol. I subbed I’m sure I’m about to learn a lot . Thank you

It's much the same in music too. You can buy something for a thousand times the price of a different model that does the same thing (samplers, compressors, microphonesetc) - if you don't know how to get the best out of it, the cheaper model may get you better results if you know how to use it.

Very informative keith as are al your articles and videos. Quick question - I'm having to replace my Epson P600 - choice is down to Canon 200 & 300. I print black &white and more muted colours, mostly on matt papers (usually Hahnemulle Fine Art). I appreciate all you've said about experimentation with different papers, calibration etc etc so there is no absolute answer, but from what I've read and seen on your website I'm guessing there's not much between the 200 & 300 and 200 might even give me deeper blacks on the matt paper, but if I wanted to use baryta more I might be better off with 300. Is that a fair generalisation in a much as you can generalise?? Regards. David

@Keith well this is a very cogent way to answer,how ever need little advice for my particular situation, i have been using a hp inkjet for photos, now want to upgrade. My budget is around 1000-1200$ weight and size is not an issue as it will be in office. Want to print images, black and white and colour documents a4 and a3 sizes on normal printer paper, and want to try different paper for images. Want to keep the cost of per print down and documents are printed on daily basis but images will be printed say 1-2 per 1 or 2 week. Can you suggest me any good options Thank you :)

Hi Keith, I’ve been running an HP 9180 for many years now but the time has come to replace it. Pondering the Canon Pro 300 but I’m not in a rush and wondering if you know about any new version of this printer planned by Canon which I would be happy to wait for. Thanks for your great videos.

Oh, Keith I think that question along with what is the best anything, should be avoided at all costs.People that asked that don't want spend the time/effort to reseach and find out themselves,and whatever your answer is you will upset half the people....... thanks as alway I appreciate your time and patience........take care

I'm new to printing, is canvass paper the same as the canvass sheets ? Can u stretch the canvass print paper ?

I have an Epson ET 2400 it does decent prints of my art but how do I go about making my prints better with this printer is there an ICC profile for this printer

You're not wrong.

On and on these videos go. I like most of them. However, the more I watch the more confused I become! Here is my question - - I need to print up to 11"X17" on good quality paper for mostly B&W (graphite) drawings. Would like for the printer to have a good scanner. Will print color work only now and then. What printer is best for this job?

Hi Keith, I ‘was’ keen on using giclee paper on the A3 epson Eco-Tank ET-7750 However, it only scans to A4. I am also a digital artist as well as painter. Any recommendations

Are there better types of printers for occaisional saleable printmaking? Would an LED print be less prone to clogging after a period of disuse? Thank you

Sorry for being a pest, could you recommend an A3 printer for mostly B=W photos, how much should I expect to spend to get good results, thanks keep up the good work.

I get that this sets you off on a rant, but what’s implicit in the question is the context. What is the best printer for someone who is transitioning from hobbyist to paraprofessional? What’s the best printer for someone that wants it in their home and has 2-3k? What’s the best printer for someone starting a printing business.

Hello Keith, I just bought a Canon printer more specific PIXMA IX6850 for photography printing as I am coming from the older Canon PIXMA Pro 9500 mark ii and didn't wish to spend much as I am printing lesser than before. It hasn't arrived yet. What is your honest thoughts?

The best 4x5 inch printer is the Cannon Selphy closest thing to a real photo uses dye sublimation tech like my 8x10 inch DMP pro Snap lab printer

Hello Keith. I'm an illustrator/cartoonist that is looking into getting a printer but I feel very lost in all the options. I'd like to begin selling both colour and black & white prints of my artwork which are usually around 11 by 14 inches. I'd like the option of printing both smaller and larger (possibly posters), and my budget would be for a mid to high priced printer. I'd also like it to be able to use paper for stickers, pins/buttons, cardstock and thicker papers. Also one that is relatively fast at printing, has a good amount of ink colours, and where the inks wouldn't cost a huge amount. I already have a scanner so I wouldn't need a scanner as part of the printer. Are there a few printers you could suggest I look at?

Recognised Leicester straight away.

hi whats the best size to print fine art photos

I'm looking for comprise ink tank (cost cheap ink) and quite good color accuracy and borderless prints, I don't find any good informations about that, can someone help me ? I was thinking on Epson, Canon and maybe HP ? And I have a budget around 200 to 400 € / $ Maybe Canon G650 ? What do you think about that guys ? It's difficult to find color accuracy information on internet (or color delta E). I'm lost ! Thanks for helping me all !

THANK YOU!!! from a neophyte

I think a more pertinent question would be: Why buy a printer in the first place unless printing becomes a hobby in and of itself. How many pictures do you REALLY need to print? I think that most people would REALLY need to print a few images per year (I'm talking about photographic images, not art work or card stock, calendars or any of that stuff.) If you need, I would say fewer than 500 prints a year, there's absolutely no reason to buy a printer and get involved in the expense, the time spent learning how to print, experimenting with papers and so on. One would be much better off just having a quality lab print your work and use the money and the time that you would have spent printing to actually spend photographing and developing not just your skills, but your vision as well. My 2 cents

That is a reason not to get the latest camera all the time. I keep to cameras that I have learnt to use and only are small upgrades from the first camera that I got used to as D300, D700 and now D800E and I hate spending time on the camera during an assignment. I have a camera Fuji X-T1 that I have difficult with and therefore I hate to use it.

You want a question you can use to go on a rant about? I’ve got a good one: what makes you more money, 24/4 or 18/10?

The true test of skill is creating a great print from a great image on an old printer. (Canon PRO-100) 😂

Garbage In, Garbage Out. Applies to most things.

I am going to RAspect your opinion, How many more inks? Paper is the secret to fine prints? 🤙 Calibrate😢what?

the answer is in the question, no information no point in answering it.

Thank you for another excellent video. I think another way of seeing which is the "best" ...camera, printer, car or whatever else is that the best is what you can afford (need, want or ready to pay for) and have access to when you need it or want to use it. By that I mean, it is totally irrelevant if the Pxxxx is miles ahead and much better than the ET-8500, which is the printer I have. It is also no help if the Z9 I don't have is better than my Z7 or a cell phone if I left the Z7 at home and all I have with me is a small P&S or my phone and the landscape is one of the most amazing at this very moment. At that moment, if I decide to take a picture I take it with what I have, which is the best at that moment. I also like your definition of "best photo printer" also. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-N0kh6HdHweE.html "In general, the more expensive the printer is, and the more inks it has, the better printer is". ...but you also point out that rubbish in = rubbish out. On photo forums, like DPR, a lot of people blame the gear and don't realize that simple fact, so they constantly buy newer and better gear, but forget to invest in their own skills, so while they may get lucky more easily with the latest and the greatest camera, they refuse to accept the fact that they could take even better, or just as good images with their older gear if they improved their skills instead. BTW, I also hang on to my Z7 which hits the four year mark soon, but it still does what I need the camera for, and as you say regarding your own camera, I also don't feel the need for the next iteration, not yet anyway.

Thanks. However I just want a printer which doesn’t give a coloured tint to the solely black and white (& shades of gray) prints I would like to produce. I’ve yet to find that and let’s face it .. it’s not too much to ask of any printer 🖨️