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Printers &papers

Buyers’ guide

Printingperfection

If you’re getting into home printing, take a tour of the best papers, inks, printers and suppliers

THE DIGITAL WORLD has given lots to photography, but when it comes to appreciating photos, good old-fashioned analogue prints are still the king. Holding a printed image in your hands is the final stage of the journey that begins with the opening of the shutter – the natural conclusion to a worthwhile process and a tactile pleasure in itself. What’s more, it’s well known that viewers will engage more with a print than images on screen, spending more time enjoying the work you’ve created. When competitions are judged, it’s usually via prints. And when results are celebrated, it’s prints that are hung for exhibition. Yes, even in a digital world – a world that’s actually

made printing easier, too – inkjet printing is as important as ever, and we’re here to put you on the right path to success. So, whether you’re just starting out in printing at home or an experienced user of inkjet printer and paper, this month we’re bringing you a few clues about the products and services that will bring you the best results. Whatever you’re printing, from big enlargements to your own greetings cards, there’s a huge variety of great products and services to explore. Here’s the cream of printers, papers and producers that will let you be sure your prized images come out looking their best.

£699

canon.co.uk

Canon imagePrograf Pro-300

Hot from the Canon factory, the new imagePrograf Pro-300 has just been launched and promises all sorts of high- quality features and performance at an attractive price. Although it has a compact footprint designed to fit into all sorts of workspaces, the Pro-300 has a maximum print size of A3+ and offers borderless printing even on fine-art media, as well as panoramic output up to 99cm in length. The model boasts enhanced colour gamut for greater depth, and it uses ten Lucia Pro pigment inks, including a matte black, to deliver rich and faithful images. On top of

that, the Pro-300 uses a print head design with a number of spare nozzles to ensure there’s no banding in images, switching to a backup if any blockage is detected, and it also has an intelligent printing system that checks density levels of the tanks and shakes them to achieve a consistent flow. Colour accuracy is guaranteed by the included Canon Professional Print and Layout (PPL) software and plug-in, which can be used with Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom. Operation is easy via the 3in LCD screen and there are features like Paper Skew Correction to correct media loading and give a level print.

£1086

epson.co.uk

Epson has long been one of the go-to brands for home printing – as well as one of the most trusted names in labs. Two recent additions to its stable are the SureColor SC-P900 and SC-P700. These high-quality photo printers are designed for photographers and artists with an eye for quality. The SC-P700 will be reviewed in the next issue of Photography News , so let’s take a look at the SC-P900. Compact and lightweight for its specification – in fact, it has the smallest footprint in its class – the SC-P900 has clean and stylish design, and it looks great, so it’s not something you’ll want to hide away from your desktop. It prints up to a maximum A2+ size, and has three different paper paths, so it can take a huge range of media types. Epson SC-P900

As you’d hope from a premium product, image quality is exceptional, with the SC- P900 delivering a black D-Max value of 2.91. Contributing to this are its black enhance overcoat technology, Carbon Black mode and UltraChrome Pro 10 ink for the truest, deepest blacks, as well as an expanded blue colour gamut for ultra-realistic results. And despite its good looks, high quality and versatility, using the printer is easy, too. There’s a large, 4.3in LCD touchscreen with a customisable interface helping you get to your most-used settings more quickly, as well as the included Epson Print Layout software, which makes colour management quick and easy, while a new automatic sheet-feeding system means simpler loading of thicker fine-art media.

paperspectrum.co.uk

If you need to stock up on paper or printing products, take a look at Paper Spectrum. With 25 years of experience, the company prides itself on the goal of offering customers the very best products, service and value for money on the market. Paper Spectrum stocks a huge range of papers, including big names like Iford, Paper Spectrum

Hahnemühle, Pinnacle, Olmec and Epson, as well as specialist media like greetings cards and canvas, mounting products and inkjet cartridges – and if you’re not sure of what to order, or just need some general advice on how to improve your prints, Paper Spectrum’s small and friendly team are always available to speak to.

Issue 80 | Photography News 19

photographynews.co.uk

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