How much printing would you be doing over the long haul? Having spent more actual time in budget fight than in photography, I know that the only way you'll be able to justify the purchase is by projecting cost advantages over using a service, including amortizing the purchase price. If you can do that, the next thing you need is someone who speaks both photoshop and printing fluently, otherwise the quality of the output will suffer.

All of which brings us back to the original question: Given what you want to do and how often you might be doing it, is it worth the expense and effort?

One option might be to acquire a relatively inexpensive printer for the 4X6 work, and use a service for the larger prints, particularly if you'll be doing fewer of those. Printers capable of printing anything larger than 8X10 can be pretty costly.

thanks Bill... I am willing to tackle the budget fight... I am concerned that we are not good enough with photo shop to print quality photos... If we would not do more than 8x10, are there some good options in printers

If you have a local Costco, look into having them print. Most are using Noritsu printers and Fuji Crystal Archive paper. Prints up to 12x18 can be made and order can be uploaded through their web site to pick up later the same day. Wal-Mart can do it also but limits the paper size of their Frontier printers to 8 inch for 8x12 maximum.

Larry... there are no Costco's in the region... I guess everbody is telling us to not purchase a printer but to use a service bureau of something like Wallmart.

Marty,

Not everyone thinks a snapshot printing medium is equal to what can be reproduced by the best inkjets today. I think if truth be known it is not quality but price that is fueling the recommendations you are seeing.

David
I appreciate your comments... could you follow up on a suggested printer. I always took slides because I knew my film captures were better than the typical prints (and I always produced good transparencies). Is there a printer that you would recommend recognizing our our limited expertise with photo shop?

Marty,

Unless you can make an image look ideal and optimal on-screen with your computer, it does not matter much what priter you use, connected to your computer, or an outside printer, you'll not get good images either way.

In other words invest in learning the basics of Photoshop to correct and adjust images for optimal quality, so you don't waste an investment in prints.