Printer Reviews

I have been using Epson’s Advanced B&W Photo printing mode for many years in a series of the company’s desktop printers but always wished the print software offered a way to see my image adjustments in real time. So, when Epson announced their new Print Layout software, which offers a “live preview” (among other controls) in Advanced B&W Photo mode, I contacted them to give it a whirl. 

It’s no secret that the online photo lab WhiteWall is one of our favorite services for making gallery-worthy prints of our favorite images. Back in 2015, Shutterbug Editor-at-Large George Schaub reviewed WhiteWall’s services for our website and came away impressed. WhiteWall has also received a TIPA “Best Photo Services” award in the past, and I’ve, personally, used them for printing a number of my photos on a variety of surfaces including acrylic and metal and have been very pleased with the results.

The Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) member magazines recently convened for their General Assembly to vote for the best photo and imaging products launched by the industry in the last 12 months. The voting took place during the General Assembly that was held in spring 2016 in San Francisco, California.

The Goods spotlights the hottest premium photo gear out there. If you have a product you’d like considered for The Goods, e-mail images and info to editorial@shutterbug.com.

I’ve always been a strictly DIY print guy and have done my fair share of printing over the years, but I’ve recently seen some intriguing print presentations by friends and associates—on aluminum, bonded under acrylic glass, on textile or canvas—that I could never produce in my studio. As I researched the idea I decided it was time to check out a custom lab that could broaden my print options.

A popular option for many photographers looking to print images at up to 17 x 22 inches has been the Epson 3880 printer (and before that the 3800). Essentially an affordable option to Epson’s professional level 4800 and 4900 printers, the Epson 3880 and 3800 use smaller ink cartridges and forgo the ability to use roll paper. It’s been several years since this photo printer lineup has been updated, so when Epson gave me the opportunity to review their new 17-inch SureColor P800 I was interested to see what they were able to come up with to improve an already very good printer.