Tips....

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Inkjet Printing:

I have noticed that not many members in the Society print their own images at home, the main reason seems to be cost - with many inks now costing as much as the initial printer.

Fear not, I have researched many original (OEM) and compatible inkjet cartridges, ink refill kits etc and have no hesitation in recommending Inkrite Photoplus! Compatible Ink Cartridge's.

For Example my Epson A3 printer costs nearly 90euro to refill if I were to buy original cartridges locally but the Inkrite's can cost about 13euro including p&p for a full set. Usually I buy 5 or six sets to save further on the postage.

It is true that the light fastness of these products is not guaranteed as with the original manufacturers but for club competitions etc they are more than sufficient. I have had prints behind glass frames for five years and the colour still seems fine. If I really wanted archival quality prints I would probably have them printed professionally.

Another option is Jet Tec Compatible which are also well respected but personally I prefer the Inkrite colours and think the cartridges last longer.

I have been buying mine from Inkraider UK www.inkraider.co.uk for years - their service is excellent, they have a huge range of inks are are very knowledgeable if you have any problems.

I also buy my photopaper on Ebay and again if you buy in bulk you can get good quality and weight (important) A3 photo paper for well under a euro a sheet - I buy boxes of 200 sheets at a time but it could be worth getting a few people to club together for a box.
Using this formula it is actually possible to print a full A3 colour print for about 1.40 euro as opposed to about 11+ euro using manufacturers original products.

It does take a bit of effort and perhaps some trial & error to get home printing right but once set up the convenience is brilliant and printing from home gives you greater control over the finished print - if you consistently use the same inks and paper you can set up profiles that you know will work for you. You also have the option to do smaller (I do A5) test prints before you commit to doing a full size print.