Print Costs: Lab v Home

K-5iiS; K-r; ME Super; ME; DA* 16-50 f2.8; DA 18-135 WR; DA 55-300 WR; HD DA 15mm F4 ED AL Limited; FA 50mm f1.4; A50mm f1.7; DAL 18-55mm; M40mm f2.8; + assorted non-Pentax lenses
My Flikr Page link
16x12 and 12x12. Both cost just over a £1. The biggest cost is postage. Off the top of my head thats £4.95.
Sent for 12 prints at the start of the camera club season. Cost less than £20.
I send B&W using exactly the same process. I have won comps with both colour and B&W so have no issues with quality.
If I was printing at home, I don't think I could do it as cheap. So, I haven't invested in an A3 printer
Alan
PPG
Flickr
dangie
Member
Staffordshire, England
At the moment I send my two pictures per month off to Photobox. I have yet to be disappointed with the results. Excellent quality and service. However this costs me approx £10 each time (prints + postage).
My question is: If I printed at home how many months worth of pictures would I have to print off before it became cost effective, considering the cost of printer, ink and paper?
Having never printed large pictures myself, would I be correct in saying that to rival a print labs quality, I would need to buy a top quality printer, or would say a Canon PIXMA iX6550 at approx £140 suffice?
As I'm writing this I think I'm answering my own question. Stick with Photobox..!!
6th Year Apprentice Pensioner