The Beauty of Modern Printers!

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ER

I wonder how many people ever step back to appreciate the wonderful
capability of our modern color printers? The simple ability for almost any
person to produce such high resolution accurate images is just something
never before possible in human history. How much better can it get?

Or on the other hand is printing on paper soon to be obsolete?

ER
 
Or on the other hand is printing on paper soon to be obsolete?
Click to expand...

Doubtful it'll go obsolete anytime soon.

I never really paid any attention to my printer as long as they works.
I have an older Laserjet printer that works good and with the refill
and a few minutes of my time, I've gotten the cost per page to less
than the cost of paper itself (that's saying a lot when you can find
cheap ream of 500 sheets for about $2).

Ink jet also does well for me when it doesn't eat paper. In the 2
years since I got it new, I've bought new color carts like 3 or 4
times and refilled them as much as 8 times before it doesn't work
anymore. With cheap refill kit, that brings to just pennies per
print. Not quite as cheap as laser printer but still good.

Now if I can find a creative way to "refill" the cart used in the
photo printer I got free in a contest almost 2 years ago. It doesn't
use ink or toner but (I think) thermal wax and I don't think that can
be reused at all.
 
ER said:
I wonder how many people ever step back to appreciate the wonderful
capability of our modern color printers? The simple ability for almost any
person to produce such high resolution accurate images is just something
never before possible in human history. How much better can it get?

Or on the other hand is printing on paper soon to be obsolete?
Click to expand...

I agree. I'm in my 50s and was always fascinated by printing as a youngster.
I wanted to produce a comic but couldn't afford the technology or printing
costs.

The closest I got was using a combination of indian ink and hectographic
jelly. Anyone here remember those?

Mike
 
I wonder how many people ever step back to appreciate the
wonderful capability of our modern color printers? The simple ability
for almost any person to produce such high resolution accurate
images is just something never before possible in human history.
How much better can it get?
Click to expand...

Actually people have been able to do this for quite some time. The key
difference is we can now do it without a darkroom or chemistry. And
actually traditional photography still has advantages over your average
consumer printer, even simple contact prints. But I have to agree it's
rather spiffy even if build quality of the printers has suffered
greatly.
Or on the other hand is printing on paper soon to be obsolete?
Click to expand...

I doubt it. There will always be a market for pen and ink. The nature
of inkjets is dotty, which when it comes right down to is an instent
Monet. The dots are so fine you tend not to notice them. By hand one
can control the flow of ink in each spot, and do so on papers of a
varity of sizes, with no electrisity needed.
 
The answers to your questions are:

Yes, and No, and Yes, and No. ;-)

Although we do take them for granted and complain about them
incessantly, many of us realize how amazing they are, especially at the
prices they charge for them. But the complaining has also brought about
better printers.
And, yes, we send more and more document by electronic means, but most
of us are not ready to give up on hard copy.

Art
 
Of course. When was the last time you saw paper and pens for sale
in stores? That's ancient technology! Computer printing will surely be
next.
 
ER said:
I wonder how many people ever step back to appreciate the wonderful
capability of our modern color printers? The simple ability for almost any
person to produce such high resolution accurate images is just something
never before possible in human history. How much better can it get?
Click to expand...
Agreed. I happen to be an amateur photographer. It would have been cost
prohibitive and difficult for me to do my own color darkroom work. Just
check out these prices for color enlargers: http://tinyurl.com/dws62
The other alternative was to have Illfochromes (Cibachromes) made but those
are also expensive. I now have an Epson R1800 and can easily produce
prints that rival Illfochromes.
Or on the other hand is printing on paper soon to be obsolete?
Click to expand...
I doubt it. I think that displaying paper prints is still the best way to
show off one's images.
 
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