Print Your Own Large Format Camera
Libby Cowen
Getting the best large-format printer is the way to go if you want to create larger-than-life prints of your work yourself. In this guide, we've selected our pick of wide-format printers for creatives that are on sale right now.
For nearly two decades Sebastian's work has been published internationally. Originally specialising in Equestrianism, his visuals have been used by the leading names in the equestrian industry such as The F\u00e9d\u00e9ration Equestre Internationale (FEI), The Jockey Club, Horse & Hound and many more for various advertising campaigns, books and pre\/post-event highlights.\n
\nHe is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts, holds a Foundation Degree in Equitation Science and is a Master of Arts in Publishing. He is member of Nikon NPS and has been a Nikon user since the film days using a Nikon F5 and saw the digital transition with Nikon's D series cameras and is still to this day the youngest member to be elected in to BEWA, The British Equestrian Writers' Association. \n
\nHe is familiar with and shows great interest in medium and large format photography with products by Phase One, Hasselblad, Alpa and Sinar and has used many cinema cameras from the likes of Sony, RED, ARRI and everything in between. His work covers the genres of Equestrian, Landscape, Abstract or Nature and combines nearly two decades of experience to offer exclusive limited-edition prints to the international stage from his film & digital photography."}; var triggerHydrate = function() window.sliceComponents.authorBio.hydrate(data, componentContainer); var triggerScriptLoadThenHydrate = function() var script = document.createElement('script'); script.src = ' -8-2/authorBio.js'; script.async = true; script.id = 'vanilla-slice-authorBio-component-script'; script.onload = () => window.sliceComponents.authorBio = authorBio; triggerHydrate(); ; document.head.append(script); if (window.lazyObserveElement) window.lazyObserveElement(componentContainer, triggerScriptLoadThenHydrate); else triggerHydrate(); } }).catch(err => console.log('Hydration Script has failed for authorBio Slice', err)); }).catch(err => console.log('Externals script failed to load', err));Sebastian OakleySocial Links NavigationEcommerce EditorFor nearly two decades Sebastian's work has been published internationally. Originally specialising in Equestrianism, his visuals have been used by the leading names in the equestrian industry such as The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), The Jockey Club, Horse & Hound and many more for various advertising campaigns, books and pre/post-event highlights.
He is familiar with and shows great interest in medium and large format photography with products by Phase One, Hasselblad, Alpa and Sinar and has used many cinema cameras from the likes of Sony, RED, ARRI and everything in between. His work covers the genres of Equestrian, Landscape, Abstract or Nature and combines nearly two decades of experience to offer exclusive limited-edition prints to the international stage from his film & digital photography.
The Kraken 612 is a 3D-printed wide-format camera that uses 120 film. Print one yourself or send it to a printing bureau. No need to change lenses, if you have more than one, print more than one camera and swap cameras instead of lenses.
The cost of cheap-but-competent printers such as the Creality Ender 3 is about the same cost (US$200) as it will cost to have the files printed by a 3rd party service bureau. The advantage of having your own printer is the ability to print spare parts or even a second camera for your own use.
Large format photography should be affordable and accessible to all! At Standard Cameras, we're dedicated to providing reasonably-priced 4x5s while developing resources and videos designed to empower your photography journey. ?
As photographers, most of us do a good job researching camera bodies, lenses, flashes etc. before we make a purchase. Luckily there are many great web sites, like Photography Life, that do equipment reviews to help us with those kinds of purchases. When it comes to other related equipment like large format printers, we often find ourselves in strange, unfamiliar territory.
To assess the ROI for a large format printer you need to calculate your contribution margin and consider your annual volume to then determine your break-even point. To do this you first need to calculate your contribution margin. This is done by taking your average revenue for a print, then deducting the estimated variable costs associated with that print (e.g. ink, paper, and the cost of any other consumables). We will leave labour out of the variable cost for now as many photographers would operate their own equipment.
You can also look at leasing equipment to keep your up-front cash investment low. Many companies provide managed print services where you pay on a per-print or per foot cost and basically pay for machine usage and consumable costs only. These agreements usually only make sense if you are planning to operate at very high monthly print volumes.
Generally speaking the more ink vats your large format printer uses to print with, the higher the percentage of colours that it will able to accurately reproduce. This is often cited as a percentage of Pantone colours, e.g. 95%. You can also compare printers based on line accuracy, colour stability, print repeatability, and optical density. These are technical comparisons that are typically of interest to people running high-volume, professional print shops. My main consideration was colour accuracy, which will likely be the primary concern of most photographers.
If you get involved with any larger print runs for your clients your machine will need to have a good integrated accounting software package so you can accurately estimate your costs for larger press runs. The onboard software should also be able to track the levels of current supplies, your use of various paper types and ink colours, as well as the exact amount and cost of materials used on a specific print. This will allow you to plan your inventory and accurately estimate your costs.
At some point your large format printer will need servicing. Make sure the brand you buy is represented by a good, competent dealer in your local market area. Ensure that the dealer has personnel who are certified by the manufacturer on your specific machine.
Owning a large format printer can help expand your service offerings to your clients and give you additional revenue and profit opportunities. Owning one makes sense for the majority of professional photographers.
What is important to me is quality. I believe that especially if you have a fully colour managed setup and take the time to learn, you should be able to produce better quality doing it yourself than even a custom printer doing it for you.
Hi Murray,
My experience is similar. The 3880 works very well. I had one for 4 years and it has easily paid for itself many times. I assume that when it quits I will probably just vreplace it with the latest comparable model. I would describe the printer, in general, as cost effective and convenient. The colors match what I see on my calibrated screens, the print quality is obviously very high, and its nice to have control over the process.
I also really like occasionally giving away a large print as a gift!
Alex Burke is a photographer from Greeley, Colorado. Using a large format film camera, he captures the majestic beauty of Colorado and the American West from the Great Plains to the wilderness and beyond.
All of my prints come with a 90 day complete satisfaction guarantee. I want to ensure that you get the perfect image and size to match your home d\u00E9cor. If for any reason you decide that the artwork is too small or too large, or that you would like a different image I would be glad to take it back and exchange it for another one within 90 days of the original purchase date. Even if you decide that you do not want the art at all, I will refund the entire original purchase price, minus any shipping charges. Your complete satisfaction is my ultimate goal!
With some formats, such as Custom and Contact Sheet, you can resize the printed photos. Other options, such as for repositioning photos, choosing an aspect ratio, or setting margins, appear depending on the format you select.
Our goal at Artmill is 100% customer satisfaction. All orders are reviewed by a real person before going to production. If there are concerns regarding the quality of your print due to your image's resolution you will be contacted by someone from our team before we begin work on your order.
Chroma is a family of large and medium format cameras, assembled from a combination of laser cut acrylic, 3d printed ABS, CNC machined carbon fibre and aluminium components. Available in a selection of styles and colours, to suit your own personal style. With a camera to suit all tastes and demands, Chroma is the most flexible family of analogue cameras available.
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