Wouldn't it be great to direct your spouse, relatives and friends to a personal inkjet printer that allowed them to do their OWN printing and freed you from having to do their stuff? Admit it, it might even be great for some of your own personal images! The PictureMate is compact, easy to use, very convenient, and (dare I use this word?) "cute".
COMPARE CONSUMABLE PRICING. While this under $200 printer only does 4"x6" prints, that it what over 95% of the consumer market is buying from the photo finishers or printing out themselves. And the Epson PictureMate does it better than anything else on market. Compare consumable pricing, print longevity and durability:
29 cents per 4x6 print with the Epson PictureMate Photo Print Pack (ink and paper pack yielding 100 prints). This price is comparable with many photo labs. AND Epson GUARANTEES you'll get 100 prints per pack: http://www.epson.com/picturemateguarantee
51 cents - 63 cents per 4x6 print from other inkjet printer brands.
COMPARE PRINT LONGEVITY AND DURABILITY. These are pigment-based ink prints. The print finish is gloss, has little bronzing of gloss-differential (much like the R800 prints). These prints are very smudge and water-resistant. If you spouse or significant "other" is into scrapbooking, they'll be interesting in knowing that the Epson PictureMate prints will last up to 100 years in a frame, and about 200 years in an album. Wilhelm Imaging Research compares the Epson PictureMate prints at 104 years to regular photo lab (silver-halide) Fuji Crystal Archive prints (40 years) and Kodak Ektacolor prints (19 years); they also compared them to the popular HP Photosmart, dye-based, inkjet color prints (18 years). http://www.wilhelm-research.com/4x6_permanence_preview.html
WITH OR WITHOUT A COMPUTER. The Epson PictureMate performs well with or without a computer. Although a computer will allow you to do some significant image editing before you print the image, you don't need to have a computer to make prints. You can connect your digital camera via a USB cable and print directly from your camera (if your camera support this technology), as you toggle through and select the images. However, most will just remove their camera's memory media and insert it into one of PictureMate's various memory media slot readers. The mono-color LCD on top of the PictureMate will immediately report to you how many images are on the memory card. You can print all the images, select a range, or make a series of individual image selections, and the printer will print all the selected images. Some have complained that it would have been nice to have a color LCD monitor on the PictureMate. We saw little need for this, and agree with the Epson engineers who decided to leave out this feature. This is because the PictureMate can quickly make you permanent printed previews (index sheet) --20 numbered thumbnails to a 4x6 print that are much nicer to refer to and compare than a "transient" LCD image. The software also allows you to make wallet-size prints (2 matching wallets to a 4x6). The software has 18 pre-defined cropping templates or positions, time and date imprinting, color to black & white conversion, as well as sepia-tone. You also have the options of borderless or prints with borders. You can check out many of these features on our web site, under "Cool Features".
Some have also complained that the PictureMate Photo Print Packs only gives you one choice of paper finish at the moment: glossy. Right. But it's nice to have a printer that does one thing very well!
HOW FAST? The PictureMate is not speedy. (Epson seems to leave this information out of their literature.) Our average 4x6 took a little over two minutes to print. But the results were stunning, with extremely fine detail. It would probably take about an hour to make 24-30 prints with the Epson PictureMate, and by that time your conventional photo prints might be ready to pick up at the 1-hour photo lab ;-)) For additional stats and order information, go to:
For years we've been asked what is the best way to mount fine art inkjet papers and canvas, and our answer has always been the same, with the knowledge that we had:
"Mounting digital fine art prints with acid-free 'corners' or strips is the museum preferred way. Acid-free mounting tape (taping and hinging the top of the print) is the next preferred method. Dry-mounting is O.K. if it doesn't gas the print with plasticisers. Usually the results of this gas will show up within 72 hours as a yellow stain. [A paragraph about the problems with atmospheric pollutants is not quoted here.] ...Lineco is a well-known mounting products manufacturer in the fine art industry. They carry Self-Adhesive Mylar Mounting Corners, Polypropylene Mounting Corners, Mounting Strips, Gummed Japanese Paper Tape, Gummed Linen Tape, Acid-Free Gummed Linen Tape, Self-Adhesive Mounting Hinging Tissue, and Self-Adhesive Linen Tape. You should be able to find most of these products at your local art supply store. On-line, you can find many of these products at www.framing4yourself.com, along with some helpful, how-to instructions."
"Artwork of value should not be glued down [to a board]", and that the best way (and traditional way) to mount inkjet canvas was to stretch and staple it to a stretcher bars frame, which was then inserted into a regular picture frame.
WHY? Both of these old methods are reversible, which means they artwork can be remounted. This is how it has always been done within the "fine art" community for mounting traditional hand painted watercolors and oil paintings on canvas. To have your fine art inkjet printed "giclees" accepted in the art community one wanted to follow all the traditional rules.
THE RULES ARE CHANGING, and so is the TECHNOLOGY. In our January 27, 2004 newsletter we reported that "Scott Peck, has discovered an archival method of mounting canvas to ArtCare foamcore with a low temperature strippable archival adhesive," and that we would reveal this technique and the materials you'd need in an upcoming newsletter. The HUGE benefit to this new method of mounting is that it protects the art (especially canvas) from airborne pollutants entering from the back side of the print. We're now ready to give out that information.
A CONVERSATION WITH J. SCOTT PECK: Our editor first met Scott when he owned and operated Aperture Photo Gallery (1996-2000). Scott was an exhibitor in a show, and Royce purchased one of his early prints ("Square Rose"). Scott lives in Denver, Colorado and shoots mainly with a large format 4x5. With a background in science and a grandmother's influence as a professional watercolor artist, he has taken a unique approach to photographing flowers, his favorite subject. Quoting the Susan Spiritus Gallery: "He achieves these amazing effects with the distortion and manipulation of light with prisms, mirrors and lenses and the use of ice, gels and other translucent materials to obtain effects not easily created digitally or in the darkroom. The look of this effort was taken a step further with the sophistication and new longevity of giclees with their watercolor paper and canvas substrates." You can see Scott's work online at these three galleries:
Scott recently contacted our editor with the following information about how he now mounts all of his giclées.
"Having sold hundreds of canvas prints by now, in galleries from wet Hawaii to dry Sedona, I have completely abandoned stretching the prints on conventional stretcher bars and will only dry mount them onto Artcare foamcore with a low temperature strippable archival adhesive (meaning the print can be easily and cleanly removed, if necessary, retaining its value).
"This approach came after some problems early on with ink separation in the stretching process, sagging in humid locales, concerns about the lack of protection for the exposed canvas and surprise at how beat up a stretched, pulled and stapled canvas really looks after its removal. I looked into alternatives, such as gluing the prints to Masonite or other non-archival substrates, but quickly found that approach was completely out of the question as those products are known to significantly accelerate aging with their many inherent pollutants.
"I finally found my answer after reading an excellent article in the November/December View Camera magazine in 2000 titled 'Advances in Archival Mounting and Storage, Ultimate Protection for your Photographs'. It was an interview with the chemist behind the development of the new Artcare foamcore and its unique contaminant blocking properties combined with the visual results of many accelerated aging tests. The article also corroborated findings by the Bureau of Standards in regard to the lack of pollutant protection by conventional acid free mounting materials which are already superior for protection compared to an open, stretched canvas." [Editor's note: Here's a link to the article Scott mentioned]
"As the real longevity of giclees has always been in question with the many variables and their combinations in printing, coating, mounting and display not yet addresses by institutes such as Wilhelm's, the impact of this article was significant. Along with other input as to what 'archival' really meant from museum and bookbinding archivists, I came to openly discourage conventional stretching and will only extend full warranty to my prints that are mounted in the manner I have described. I also double clear coat all of my prints with a professional finisher, even when using the newer quick-dry substrates, leaving the prints sandwiched between the UV protecting clear coat and the impervious and pollutant-trapping Artcare board. To my knowledge, there is not a superior approach to be used for maximum longevity and protection, particularly when compared with stretched canvas which is often left with an open back or simply covered with a non-archival paper dust cover.
"The other nice aspect to this technique is that the cost tends to run the same or less than stretching if the framer is properly equipped and, to date, we have not had a single failure or lost print due to the pressing process. Unfortunately, Nielsen Bainbridge, who now markets the Artcare products, does not display the referenced article or much other data regarding the technical aspects of the products on their web site. I am assuming that is due to the fact that the material is very dry technical chemical information that the average person does not want to wade through, which I know from trying to get my own galleries to read the text." [Editor's note: We found some of that "dry, technical" information on the Nielsen Bainbridge web site and have provide links to them (one is by the chemist/inventor, Bill Hollinger) on our "Artcare" web page.]
"Still, the color photos of the results on side-by-side accelerated aging tests between the Artcare and the current standard for museum grade archival mounting are worth the look alone. In my view, the article should be a must-read for anyone who takes the preservation of photography, giclees or any art seriously (I am having my own personal original European oil painting on canvas remounted in this fashion correcting the sagging, cracking and exposed canvas)."
MOUNTING PROCEDURE with ARTCARE FOAMBOARD: Scott Peck uses a "strippable archival adhesive" to mount the canvas to the Artcare board, so that the canvas (or fine art inkjet paper) can be removed from the board if needed. This is how his framer, Melanie Lundsford, of Metro Frame Works mounts Scott's canvases onto the ArtCare board:
"Giclee canvases can be easily dry mounted onto Artcare foam core with an archival tissue at a reasonable temperature with no noticeable changes to the print. We recommend using Drytac's Drychival tissue, or equivalent, that consists of a buffered paper barrier on both sides with a low 160 degree acid-free adhesive." [Editor's note: "SAFEMOUNT" Print Mount is another recommended dry mount tissue, as is "BUFFERMOUNT" by Seal. Both are are acid-free, buffered, low-temperature, and reversible (strippable).]
"In the actual mounting of the print we have had the best success using a double sided release paper that is silicon coated and moisture stable. This paper does not interfere with a clear coat finish, such as Bull Dog, being applied after the mounting procedure (though you can coat and mount in any order--we mount first to give the coating finisher an easy-to-handle panel with a perfectly flat surface). We did experiment with a clear release film that worked beautifully but it was apparently transferring a bit of silicon to the print causing fisheye when the finish was applied afterwards.
"We tend to mount the prints at a little higher temperature of 180-185 degrees to insure a complete adhesive melt for 8 to 10 minutes. After the press has cycled off we raise the lid and allow the print to cool before attempting to move it. The archival adhesive remains soft until it is fully cooled so lifting the board before it has set can cause the canvas to pull away from the foam core if it is flexed.
"One of the nice benefits of using this type of adhesive is that the print is completely removable. Put the print panel back into the press, reheat for 3-4 minutes, remove, and pull the canvas [or fine art paper] gently up. It will peel up easily and cleanly with no adhesive being left on the canvas [or fine art paper]. You can then start the procedure over and remount at will.
"We have used both a Seal 550 mechanical press and the Hot Press 42.5" x 66.5" glass topped vacuum press. We would strongly recommend a large vacuum press that can handle all sizes of prints and apply perfectly even pressure. Early on in our mounting experiments we ran into an assortment of problems with the mechanical press simply from not being able to treat the entire canvas at the same time while maintaining consistent pressure. A smaller press such as the 550 required us to rotate the work and take small bites out of the piece if it was too large to do at one time. That gave problems with a ghosting that occurred during high humidity and, on occasion, the press would leave a mark down an edge of the print if the press wasn't adjusted just right. The full sized vacuum press, on the other hand, has made the mounting process effortless. [Editor's note: another alternative to the Seal Vacuum Hot Press are the Print Mount Vacuum Heat Presses, which many believe are even more reliable (and vacuum faster) than the Seal.]
"Framing of the final print then becomes a simple process of sizing the Artcare, which is obviously a lot thinner in section than conventional stretcher bars, another bonus when thinner frames are being used. We then add one or more filler panels to level the frame and stiffen and further protect the print, finished off with a sealed backing sheet.
"We have used this process with six different canvas' over the past three years along with several types of dye based inks (from our Iris printer days) and, over the past year, with the Sihl and Epson Premium water resistant canvas with the Ultrachrome inks, printed on the Epson 9600, with no failures to date. Further, there is no comparison in the degree of physical and archival protection between this system and the conventionally
open stretched canvas."
ARTCARE SUPPLIES as well as recommended dry mount tissues, and dry mounting equipment can be found at our new ARTCARE Web page:
The infamous Epson Stylus Photo 1280 remains one of the best 13" photo inkjet printers Epson has ever produced. It first appeared on the market with a $499 price tag, that has now been reduced to $399. And with a $100 mail-in rebate (on purchases through December 31, 2004), your effective price is only $299! Although the dye inks in the 1280 have a longevity that is only about one-third that of pigment inks (like those used in the Epson 2200), the color gamut and D-Max are still unmatched (blacks on Epson's Matte Paper Heavyweight and Enhanced Matte are the deepest we've ever seen, and the gloss clarity with Premium Glossy is still unmatched). The 1280 still remains the best printer for those who wish to put their best foot forward in a portfolio presentation.
The letter-size Canon i960 Photo Inkjet Printer, with individual ink tanks for each color, and FAST printing speeds (to comparable Epson models) has had a $25 price reduction, from $199 to $174. For more info or to purchase, go to:
The ultra-compact and portable Canon Card Photo Printer CP-100 came out two years ago. This little dye-sublimation printer is great for the person who wishes to make 4" x 6" prints on location from his digital camera, and is especially useful with all Canon digital cameras. This printer cost $199 when it first came out. The CP-200 that replaces it is a little smaller, the same price, and uses the same #KP-36IP Paper Packs (which have thirty-six 4 x 6 in. sheets of paper and an ink ribbon). These packs retail for $24.99 each, but we've seen them online for as low as $13.33 each. InkjetART is selling the last CP-100 we have in stock for only $149, and that includes nine (9) KP-36IP Paper Packs! To purchase, call 1-800-777-2076. (The following Web sites are for reference information only.)
Purchase an Epson Stylus Photo R300, R300M or R800 printer between now and August 31, 2004 and receive a FREE 50-sheets package (letter size) of Epson Premium paper when you purchase either a 50-sheets package (letter size) of either Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper or Epson Premium Luster Photo Paper. In other words, you'll get two packages of the same kind of paper, when you order just one package (a 2-for-one deal) and the printer. It's a savings of up to $35. To make your group paper and R300 or R300M purchase, go to: http://www.inkjetart.com/R300/index.html
NOTE: Choose your Epson Premium Luster or Premium Glossy paper on that page FIRST, and this will automatically order BOTH packages of paper (the free one and the purchased one), AND it will order and add the printer to your shopping cart --just go to the yellow highlighted order box directly under the printer of your choice and click on "Glossy Pack" or "Luster Pack".
The Epson DuraBrite pigment ink that is used in the Epson C84, C82, C80, CX5200/CX5400 (all-in-one) printers is a fantastic ink. It's quite durable: up to 70 years of fade-resistance with even plain paper, and it's water-resistance (even on plain paper) has been featured in past newsletters. The DuraBrite pigment ink is also the "plain paper champ" when compared to other pigmented inks.
On the down side, the DuraBrite ink does not do well on glossy paper (because it's matte black ink is made for matte and plain paper use. For this reason, the black ink print head nozzles are actually shut off when you choose a glossy or semigloss media selection, the result is a low-contrast and muddy D-Max, because your printer is using just CMY and no K (black). Epson has recently introduced a DuraBrite Glossy Photo Paper that is optimized for use with the DuraBrite ink. Another problem of the DuraBrite ink is lack of color saturation. And the last negative is the cost of the cartridges.
InkjetART has introduced their new compatible DYE ink cartridges for these aforementioned "C" printers. These dye ink cartridges are not as durable as the DuraBrite inks, but they will give you greater color saturation, and a much higher D-Max, even on coated matte papers, like the Enhanced Matte. Using the matte paper media settings, you can also fool the printer into printing with the black ink when actually printing on glossy papers (you will need to make some slight color profile changes when doing this). And of course, there is a price savings with our compatible ink cartridges. Your biggest savings come with the black ink cartridge, which is about 1/3 the cost of Epson's. These cartridges are guaranteed: we'll replace the cartridges or refund your money if you are not satisfied. To order, go to:
We have recently updated three of our inkjet paper Variety Sampler Packs, and reduced their prices. These Variety Sampler Packs offer a great way to check out and test various paper products. The new Variety Sampler Packs are:
Non-Coated Water Color Art Papers #V-NCVSP (5 papers, 2 sheets each)
Coated Water Color / Art Papers #V-CVSP (9 papers, 2 sheets each)
Still shooting medium format film? Although digital is all the rage, a medium or large format color transparency (especially the panoramic formats) is a joy to behold, and holds a lot of image data. For those that want to organize and display their color film transparencies, we invite to to go to www.MountYourFilm.com. At the moment, we are closing out the following mount formats, and reducing their price by 40%:
Last month, one of InkjetART's employees, Cody Sperandeo, was seriously injured in a mountain biking accident. Cody suffered spinal cord damage, and is still in the hospital. A picture of Cody is on our "About Us" Web page. Cody is the person on the far right. We wish Cody a speedy recovery, but spinal cord injuries can be very life-changing. If you would like to contribute to the "Cody Sperandeo FUND", go to: http://www.inkjetart.com/cody.html
We'd like to mention a new large-format printing service that may be just right for your needs: "Big Digital Prints.com" is a division of Bair Art Edition.com, and offers the same quality as BAE. The difference is the degree of testing. BAE specializes in making prints to match your original art, which often requires several testing steps. Big Digital Prints is for those who want first-run, quality prints from their digital image files (it helps if have a profiled system - contact BDP for details) . In those cases, prints from BDP will save you $50 or more than prints from BAE, because there are no "pre-press" set-up charges. This is also a great way to test out an Epson wide-format printer or media combination BEFORE you buy (BDP uses Epson 4000, 7600 and 9600 models, and has a wide variety of media choices). COMPARE both services at: http://www.BairArtEditions.com/giclee/interim.html
Join your editor, Royce Bair, along with Arthur Bleich and Judy Mandolf, while we cruise the Mexican Riviera for 8 days (December 3-11, 2004) and teach you digital photography. For more information, go to: http://www.dpcorner.com/cruise/
NOTE: The top banner has links to Itinerary, Costs, Curriculum, Gifts & etc.
All longevity estimates should be treated as such, Inkjet Art Solutions is not liable for pre-mature fading of prints or damage to printers through use of our products. Be sure to properly research your purchase and follow the directions given. If you need help, please contact us.
For more information regarding our policies, including our return policy, please visit our Policies Page
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