Head to head
Are you better off using an online service or buying your own large-format printer?
Large photo prints: the Canon PIXMA Pro-10S A3+ printer goes up against web print service Whitewall
Canon PIXMA Pro-10S
Factoring in price and performance, the Pro-10S is currently our favourite A3+ inkjet printer. It costs £505 to buy, or $380 for the Pro-10 in the USA. Running costs per 19x13-inch photo print (A3+) work out around £3/$4, using Canon ink and paper.
Using pigment-based inks, the Pro-10S isn’t as fast as dye-based inkjet printers, but it’s pretty speedy. Even at its top quality setting, A4 photo prints are created in under five minutes, and A3+ prints take about 12 minutes.
There’s no optional roll feeder, so large-format print sizes are basically limited to A3 and A3+. The latter is a better fit for the 3:2 aspect ratio of DSLR images, but it’s not perfect, and the maximum print size of 19x13 inches is relatively limited.
With its nine pigment-based inks and a ‘Chroma Optimizer’, the Pro-10S can make full use of Canon’s wide range of gloss, semi-gloss, lustre, matte, canvas and fine-art media. ICC profiles are also available for leading independent brands of media.
Pigment-based inks typically fail to give really smooth-looking prints on glossy paper, but the Pro-10S does better than most, thanks to its ‘Chroma Optimizer’ cartridge. Colour rendition is accurate and reliable, and black and white is also impressive.
Whitewall
There’s no initial cost for using an online lab. The cost per 19x13-inch print starts at around £11/$17, rising to as much as £20/$26 for exotic media options. Larger 24x16-inch prints are only slightly more expensive. Delivery costs £4/$8 per order.
Whitewall’s website and ordering system is quick and easy to use. However, you’ll need to wait around six working days for your prints to arrive in the post, and as much as eight working days if ordering from the US.
With standard, panoramic and custom options on offer, you can order pretty much any size of print up to 59x118 inches, depending on paper choice. This gives far greater versatility than using an inkjet printer, and enables much bigger prints.
For an online lab, Whitewall offers an unusually large selection of photo papers and specialist media, from standard glossy and matte papers to acrylic, metal and canvas prints. There’s also a wide range of mounting, framing and finishing options.
Print quality is excellent, with highly accurate brightness, contrast and colour rendition, equalling the performance of the Canon inkjet and beating it for glossy prints. Black and white prints also look fabulous, with a choice of specialist mono papers.
Next month: compact flashgun vs LE D lamp