pls talk to me about photo printers for home

[BoyzntheShire]

how much is a decent one?
what makes are decent?
how do they compare to shop printing?
does it cost just as much in ink cartridges and paper as it does to go to the shop and print?
do the pictures last? (photos printed adequately for snaps on normal printer at home only seem to last a year or two ime)

any top tips?
tia

I've got a photo printer but I find it much cheaper to have them printed elesewhere. I usually wait till I've got a few hundred photos and have them printed somewhere like photobox - the more photos you're having printed the cheaper it is per photo.

I have an epson photo R1800 which was expensive as it prints A3. I agree with dramaqueen by the time you add up cost of ink and paper (especially since mine takes 8 cartridges) it is cheaper to wait till you have several photos and then get them printed at Boots or somewhere.

I have a dye-sub Olympus p400 printer. About £179 for 100 10x8ish inch prints. Print quality/durability is as good as from a lab.

Don't know how that compares to sending off in bulk but I'm too fussy about my photos to use those services regularly - I've always thought the prints were awful when I've seen them. It's much cheaper than printing at my local photo shop.

It does take a fair while to print and if you are as finicky as I am you will have some wastage (if any dust gets in the printer the print will show 'spots').

I'm an epson fan. I'd vote epson, then HP then canon.

I have a R265 and it was about £60, but prints brilliant photos.

On ink costs vs shop....I think definitely shop is better in bulk. For one offs printer is handier.

On quality well the shops and sending away is always adjusted either by the machine or the operator. And unfortunately it seems down to luck. I have a local shop with 3 operators. The main guy explained it all to me, and why his pictures were the best (true), and why its luck on the others (machine tries averaging, lazy operators, judgement calls). So back on track, if the operator agrees not to adjust or is very good, then shop wins. Else printer.

Picture lasting .... can't comment on printer since its really this year.

Ive got Epson R240. I think it was about £85. It's good and has never gone wrong.