> I print all my photos at local Walgreens (upload online, ready in 
> ~1hr).
> $0.19/each, excellent quality (indistinguishable from "real" 
> photos), there
> is no water-soluble ink to smear, and I'm pretty sure the prints 
> will not
> fade for a long time.

My nearest Walgreens is some thousands of miles away :-)
BUT www.digitalmax.co.nz is currently doing "6x4" prints for $NZ0.18 
~= $US0.14, so that's an option here.
BUT the prices here, and quite probably there and elsewhere too, for 
eg A4 prints which are ~= 4 x the size of 6x4, are >> 4 x the cost 
:-(.
Also, I find that the "automatic colour correction" and other 
processing decisions applied by commercial printers makes it hard to 
get any 'artisitic' effects to appear as intended.
Digitalmax photos can be uploaded via internet or delivered to most 
photoshops or chemists on all the usual media. Delivery is in a few 
days to the retail outlets for free or for a modest courier fee 
($NZ2.50?) to one's door.

$NZ1.00 ~~= $US0.75.

I print MANY A4 prints here so commercial printing is unnatractive.

> Have you considered the cost of photo printer paper?

I think you will already be able to correctly guess the answer to that 
question :-).

I examined all the available papers and determined that a very low 
cost gloss "photo paper " sold in packs of 50 by a local electronics 
chain (Dick Smiths - approx equivalent of Fry's here), was as good as 
most for my purposes* and by far the cheapest. They occasionally 
special it and when they do I buy MANY boxes of it - enough to last 
until the next special. On special it costs $NZ0.28/A4 sheet. I use 
these for A4 (natch) and I cut these in 4 to get effectively 6x4 (a 
shade under in 1 dimension) at $NZ0.07/sheet. That plus bulk feed 
continuous ink gives me print costs below the 6x4 $NZ0.18 of 
Digitalmax and I can have it NOW.

        http://www.dse.co.nz/cgi-bin/dse.storefront/46971c4700339a30273fc0a87f33067c/Product/View/XM7105

> It's great that you're happy with your inkjet, but after spending a 
> few
> hundred dollars on top-of-the line photo printer and getting 
> disappointed by
> the results and the cost of supplies, I told myself "never again".

I had a lot of problems getting to this stage. The continuous inking 
system and the Canon MP760 make it all worthwhile.




        Russell McMahon


* This paper makes no claims as to archival merit but provides good 
results in colour fastness over the short to medium term. IF I want 
archival quality I consider other media and systems BUT there is no 
guarantee that any of the archival quality claims will in fact hold 
true. Time, literally, will tell.


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