What service bureaus offer the largest digital prints? I'd like to combine some digital camera images and print the results at sizes up to 36x24 -- can anyone do that?

-- Ben Jackson (ben@ben.com), August 24, 1998

Answers

Hi Ben, I'm assuming you know about the large-format inkjet output that many service bureaus offer for $5-$10/square foot. You can find lots of places offering these in most any metro area. Cymbolic Sciences manufactures a huge photo-paper output machine (I think 40x60) that produces stunning results, the trick being to find a service bureau that has one. One possibility might be After Hours Digital (www.afterhoursdigital.com, I think - check our earlier news pages for a reference), who offer direct photographic output at very large sizes (albeit for very large prices). Good Luck, let us know what you find!

-- Dave Etchells (web@imaging-resource.com), August 25, 1998.

I took an image to Kinkos and had it printed at 24x18 (actually only 24x14.5, I wasted a lot of space). They're using a new high density 8 color inkjet. I took the glossy route ($12/sf). Overall I like the quality of the results, but the dot gain is surprisingly low and my image came out quite a bit brighter than I expected. Eternally optimistic I ordered with the foamcore mounting ($5/sf) so I'm out $51. If I to go to 36x24 I'm definitely going to print a test page first. I'm undecided yet on how $72 for a glossy inkjet print that will fade compares to about $180 for a LightJet 5000 Type R print that could last 100 years. I suppose the real answer is to get the volume discount and sell the spares on the street corner.

-- Ben Jackson (ben@ben.com), August 31, 1998.