Photo Printing

[secsee1]

I quite often print photos that I have taken on to good quality (Epson) photo
card so that I can show my friends, the problem is with the hot days peoples
hands get moist with the heat and when they touch the photos the ink comes off.
Apart from the fact that I cant believe that these days printer manufacturers still insist on using "unfast" inks, you would have thought that ink manufacturers would have by now come up with an ink that wouldn't run when it got damp.
I have in the past used car spray lacquer to coat the photos & it works well but it is expensive and stinks the house out for a few hours, so can anybody tell me if there is another product on the market that will fix photos?

[Ratty2E]

I have never been able to get what I consider 'photo' quality prints from my printers despite using the proper paper,inks etc.
I usually put them on a memory stick and get them printed on a machine at the supermarket. Much better results and not expensive.

[Wak]

Have you thought of laminating them?

[secsee1]

Thank for your answer rattyratgirl but that is my whole point, if a machine can print out photos that don't run it must use inks that are waterproof so why are they not available for home printers, by the way my printer always prints excellent photos!

[RATTER15]

I have always used my printer (always an Epson) and get very professional looking prints every time. I know you have to keep peoples sweaty little paws off of them, why is it that people cant look at a photo without putting their sticky sweaty little fingers all over it.

[venator]

There's always the expensive option of buying a colour laser, as used by the supermarkets! The prices are coming down all the time.

There are also pigment printers -
http://www.whatdigita...sus-pigment-inks.html

Not a lot of help if you haven't won the lottery yet!

[RATTER15]

Secsee, its probably all down to cost, as usual!

[jno]

don't print over the whole of the paper, leave a substantial white 'frame' around them and people will hold that

[RATTER15]

Or tell them: YOU LOOK WITH YOUR HANDS NOT YOU GRUBBY LITTLE FINGERS, DONT TOUCH!!!

[secsee1]

Thank everybody for your interesting answers, it just seems incredible to me that we had the technology to put a man on the moon in 1969 but all these years later we still cannot print out waterproof photos at home!!!

[venator]

Hi again secsee - just been looking at colour lasers - here's a good one for a reasonable price -
http://www.expertrevi...epson-aculaser-c2800n

I might get one myself!

Funny thing - the cost of replacement cartridges is quite a bit more than the cost of the printer! Use & throw away?

[scotman]

I think it may have something to do with the ink quality.
Branded inks tend to be 'faster' than cheaper compatibles. I seem to recall that HP inks were 'faster' than most others although that was some time ago.

[mjwman]

Get a Kodak. The prints are waterproof as the colour ink cartridge also has a clear laquer incorporated. Inks are also cheaper.

[modeller]

I've never had that trouble but it occurs to me that it may be the card especially if it's gloss. Do you have the same trouble with matt ?

[joko]

it is indeed daft, but perhaps keep them in an album?

i think ypou can buy 'corners' too...little card corners for peopl to hold

my mate tried to print business cards in this way and they just scratched to hell...
have you tries matt paper rather than shiny?

[Catapa]

Instead of unfast inks at home (refills are dear) I use online photo print service FotoInsight for prints on photographic paper with a traditional white frame. "Inkjet printing still far from matching online photo processing despite 30% drop in price" http://www.allgraphic...topic.php?f=15&t=2832