why do I even bother

I love printing my photographs.  I’ve collected dozens of my best images over the years and some even hang on our walls at home.  I have a lovely, expensive Canon printer and use only the best inks and papers to get perfect results.

But it’s a huge pfaff (is that a word?) getting those results and I’m starting to wonder whether I’ll carry on or just outsource my printing when I want a special image done.

Printers must surely be the most hated piece of computer equipment ever.  I mean, they work perfectly for a couple of months and then seemingly without any input (pardon the pun) start to behave like a petulant child.

I printed three images last week.  The first two were absolutely fine, and then halfway through the third one the printer decided that it wasn’t a printer anymore but wanted to be a cannon instead of a Canon and spat out a half-printed photograph.

I hadn’t changed any settings and there was still plenty of (extremely expensive) ink left in it.  So, I printed it again – using yet more pricey paper and priceless ink.  All went well until around ninety percent of the way through the same thing happened again.  And again.

Three wasted sheets and more wasted ink.

Fourth time lucky maybe?  Yes.  Again, without changing anything, the print was faultless. 

Why, oh why, did this happen?  I still have no idea, but it isn’t the first time and probably won’t be the last.

So, I don’t know what to do for the best.  Persevere or sell the damn thing and entrust the whole process to a printing company.  I won’t be able to print as much, but I won’t have the inconvenience of stressing every time the printer pauses for a second before it remembers what it’s there for.