Bruce Yonce wrote:
Looking for recommendations for 4x6 photo printer for events. Either print from camera card or wifi from camera

If it's something you'll use more than a couple times, you really need a commercial dye-sub printer. They're not available through normal channels, though I think B&H might have some. Be warned though that the upfront cost is pretty high ...I'm guessing about $1500 for entry-level and a case of paper. Rental might be an option ... I used to work at a lab that rented ours out a few times.

That said, it'll cost about a quarter per print, and should take about twenty seconds to make said print. A consumer printer will cost nearly a dollar per print, takes longer, and still looks worse AND is less archival.

If you're only using it a few times for the cool factor of customers wanting a print RIGHT NOW, I'd buy a Fuji Instax printer. Cost per print is about the same,  and the cool factor makes it a way better sell.

Jerry Nemeth wrote:
I've seen HP, Canon and Epson 4x6 printers at Staples for $200.

Those are the consumer units I'm describing.

To give you an idea ... The largest on-site print order I ever did was a Red Hat convention. Old ladies who year purple, and a red hat that doesn't go. I've literally never had a more lucrative gig with less pressure. Anyway, if I had done TWO of those conventions,. I could almost buy one of the dye-sub printers just from the difference in material costs alone, to say nothing of print speed. I had a Selphy, and that little guy was running constantly for two days straight ... The second day I had to hire an assistant on short notice, and I still had to mail some of the prints when it crapped out towards the end of the day

I guess it wasn't made for that sort of volume.

The second year, I rented my lab's dye-sub. I still brought an assistant. Man, I wish I still had that gig.

Zack Zoll wrote:
I still brought an assistant.

This seems to be the #1, most important part of doing event photography. It allows you to keep shooting while the assistant handles the customers and printing.

Zack Zoll wrote:
If it's something you'll use more than a couple times, you really need a commercial dye-sub printer. They're not available through normal channels, though I think B&H might have some. Be warned though that the upfront cost is pretty high ...I'm guessing about $1500 for entry-level and a case of paper...

While MOST of what you said is pretty accurate... DON'T GUESS at the price!
$1500 would probably get you close to 3 entry level commercial grade dye sub printers, or one high end commercial grade dye sub printer that will also create 8x10's and wash your dishes for you at the same time.

Imaging Spectrum in Dallas is THE SOURCE for the type of printer you need.  That's their specialty, they're experts in the field and have all kinds of instructional videos and suggestions to help guide you to find the perfect solution for your needs.  You'll also find their booth at many photo conventions.  One of our MM gatekeepers also works there.
http://www.imagingspectrum.com

The 'standard' in the industry is DNP (previously known as Sony).  They cost a bit more than the competitors, but once again they set the standard.  Unfortunately DNP is staffed by a bunch of assholes so I try to refrain from purchasing any of their stuff, but they own the lions share of the market. 

Mitsubishi is probably DNP's biggest competitor and also costs a bit more than comparable units by other companies.

Sinfonia is one of the lower cost printers but has been around for a long time and is no slouch by any means.  Ciaat Brava is exclusive to Imaging Spectrum in the USA and is basically the same as Sinfonia with a few technical changes.  I own a Ciaat Brava but would prefer the Sinfonia because you can get supplies for Sinfonia from many other retailers.

Hiti is another great printer, but their service and support in the USA is lacking.

Dye sub printers are really the ONLY viable solution.  They use the same amount of materials whether it's printing a photo of a polar bear in a snowstorm or colorful rainbows in a field of flowers, so your costs are consistent and you'll always know EXACTLY how much of the consumables you'll need.  Dye sub prints are water and fade resistant, and will last a lifetime.

Commercial grade printers cost MUCH LESS to operate than any inkjet printer or consumer dye sub printer. 

Marc S Photography wrote:
The Canon Selphy does a reasonable job of printing 4x6 prints.

Jerry Nemeth wrote:
I've seen HP, Canon and Epson 4x6 printers at Staples for $200.

I would NEVER recommond the Canon Selphy or any other CONSUMER model printer for event work.  They're fantastic for a few prints made at home every now and then but they're not made to stand up to printing lots of photos for events.  They also take much longer to print and the consumables are outrageously overpriced.

portraiturebyBrent wrote:
If you want dedicated software for event photography, check out Darkroom Software. It's not cheap, but is purpose-built and highly rated.

Imaging Spectrum is the company that owns darkroom software which has been the industry standard software since its inception.  They also own Darkroom Booth, the industry standard software for photo booths.  You can save some $$$ by purchasing the software at the same time as a printer when purchasing from Imaging Spectrum.

Bruce Yonce wrote:
Looking for recommendations for 4x6 photo printer for events. Either print from camera card or wifi from camera

A few of the Dye Sub printers are available as a stand alone kiosk and up until the last couple of years they'd be promoted at all of the industry related shows. 

While a couple companies still make kiosks they haven't been marketing them as much anymore simply because most of the new printers will work with an ipad or other tablet, so people have been using the tablets like a kiosk and connecting them wired or wirelessly to the printer.

SayCheeZ!  wrote:
Dye sub printers are really the ONLY viable solution.

Absolutely.

Last season at a Graduation Ball where I was dong a studio setup as well as general photos there was also, unbeknown to me in advance, a 'photobooth'.

First one of their 'Amazon / e-bay' '3 heads / stands / modifiers for £150' failed, then their second head failed. They were using an inkjet and were not able to keep up when the lights were working. They were still printing whilst I was packing up at the end.

Orca Bay Images wrote:
I used an Epson PictureMate with great results. Not wireless, but can use the memory card or a USB cable. Seriously good prints: water resistant (pretty much waterproof), scratch resistant right out of the printer, and 200yr archive ink.

Even after I quit using it at events, I used it to print super-tough wallet prints for portrait packages.

https://epson.com/For-Home/Printers/Ink … C11C660001

I see that model is discontinued.  I have the forerunner to it called a Charm and it's been a little workhorse for the past eight years with its battery, and the color is pretty darn good out of it too.  Problem was I always ran out of ink before the 150 sheets of paper that Epson bundles with the ink and paper in one box. Epson used to buy back unused sheets of 4x6 for 30 cents per sheet.  Have to use it once a month else a clog will eat up an ink cart to get it cleared.

Their new one has wireless and W-Fi capable off many devices so that is probably why yours and mine are no longer around.  Prints 4x6 and 5x7 too.  Here:  https://epson.com/For-Home/Printers/Pho … C11CE84201  Claims are pretty much the same: "Photos are smudge, scratch, water and fade resistant, and last up to 200 years."