Hi there, I am a relatively new Linux user - about a year and a half right now. I have a small business and have three workstations running Linux Mint/Cinnamon. There's a windows server that my employees remote desktop to during the income tax season to complete tax returns. At this point the tax program is the only reason I have a windows server at all.

I am also a photography nut and have a windows 10 box for processing my photographs. I tried this box using Ubuntu about a year ago and as printing quality photographs is one of my passions, I was not able to get the Linux box to meet the challenge, so I went back to Windows 10 (ugh).

I have an IT background having coded business software and add ons in Dbase II, clipper, VBA and VB over the years. My largest project was a property management system which has been in use for 15 years (20,000 lines). It was written using Access, VBA and VB. All to say, I am not a complete loss when it comes to technology, but understand that I have a lot to learn on the Linux side and am quite willing to do that. I am semi retired now, and do have the time.

Enough about me. A boring subject for me to speak about. I'm looking forward to your forums and queries. Who knows I may be able to help someone else!

Mike Doyle

Hi Mike.Doyle and welcome to LQ!

Greetings Mike.

Welcome Mike!

Geetings Mike.
Photography is also one of my hobbies, so I would be interested to know what Linux packages you used in your efforts to process your
images. I usually use The GIMP and its Gutenprint plug-in to print photos of excellent quality.
Again, welcome.

Yes I tried the Gutenberg plug in for gimp also and got horrible results with an Epson artisan 50. I have since gone all out and purchased an Epson p600. Do you think current printers are well supported in Linux?

Epson has a very good reputation, but I haven't had any personal experience with their products. Well, I take that back, thirty years ago I had a Epson dot matrix printer.
Hewlett-Packard has provided excellent Linux support for their printers and all-in-one office products, but some people object to the cost of their replacement cartridges. Recently a friend, who uses ms-windows and had been a HP customer for many years, switched to Epson because he says the HP cartridges have become too expensive. Can't say I blame him.

If it is possible to rent or borrow a HP printer, you might be able to run a comparison test..... just a thought.

Another thought, have you looked at digiKam?
https://www.digikam.org/

Yes I did try digicam last year and loved it. I can't remember whether I tried printing from it or not.

It sounds like the only thing Linux and photography you are having problems with are printing.
I use only Linux for photography and do not print from home therein lies the ability to do everything but print.

Try

Darktable
Digicam
Gimp the new one with 16/32bit
Geeqie
Lightworks
Lightzone
Photomatix for Linux (yes it runs...I got the Debian version running for them lOL)
RawTherapee
UFRaw
XnConvert

Thanks Burdicda for the tips.

I have tried alot of these, however there are some that I haven't. Actually, I have decided to forgo printing from Linux also. I have also abandoned my dream of producing high quality prints. It has been a dream of mine for many years, however it often turned into a nightmare, no matter what OS I was using.

My main workflow now will be to assess and cull the images, process the keepers to Tiff files and archive the originals (negatives) to a NAS drive. The TIFF files I can then share with family through some shareable media site, probably dropbox.

Thant's my current plan.

Thanks again for your interest.

Mike

Might try connecting to some of these Linux Photographers and ask what they are printing with

http://www.linuxphotographer.com

https://jcornuz.wordpress.com/2008/0...where-we-stand

https://redskiesatnight.com/2011/02/...art-6-printing

http://linuxprinting.sourceforge.net/index.htm

http://shallowsky.com/linux/limaging.html

You've tweeked my interest...I might just have a crack at it ...tnx

Danny

just curious as to what parameters you use to determine "...high quality prints...."?
Thanks.

I was thinking of gallery quality that I would frame and show. But I seem to have lost my passion for photography. At one time I was doing small prints and showing them,however most of the time I would have them printed by an expert. That is what I would to now if I wanted that quality again.

As for the odd print that I might do at home, I'm thinking of a small dye-sub printer that I can print from the camera.

Mike

danny, I just saw your list of sites. These are awesome, thanks so much!

I have dozens and dozens of Linux Only Photographers bookmarks...some are overseas and
have work in galleries and museums....

Their workflow is Linux
Their post processing is in linux
Their printing is in linux...

Little bit later I will post a big bunch of them

tnx