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Most
people who own a computer have a printer that goes along with it,
and this printer is most likely capable of printing out
digital photos. Here are a few tips to get the best results
when printing your own photos.
Each
major printer manufacturer also makes its own paper
and ink. For most printing jobs you can usually
use any type of paper and ink, but in order to get the most accurate
colour reproduction for photos it's best to use the same
brand of paper and ink as your printer. Each brand of paper is formulated
to give optimal results for a particular type of ink. Mixing brands
may give you altered colours. When you know the quality of the photo
prints when you are printing your digital photos with the paper
and ink of the manufacturer of the printer you can go on with some
small scale experiments using cheaper types of ink and paper.
When
choosing paper for printing digital photos, you may be tempted to
select special archival paper which is reputed
to prevent photographs from fading for 20 years or longer. This
paper is quite expensive, so before laying down the bucks consider
this -- the 'zeros and ones' that make up a digital file will not
fade over time. You can always print the picture again to recapture
its original brilliance.
That
is not to say, however, the paper is not important. You need to
use specialized photographic paper that is designed
for inkjet printers. It is available in different
finishes from glossy to mat. Store it in a cool place away from
direct sunlight and away from agressive chemicals. Photographic
paper is more expensive than regular printing paper, so it is a
good idea to minimize waste. Photo printing software can help you
to position photos on a sheet of paper so that the maximum area
is being used.
Ink
is also quite expensive. To avoid wasting it, make the proper settings
on your printer for the type of image you are printing. If you are
printing a picture which has a resolution of 300 dpi (dots per inch),
for example, there is no need to use the 'high' or 'best'
printer setting – 'normal' is sufficient. When the
printer is set to 'high' it uses more ink and will not produce noticeably
better prints as long as you are printing at or above 300 dpi.
How
can you tell if your photo is 300 dpi? This can be calculated by
dividing the dimensions of your image (in pixels) by 300. For example,
if your image is 3000 pixels wide by 2100 pixels high, the maximum
size the printout can be (at 300 dpi) is 10" x 7". You
can print photos larger than this (down to about 200 dpi), but in
this case you want to select the 'best' printer setting to achieve
a good printout.
Printing
digital photos with dedicated photo printers
An
alternative to using your regular inkjet printer for printing photos
is to get a dedicated photo printer. These use a different printing
technology that produces high-quality pictures. The downside to
dedicated printers is that many are limited to a maximum print size
of 4" x 6". These are, however, quite small in size and
easily portable.
Some
of these dedicated printers use thermal-dye technology. Dye is transferred
from a ribbon to the plastic coating of the paper and the resulting
picture is more like a traditional photograph than the ones produced
by inkjet printers. They also tend to last longer than inkjet printed
pictures because of the way the ink is laid down on the paper. Each
colour is printed as a separate layer and there is a finishing overcoat
which can protect the image from deterioration.
These
printers are easy to use and may include simple photo editing functions.
They can print your photos directly from your digital camera or
memory card, and battery operated models can be used anywhere.
Photo
Soren
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