Once you have a digital camera or scanner, you will need a way to produce high quality prints. This means different things to different users. Casual film photographers may be satisfied with prints from a one-hour photo lab, or with an extra-cost pictured-CD backup of the prints. Digital photography enthusiasts may want to do it all themselves, mastering image editing software on the computer and relying on a high-quality photo printer for prints. Many people don't realize how easy it is to print your own photos, saving you both time and money.

Inkjets dominate the market for home users because of their low prices and ability to print color photos and graphics. Inkjet technology is also used in multi-function machines which offer customers the ability to scan, copy, fax, and print ­ all in color.

Digital Cameras allow you to share images on your PC or easily get high-quality prints at home

Photo Printers are available in many configurations and price ranges

Helping you get the most out of your Printers

You will get the best results if you follow these three tips:

1. Start right. The better the original image, the better the output can be. You can use photo editing software to remove red-eye or make other improvements. On the other hand, there is nothing you can do to make a fuzzy or low resolution image look crisp and sharp when printing. If you intend to print their photos at 8x10, we suggest that you consider shooting as high-resolution as possible to provide the best potential prints.

2. Printer features. All printers have adjustable settings that can be set by the user to achieve the best results for the print they desire. Many people may not be aware that they can choose “draft mode” for one example, or “photo” for another example. Prints done in draft mode will not utilize the potential of the printer, but will instead print a speedy output with much less ink laid down. It is also important that the user select the type of paper they are printing on so that the correct amount of ink is dispensed. Some printers also do a better job when using their own manufacturer’s paper.

At American we have tested many manufacturers photo papers on our photo printers. Photo printers ink formulations vary causing varied results on photo papers. We provide the best matched paper for every photo printer.

3. Keep costs down. Your computer offers a “print preview” to gauge the size and positioning on the page. You can choose “best” settings for photos, and lower settings for test prints before printing on the more expensive photo paper. Typically, all costs considered, a you should be able to produce stunning 8x10” prints for about $.80 each.

Film Photographers and Scanners

Even if you are a film photographer you can still take advantage of this technology. You may want to scan and print your hard-copy photos. You can then store them on CD’s, e-mail them, or any other number of options possible via digital means. A good All-in-One printer might be a good option.

Casual digital photographers may want some control over the creation of prints, but not necessarily by working with every image on the computer. Many printers have slots for the camera’s memory card, allowing you to bypass the computer. Some also have LCD windows where you can view and even make minor changes, such as cropping or brightness, to your images before printing them.

Multifunction photo printers offer the flexibility of being able to scan, copy, print and sometimes fax directly from one machine. This option can save you desktop space by incorporating the functionality of many devices in one compact case.

Advanced amateur photographers will want full control over their photos. They will benefit from having a printer that’s excellent for photos, plus some good image handling software.

Printer Resolution vs. Pixel Resolution

Printer resolution
Printer Resolution is measured in dots per inch (dpi). These dots per inch remain constant regardless of how many inches of content are being printed. In the illustration to the right, a three-inch by four-inch sample is shown from a printer with a 2400x1200 dpi resolution. In each of the square inches, 2400 dots (horizontally) x 1200 dots (vertically) of ink are “spray painted” onto the paper to reproduce the image. In a 3” x 4” print, there are 12 square inches, each getting up to 2400x1200 dpi printed into them, depending on the content.


Pixel Resolution
Digital Cameras measure their resolution in pixels. These pixels are NOT measured per inch, but are a total count of how many pixels were used to capture the entire image. If you take a digital photo at 1024x768 pixels, the total pixel count of the captured image will be 786,432 pixels. Whether you print this 1024x768 image as a 5”x7” photo or an 8”x10” photo, it will still have 786,432 pixels.

A 1024 x 768 image. This image consists of 786,432 pixels regardless of what size photo is printed from it.

Comparing this example to figure 1 above, this 786,432 pixel photo will be broken into 35 one-inch squares. Each square will use 2400x1200 dpi print resolution.

This example stretched the 786,432 pixel image to a larger size, so 80 one-inch squares will be used to print it. Each of those squares will use 2400x1200 dpi. It will stretch these pixels to fill the space if necessary, which can reduce final output quality.

Printing at different sizes does not change how many pixels are in the original image. This is why photos intended for print should be taken at the highest [pixel] resolution possible for the best print quality. Lower resolution photos printed at larger sizes stretch the pixels beyond the point where they look clear and sharp. The best printer can not make a low resolution photo look better than it’s original quality… but it sure can make beautiful prints when given a high resolution photo to work with!

Shoot High Resolution for best Print Quality!

Why should you use high resolution settings on their digital cameras? Let’s take a look at what happens if they shoot low resolution images and then try to print them. In the smaller image below, the image was shot at 640x480 resolution. In the image at right, it was “stretched” to print a 8”x10” photo.

   

Even though the printer used was capable of printing stunning photographs, the 640x480 pixel image was stretched too far. This resulted in a great loss of quality. Conversely, if a digital image is higher in pixel resolution than necessary for the intended print size, no quality is lost.
You can easily reduce an image later. . . without losing quality.