APTE - Tools - Digital Photography

How do you choose a printer for digital photos?
Printers vary in price, quality of output, and speed of printing. If your decision is based solely on price, you may find that the relatively lower cost of the inkjet printer and its ink make it the best choice for you. Digital photos printed with inkjet printers are quite acceptable in quality for many home and school uses. Laser printers bring the advantages of faster speed and higher quality, more professional-looking images. If the sharpness of the image is most important to you, you may find that a laser printer best suits your needs. Newer and better printers are constantly being introduced into the market. Careful research online and/or in stores will help you make an informed decision. The following resources offer valuable information on selecting a printer:

cnet.com
zdnet.com
tomshardware.com
hp.com
canon.com
epson.com
kodak.com
dpreview.com
pcworld.com
megapixel.net

What kind of paper is best for printing digital photos?
There are many types of paper available for printing digital photos. Higher quality paper can result in richer colors and finer detail. Be sure to check the compatibility of the paper with your printer before using it. Paper brightness and weight are two important characteristics, with heavier, brighter stock of higher quality and price. You can choose from plain inkjet, high resolution inkjet, photo quality (usually nonglossy) and glossy. Paper cost varies widely, from a few cents per sheet to several dollars per sheet for high end specialty photo paper. You may wish to use the lower cost paper for test prints.

Glossy finish requires extra care. Handle these prints by the edges only to avoid fingerprint damage. Keep glossy paper away from water, dust and other contaminants. Be sure to print on the correct side of the page, which is generally shiny.

Take good care of your printer paper stock. Store it in the original packaging, away from hot or humid conditions. Make sure the package lays flat.

How do you select the right ink?
Ink quality is an important factor in the quality of your photo print. Use the highest quality ink that you can buy, preferably from the manufacturer of your printer. Bargain inks may be older inks that have become substandard in quality. Do careful research to locate the best ink for your printer. Remove your prints promptly from the printer. Be sure to let the ink dry completely after printing, ink side up. Photo quality (nonglossy) and glossy are likely to require the longest time to dry. Once your prints are dry, insert a plain piece of paper between each print before you stack them.

What are common mistakes in printing digital photos?

Many beginning users do not optimize their printer settings when using inkjet printers.
Use printer settings wisely. Check the printer output resolution (dots-per-inch or DPI) recommended by the manufacturer of your printer, and specify this setting in the Print dialog box. Select the paper option (photo paper, etc.) that matches the paper loaded in your printer.
Many beginning users do not realize that scaling up the size of the photo decreases the print quality.
Your photo is made up of tiny points of picture information, called pixels (short for “picture elements”). The resolution of your image is measured in pixels-per-inch (PPI). The higher the PPI, the greater the detail of the photo. When you enlarge your picture with your editing software, the original pixels are spread out and the software fills the space between each pixel with new pixels. These new pixels are generated by the computer by estimating which color would be best for each new pixel. The resulting pixels are spread out over an even greater space, and the image becomes less clear because of this estimation by the software. This process results in lower quality in your printed photo.