How To Buy A Photo Printer
How to Buy A Photo Printer
For a long time digital photography seemed to somewhat ignore
probably the most prominent part of the activity - photographic
prints. Things have changed a lot since those times, and digital
photographers are now offered an overwhelming amount of
different photo printers that are jam-packed full of useful, and
sometimes not-so-useful features.
But which photo printer is the best choice for you? This article
takes a closer look at the different types of photo printers
available and will help you to choose the most suitable photo
printer to cater for your needs.
Inkjet Printers for Photos
Generally providing a combination of fast printing speed and
photo-quality printing, inkjet photo printers range in price
from as little as $40 (if you look hard enough) to around $400.
Most of these printers offer good quality output for printing
standard size photos, but pay attention to the detail because
not all inkjet printers provide good quality output for larger
photos. Although most inkjet printers produce a similar quality
- the majority providing the maximum dpi (dots per inch) of
1,200 X 4,800 - spending more on an inkjet printer will most
likely provide you with more features or a faster printing speed.
Keep in mind that many photo printers use color ink cartridges
to produce black and white, or grayscale images, which can lead
to photos printed with a colored tint, so try to stick to inkjet
printers that use black or gray inks if you want to print many
black and white photos.
Photo Printers for Professionals
What separates professional photo printers from consumer models
is that the professional variety can produce quality images at
much larger sizes.
Depending on your needs, printers accepting paper sizes from
24-inches all the way up to 60-inches wide are available, but
because they are targeted towards professionals, many convenient
features such as printing from your digital camera will not be
available on professional printers.
If you want to create large quality prints of your photos, maybe
even posters, then a professional photo printer may be the
choice for you, if you can afford it - professional printers
range in price from around $500 to anywhere in the thousands.
Photo-only Printers
While many inkjet and professional printers can also double up
as printers for reports and other documents, those dedicated to
printing photos alone are often much more compact and offer
faster printing speeds. Print size is often limited to
4x6-inches but the quality remains high, and larger models do
exist if you are prepared to pay a higher price.
Although the dpi tends to be low on these types of printers, the
output quality is high due to the use of thermal-dye technology
that utilizes primary printing colors in several hundreds of
shades, meaning no need for dithering like inkjet printers do.
Another great thing about these printers is that their reduced
size makes them very portable - some can even be battery-powered!
Standard Printers
Maybe you don't need a printer for the sole purpose of creating
prints of your digital photos, and would like a little more
freedom with what you are able to print.
If this is the case then there are many printers available to
you that can fulfill your needs - standard inkjet and laser
printers, and consumer printing services - all of which can be
excellent choices if you are not too concerned about exceptional
quality or do not plan to print a lot of photos.
Both standard inkjet and laser printers can provide good quality
photo printing even if they are not exclusively designed for it,
but make sure to choose your printer carefully because photo
quality can vary wildly on standard printers.
Printing Supplies
One of the factors that people often overlook when choosing a
printer is the type of paper and ink they will be using to print
their photos and how the price of these supplies adds up in the
long-term. It's not just the price to take into consideration
either - choosing the right paper and ink cartridges will also
make sure that the photos you print are of the best possible
quality.
While ink cartridges made by a company other than the printer
manufacturer may cost less, they will more than likely produce
lower quality prints and can also cause photos to fade faster.
Most printer manufacturers also create paper for their specific
printers, and although it may not seem as important as ink,
testing a sample of paper that isn't made by the printer
manufacturer is advisable before making a large purchase.
Conclusion
Many new photo printers come with useful features like being
able to connect your digital camera directly to the printer, or
allowing you to print from memory cards directly - both cutting
out the time needed to print your photos.
It's also important to remember that most of the photo printers
out there can produce excellent quality photos, and many have
very attractive price tags to match.
Also make sure that your printer will be able to create large or
small enough prints, and once you have made a purchase make sure
to test with different types of paper to find the best
compromise between quality and price.
I hope that this article has helped you to understand the
difference between the types of photo printers available and the
important factors to take into consideration when making a
purchase.