If you are planning on printing any of your photographs you will need a printer. The quality of the print is dependent upon the printer, the ink, the paper and finish, as well as the print settings that are selected.
Inkjet printers are common, affordable, and can produce nice images. Laser printers are faster and can produce an even higher quality print but they are certainly more expensive. Dye Sublimation printers do not use ink or toner but instead use dyes to produce prints that are photo lab quality; but again they carry a higher price tag.
The following is a list of some of the things you should consider when purchasing a printer for the purpose of printing images:
- Resolution: Resolution is basically the number of dots printed in a square inch. Image quality improves as the dpi increases. A dpi of 1200x600 and up is considered good for photographs.
- Ink Cartridges: A printer with separate cartridges for black and other colors produces better color prints. Some of the best images come from high quality photo printers with 6 colors. If printing black and white images it is also advisable to use a printer with a separate cartridge for black ink so that the blacks are truer.
- Speed: Laser printers are faster but also more expensive. You will see speed indicated in the literature as ppm or pages per minute.
- Other features: There are numerous other features that might be of interest such as a borderless printing feature allowing users to print the image to the edge of the paper which eliminates the need to trim photographs after printing. Some users need a printer that is mobile, one that they can take with them. Some printers have an LCD screen that allows users to preview their prints; others have multiple functions such as scanning, faxing, and copying in addition to their printing capabilities.
- Connections and compatibility: Check to be sure how your printer will connect to your computer and that is compatible with your operating system. In some instances, you may by-pass your computer by using a memory card slot that allows editing and printing from the camera's memory card directly.
- Paper and ink: Better paper can play a significant role in producing great images and in determining how time, moisture, and bright light will affect the print. Paper brightness, weight, and finish vary. In general, paper that is designed for the specific printer you will be using, and for the purpose of printing photos is the best choice. Likewise ink from the printer manufacturer also tends to be a safe bet as cheaper/non-manufacturer labeled ink is sometimes of lesser quality. In addition, manufacturers often produce paper and inks that are developed specifically to work well together. As mentioned previously image quality is enhanced significantly when ink colors are in separate cartridges.
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