|
Home / Computers / Hardware
Getting the Most Out of Your Photo Printer – For Less!
By:John Sollars
As many photo-printer owners would know, paper and ink costs can quickly exceed the cost of the printer. These six tips will help you get the most out of your photo-printer without leaving a hole in your pocket.
Raise the Resolution: Any digital camera that is less than three years old can capture at least 1 megapixel of data with each shot. This is sufficient to print a good-quality 4 X 6-inch photo; a 2-megapixel image holds enough information to output a higher-quality print of the same dimensions. To generate an 8 X 10-inch print worth framing, you'll need a resolution of at least 3 megapixels. You're in a good position if you have a new camera as most new models offer from 4 to 8.1 megapixels.
Adjust your camera to its highest resolution when taking shots that you might want to print. Some newer cameras, depending on the manufacturer's menu setup, make it very simple to change resolution.
Save your Originals: Don not save the images you plan to print as JPEGs or in any other compressed file format. Each time you compress an image, you lose some data. Before working with an image, make sure it is unaltered and in the TIFF format.
Enhance the Image: Experiment with your image-editing program's functions such as cropping, contrast, brightness, and other controls until you're entirely satisfied with the image's composition. Remember to always save the altered file with a new name.
Plan Your Print Drafts: If you plan to make test prints that you will discard later, reduce the image size and load the printer with plain inexpensive paper. Your printer software may allow you to print multiple images on one sheet.
Use matte-finish photo cards instead of glossy photo paper when printing 4 X 6-inch images. These cards have a nice look and feel, and they cost almost half as much as full-size photo paper. Place the images that you print on 8 X 10-inch glossy photo paper behind glass for added protection from ultraviolet light, and hang them away from direct sunlight.
Save on your ink: Special photo inks can provide your printer with a more refined colour palette. Unfortunately, these come with specific models, and if such ink didn't come with your model, you may have to buy it separately and install it in place of the standard ink cartridges.
In some cases, photos printed using general-purpose cartridges look almost as good as ones printed using photo ink. Another effective trick is to print your black-and-white photos in colour mode (with standard colour cartridges). This makes the printer use all of its inks to create the tones in your picture, and the resultant prints can be as subtle and precise as pictures printed with photo inks.
Get your Cartridges in Line: Use your printer's controls to realign your cartridges--especially if you see vertical or horizontal bands, unwanted lines, gaps, or bleeding colours in your prints. Right-click the printer's entry in Control Panel's "Printers and Faxes" or "Printers" applet, click Properties, and search for a cartridge maintenance option. If aligning your cartridges does not solve the problem, clean the cartridges with a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol. Use water merely as a solvent, and clean just the cartridge itself, never the print head or the nozzle plate. Always align new cartridges.
Practice Good Housekeeping: By keeping your printer's mechanisms clean, you will ensure that the device runs at its best. An occasional blast from a can of compressed air (easily available at electronics stores) will keep dust and bits of paper from clogging the paper path and other moving parts.
Make sure that the small ink nozzles on your print heads are clear of dried ink. Leaving any inkjet idle for even a week or two leads the ink in the tiny tubes that feed the nozzles to dry. Many inkjet printers have a cleaning program in their settings that can handle partially clogged nozzles.
Unfortunately these programs use a lot of ink, so use them judiciously. If the tubes are badly blocked, then you will need the services of a professional or an inkjet cleaning kit.
Digg
del.icio.us
Blink
Stumble
Spurl
Reddit
Netscape
Furl
Article keywords: photo-printer, inkjet, electronics, megapixel, JPEG, TIFF, nozzle plate, digital camera
Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com
John Sollars is the managing director of Solar Electronics, which are both ink and pc peripheral suppliers based in Shropshire, UK. To access a comprehensive online shop of original and re-manufactured printer ink cartridges please visit www.stinkyinkshop.co.uk where you will find a wide range of consumables including printer paper www.stinkyinkshop.co.uk/acatalog/Paper.html
|
|
| Top Hardware Articles |
- 1). Acer Aspire 3004WLCi - A Quick Review By : James Morris
I recently found myself in need of a new laptop. With a tight budget and moderate needs, I knew it wasn't going to be easy to find a product that would do what I wanted and still be in my price range.
As a Network Technician and a Web Designer, I needed a machine that would have enough storage to store all my software, projects for my clients, and still be able to handle an occasional temporary operating system backup from a client's machine.
|
- 2). A market study of colour printers By : John Sollars
The printer manufacturing market seems to be a booming one. Manufacturers are no doubt eyeing expansion and coming up with newer products to capture the burgeoning market. The manufacturers are interested in the colour -printer sector for purely reasons of expansion. There is stiff competition between the makers as all are concentrating to keep the prices low to capture the market.
|
- 3). Read This Before You Buy A Laptop. By : Robert Michael
Looking to buy a laptop? Congratulations! So, do you want a thin-and-light notebook, a mainstream notebook, an ultra portable notebook, or a business notebook? And do you want that in a Dell, a Gateway, an IBM, a Sony, or a Toshiba, to name just a few of your options?
Confused yet? It really can be overwhelming. But buying a laptop doesn’t have to mean learning a whole new language.
|
- 4). The Types Of Computer Memory By : Robert Thatcher
How can a computer be such an amazing gadget? To many people they just can’t be so amazed on how computers have changed the way we live. Computers can now be found in many sizes and shapes. Almost every home appliance seems to have their own mini computer located somewhere. From cars to buildings to almost every gadget there is, most of the time each one has a computer working to make them run and change the very way we live life.
|
- 5). Find your laptop drivers easily! By : Mohammad Abdullatif
Many people, especially beginners, struggle in finding drivers for their laptops. In this article, I will illustrate two ways to help you find your laptop drivers quickly, and easily.
The first method we will consider is to visit a company's website, and attempt to find a 'Drivers' or 'downloads' link. If a similar link is not immediately apparent, look for a search box.
|
- 6). Tips Before You Buy a Scanner By : James Hunt
When buying a scanner or printer, it is always a good idea to look for advice if you are not sure what you are looking for or what you need. All too often people...
|
- 7). Computer Consulting 101 PC Troubleshooting Advice By : Joshua Feinberg
While most small businesses really do need to find a good local computer consulting business to take care of their computer problems, there are some computer problems that are simple enough for even a technophobe to handle. At Computer Consulting 101, we've found there's one very simple piece of advice that often doesn't get communicated to non-technical small business end users: When in doubt, reboot first.
|
- 8). Building A Computer Introduction By : Chris Silop
If you are reading this article, you are probably wondernig, why and how do you build a computer. Building your own computer is more simple than you think and has many benefits.
Why Build A Computer?
Building a computer has many benefits over buying a premade. First of all, it is generally cheaper if you build your own than buying one. If you shop your components, your DIY(Do it yourself) computer will be cheaper than its premade equivalent.
|
- 9). History of Hewlett Packard and Ink By : John Sollars
Hewlett Packard’s tryst with ink took off when it acquired a company named F.L Mosley based in California in 1958. Mosley was manufacturing recorders and plotters for industrial applications such as continuous process monitoring systems, data loggers and the like in the 1950’s.
Hewlett Packard was the pioneer in imaging and printing technologies. It was the first in the market during the 1980’s to come up with inkjet and laser technology used in printers until date.
|
- 10). Laptop Accessories By : Dave Klein
Finally! You’ve managed to get that long-promised vacation. While enjoying the lazy sea breeze and coconut drinks at your tropical hideout, you decide to finish that closing report and mail it back to the home office, before really getting down to party. Luckily, you don’t have to depend on antiquated hotel computer systems. You clever man, you have your own computer laptop!
The advantages of having a laptop are very obvious.
|
| New Hardware Articles |
|
|
|
|
- 3). Computer Consultant Skills: Do You Have to Have 20 Certifications? By : Joshua Feinberg
I've had more than one person tell me, "Well, I’m a MCP or I’m a CNA and I’ve got this one cert but I’m working on like 15 more certs and as soon as I get my 19th cert, five years from now, I’ll be all set to be a computer consultant." That’s just a hunk of bologna. Know why?
Small Business Aren't Using Cutting-Edge Technology
Most small businesses don’t care how many certifications you have.
|
- 4). Xerox - Its Journey with Ink By : John Sollars
Chester Carlson inventor of xerography founded the Haloid Company on April 18, 1935. The company manufactured and sold photographic paper! It was based in Rochester New York.
In the year 1942 Carlson received U.S. patent No. 2,297,691 on Oct. 6 for electrophotography, later called xerography, the technology that revolutionized the world of imaging.
|
- 5). The History of Canon - From an Optical Lab to a Multimedia Giant! By : John Sollars
Canon, according to the dictionary means is a general law, rule, principle or criterion; church decree or law; member of cathedral chapter; body of writings accepted as genuine.
Now what I am talking about is a company that manufactures user-friendly products! Canon the camera making company that now gives varied other products and services to the world such as printers, inks and fax machines and copiers!
Canon’s Roots
Canon’s roots were laid in 1933 with very few employees as a precision optical instruments lab.
|
- 6). Four Power System Problems Common in Colocation Facilities By : RobertAIS
The primary factor that determines uptime for servers in a colocation facility is power. Power outages will knock a network offline and even damage hardware such as motherboards, memory, and hard drives. Despite how intrinsic power is to keeping businesses connected to their networks, only 2% to 3% of colocation facilities have the right power systems in place.
|
- 7). Epson Yesterday and Today By : John Sollars
Epson started as watch making company Seiko Epson Corporation, Japan. Epson was established in 1961 to manufacture precision parts for Seiko watches, back then it was called Shinsu Precision Manufacturing Company.
Epson’s first foray into the printing and imaging business was the Olympics of 1964 held in Tokyo. The company was awarded a contract to develop a precision timer for the Games.
|
- 8). Konica Minolta By : John Sollars
Konica Minolta, the name usually brings to mind their camera or their photographic materials. However, it is also one of the top players in the printing and ink manufacturing business. The lines below will take you through a brief history of the company and touch upon their all-new environment friendly polymerized toner.
Konica’s Humble Beginnings
Like all other big names in the printing business Konica Minolta too has roots way back in the past and forayed into the printing business due to the potential of printers and inks in the market.
|
- 9). Lexmark - Relatively new to the market but already on top! By : John Sollars
Lexmark does not have the advantage of the proverbial long history in its kitty of printing and imaging solutions like its competitors to bank on; however it has managed to make a mark on the imaging and printing industry. One of its important technologies is the Photo Cartridge and PrecisionSense Technology.
Its Brief Glorious History
Lexmark was established fairly recently in 1991 previously a printing and imaging division of technology giant IBM.
|
- 10). Computer Consulting: Use Your Time Wisely By : Joshua Feinberg
Time is money. If you're not careful in your computer consulting business, you'll waste both. With a little discipline and structure, you can maximize the return on your time.
Journal Your Time
One way to determine your computer consulting time is by journaling. Write down everything you do for a couple of weeks to determine what you do with your time, where the time wasters are, and what you could do to improve your time management.
|
|
|
