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Improve your photo prints
By Steven Dale
Improve your digital photo prints
Digital photography has brought many benefits over film. One of these is the ability to preview your images before actually printing them, saving on paper and inks and thus saving money. However, whereas with film you rely on the expensive equipment and the expertise of the company that process your film and then prints it, with digital photography the end result is entirely in your hands. As always, the old adage of 'rubbish in, rubbish out' still applies in photography. Digital only makes it easier to spot your poor photos before your print them, it won't make you a better photographer. So, the first step to improving your photo prints is to improve on your photography skills. Again, this is an area that digital has an advantage over film. By taking lots of photographs, checking the result and learning from you mistakes you can quickly improve on your skills.... and all without printing out a single photograph! So, now you have got yourself some decent photographs, how do you print them out so that they show off your new found skills as a photographer to the maximum effect? Backup your files:
Be sure to make a copy of your digital file before working on your files. Learn to use your photo-editing software:
Use software to get the best out of your digital files. Most photo software comes with an 'Enhance' button. Use it and check the difference it makes to the brightness, contrast and sharpness of your image. If you don't like the end result then click the 'Undo' button. In that case you will need to use the other controls in the software to tweak your image. Generally, at least initially, stick to the controls for brightness, contrast and sharpness and make only minor changes until you become more confident with using the software. Choose the right printer:
Most photographers use colour inkjet printers to print their photographs. Even professional photographers use them.... they just use bigger and more expensive ones! Epson and Canon dominate the market for good quality printers, with Kodak and Lexmark close behind. Don't buy a printer that uses only two cartridges, as the colour inks will be in one cartridge and the black ink in the other. Once one of the three colour inks runs out, you have recycle the cartridge and it works out more expensive. Individual cartridges are cheaper in the long run. Also buy a printer that has six or more cartridges for the best results. Normally, printers have four colours: black, cyan, yellow and magenta. In the better printers, you will have shades of some of these colours. This gives the printer what is called a 'wider gamut', meaning it can produce more subtle tones than other printers. Stick to the same brand too, so use Epson inks with Epson printers etc. Choose the right paper:
Paper is as important as the ink. I recommend choosing the same brand as your printer... so Epson paper if you have an Epson printer, Canon paper for Canon printers etc. Also, be sure to use the photographic paper and not general inkjet paper. I have had terrible problems using non-branded paper and recommend against using generic or unbranded paper as well as avoiding mixing your brands. Manufacturers go to great lengths to get the right combination of ink and paper and its best to stick with them if you want the very best prints. Using anything else other than their recommended inks and papers will only lead to problems, The exception is specialist 'Art' papers and archival inks. These are more for the professional or experienced amateur and I recommend avoiding them until you become more experienced. Use the correct settings:
Make sure your set your printer up correctly before printing. Open the Printer Preferences to do this. You need to go to the 'Quality' settings and choose 'Photo' and 'High Quality'. You then need to make sure your paper type is set correctly, as well as the size. If you are using the manufacturer's own brand then you should see the type of paper in the list (e.g. 5 x 7 Photo Glossy). Finally, make sure you have chosen the correct layout (Portrait or Landscape) and paper size. Make sure you save these settings before closing the 'Printer Preferences' dialogue window. Once you have followed all these steps you are ready to print. Good luck!
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How to Take Better Photographs (for Printing)
| How-to-take-better-photographs-for-printing
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