Printing Your Photos

When it is time to buy a printer for your digital pictures, it is important to consider what kind of pictures you hope to share. Even if a printer is inexpensive and the output looks good, the cost of ink and paper may be a shock when you start printing in volume. Your local drugstore, Kmart and Walmart probably produce 4"x6" prints better, faster, and cheaper than you can at home. Current prices are 24 - 29 cents per print. Take your picture files on a media card or CD-ROM to these stores, and use their services to print as many as you wish. You can also upload your pictures to their websites, and have the photographs sent to you and others. However, if you do not desire to use these services, there are a number of inexpensive ink jet printers that are quick and produce excellent pictures. You can try to keep costs down by buying inks and papers from "discount" suppliers.

Questions Today's Top Selling Printer Descriptions
How much am I willing to spend on a printer and supplies?
Do I want excellent quality, or will I settle for "a fair representation."
Do my prints need to last for generations?
What are the purposes of my prints?
-- mail to family, record events, mount or frame, for publication
PRICE, SIZE, SPEED, QUALITY, QUANTITY, RESOLUTION, BORDERLESS, CONNECTIVITY, PORTABILITY, REVIEWS

Features to consider when purchasing a printer to be used for photographs:
Price ($50-$4000 based on features)
Print Quality (based on visual inspection, archival longevity)
Print Size (typically 4x6 to 16x20)
Ink or Dye type (ink jet, laser, dye sublimation...)
Resolution (higher dpi=better representation, applies to ink jet & laser, dye sub=continuous tone)
Borderless option (for professional-looking prints for framing, etc.)
Connectivity/Source (parallel, serial, USB, media card or device, camera direct)
Speed (defined in minutes or seconds per specific size print)
Portability (size of printer, footprint)
Reviews that rate satisfaction of current owners

Lower-cost Inkjet Printers Printers that ONLY produce 4" x 6" photos
Epson Stylus R220
HP Deskjet 5440
Canon PIXMA iP1600
- 4,800 x 1,200 color dots per inch (dpi) resolution
PIXMA iP6000D
- Built-in 2.5-inch LCD & 2-sided printing
- Direct printing from memory cards and PictBridge

PIXMA MP500 All-in-One Photo Printer
- Print resolutions up to 9,600 x 2,400 dpi color
Canon SELPHY CP510
- 300 x 300 dpi resolution, dye-sublimation
Sony DPP-FP50
- Dye-sublimation technology with over 400 x 400 dpi resolution
- Borderless 4x6 & 3.5x5 inch photo in about 1 minute
Olympus Camedia P-10
- 4x6 and 3.5x5-inch, with or without borders
- Fast, just 40 to 44 seconds per print

Plan on printing 8" x 10" photographs and publishing them with text & graphics?
Epson Stylus Photo R1800
- Prints onto CD-Rs and DVD-Rs
Canon PIXMA iP6000D
- Up to 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution
- six individual ink tanks
Epson Stylus Photo R1800 Inkjet
- Poster prints up to 13 by 44 inches
-- 4x6, 5x7, 8x10, letter, 11x14, and 13x19 inches
- Prints onto CD-Rs and DVD-Rs
Epson Stylus R320
- Built-in preview LCD
- Up to 5,760 x 1,440
- 6-color photo printing
Portable and Quick

If you're a professional photographer printing to display and publish your work, it's unlikely you will be satisfied with the average ink jet solution for anything other than "proofing." The higher end printers have these features: roll paper, ink bottles instead of cartridges, or use dye sublimation technology for continuous tone images.

Professional quality, high volume, large photos
Canon i9900
- 8-color ChromaPLUS ink system for true-to-life color
Epson Stylus Photo R800 Inkjet Printer
- True border-free photo printing
- USB 2.0 Hi-Speed and FireWire
- 5-by-7-inch photo as fast as 45 seconds
Epson Pro 4800 Inkjet Printer
HP Photosmart 8050
- Professional-quality prints
- 8-ink color

Compare printers and make a decision based on your specific needs:
The Right Printer for the Job - "You've got lots to print--photos, documents, color flyers--does that mean you need multiple printers? Not necessarily."
PC World's Top All-Purpose and Photo Ink Jet Printers
Amazon.com groupings - Fast Photo Printing - Fade-Resistant Prints - Prints Photos Only - Poster-Size Prints
What is dye-sublimation printing?
How does a bubble jet printer work? - Advantages & Disadvantages of InkJet Printers

Upload your files & have the prints sent to yourself and others
ClubPhoto - dotPhoto - Kodak - PhotoWorks - Printroom - Shutterfly - Snapfish