Just like all popular consumer technology products, it seems like a new photo printer comes out every day. Who knows which one to choose? If you've ever walked into a computer or office supply store then you know what I mean. In order to avoid the "deer in the headlights" expression that comes over most of our faces as we walk down the printer aisle, here are some things to consider when narrowing your photo printer choices.
GET A "PHOTO QUALITY PRINTER"
If you've made the decision to never walk into a photo shop again because you will be printing your photos from home, then you can narrow your choices to "Photo Quality Printers". Unlike regular inkjets and others, "Photo Quality Printers" have more colors to offer. This provides a much bigger palette for mixing colors and creating shades. Most regular and high-end inkjet printers use three colors plus black. You may not notice much difference when looking at them separately, but put an inkjet photo next to a photo printed on a "photo printer" and the difference is night and day. Newer model "Photo Quality Printer" will come with six colors and two settings: photo and normal.
HOW MUCH DO YOU HAVE TO SPEND?
The quickest way to narrow your choices to just a few is price. While there are a million models to choose from, they range from just under $100 to a possible mortgage payment or two. Ignore those photo printers that are out of your price range and focus on getting the biggest value for the money you have.
WATCH OUT FOR PRICEY CONSUMABLES!
Even if you walk out of the store with a great deal on your new photo printer, it doesn't end there. The real cost of a photo printer is determined by the cost of consumables (i.e. ink and paper). The amount of ink used by different printers to print the same picture is relatively comparable so it is best to compare ink cartridges by volume. If you won't be doing much printing then this won't really matter. If you are going to compare by # of pages per print cartridge, keep in mind that this calculation is based on 5% coverage of an 8.5"x11" piece of paper using only plain text. If you are printing photos your calculation will have to be adjusted. An average size 4"x6" print constitutes roughly 20% coverage. Add to that the fact that prints require that the colors be overlaid to create the full range of colors in the image.
As for paper, there are photo printers out there that print well on regular photocopy stock, while others require quality photo stock to get a good print. Photo stock can get very expensive with high volume printing. Make sure you check this out before purchasing.
SAMPLE THE MERCHANDISE
All stores provide sample glossy pictures next to each photo printer. Don't use these as a basis for your decision. These are printed in some office by people who do nothing all day but try to optimize results from their product under perfect conditions on perfect paper. Test it out yourself by printing something on your own, like a colorful webpage or desktop screenshot using the manufacturers default settings.
DO YOUR HOMEWORK!
Go online and read some unbiased consumer reviews. Stay away from "sponsored" reviews on a single model. Find a site that offers a comparison of the most popular photo printers on the market. This is especially important if you are buying your photo printer from a small shop which may not offer live demos for you to test the product. There's nothing wrong with learning from other people's good and bad experiences. Happy Shopping!!
This digital photography tip article is brought to you by award-winning professional photographer Warren Lynch. Exciting articles gives both beginners and advance digital camera enthusiast the leg up.
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