Absolute Beginners Guide to Upgrading and Fixing Your PC

Application #4: Printing Digital Photographs

If you have a color printer, you can make good-quality prints of your image files. Even a low-priced color inkjet can make surprisingly good prints, although the better your printer, the better the results.

As you learned in Chapter 8, most manufacturers sell printers specifically designed for photographic prints. These photo printers use special photo print paper and output prints that are almost indistinguishable from those you get from a professional photo processor. If you take a lot of digital photos, one of these printers is a good investment.

tip

Whichever type of printer you choose, the quality of your prints is significantly affected by the type of paper you use. Printing on standard laser or inkjet paper is okay for making proofs, but you'll want to use a thicker, waxier paper for those prints you want to keep. Check with your printer's manufacturer to see what type of paper is recommended for the best quality photo prints.

Interestingly, some photo printers don't even need to be connected to your PC. These printers either connect directly to your digital camera via USB, or have slots to accept all the popular memory card formats, as shown in Figure 12.2. This type of setup is particularly recommended for computer-phobic family members.

Figure 12.2. A photo printer that prints directly from memory cards.

Upgrade Checklist for Making Photo Prints

Photo printer (see Chapter 8)

Photo print paper

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