Printing

Underneath the skin- Ink-based photo printers differ from regular ink-based printers in a few critical ways. First, they require a greater variety and number of colour cartridges. Most photo printers support light cyan and light magenta in addition to the regular cyan, magenta, yellow and black, making for a total of six separate cartridges. The addition of the light shades means that more subtle variations in colour can be reproduced accurately. Second, there is a reduction in the ink the printer sprays. This increases precision and provides more control, which in turn improves picture quality—less ink sprayed means there is less liquid to smear the print. The thinner layer of ink dries faster, and this in turn means the ink doesn’t spread from the point it was applied to. The increase in printing resolution means curves can be smoother, colour gradients can be better controlled, and greater detail can be brought out. Another, different technology is thermal-dye technology, known as dye-sublimation printing. This is different from ink-based technology, and is suitable only for photo printing. A dye-sublimation printer has a long transparent sheet made up of the four colours—cyan, magenta, yellow and black. This transparent sheet is actually a film made up of the coloured dyes. When a photo is printed, the print head heats up.

This print head consists of thousands of heating elements, which heat the dye on the film and cause it to vaporise and diffuse into the glossy paper. The temperature on the print head is precision controlled for each heating element, and accordingly, the dye is vaporised on the paper.

This is what results in the varied hues and colour tones. This technology has a definite advantage over ink-jet photo printing—the colours diffuse on to the paper, it does away with the thin film-like effect that occurs with an ink-based printer. Photos printed with these printers also have a longer life span since the colour has permeated into the paper—making the photo less vulnerable to fading and distortion.

What do you really need? - Before you buy a photo printer, first consider some important factors: Think about your usage pattern. If you need mostly text prints, and printing photos is just a new fad as far as you are concerned, you will be better off with a good quality inkjet printer, which would be more than sufficient for your needs. When you need a quality print, just go to your nearest digital photo shop and get one. - Plan your budget: look at the costs of consumables and try making a rough calculation of your expenses. - Decide on the technology you want to use. Do you want the absolute best, or can you compromise a little on the quality as long as you get a photo printer?

Photo printers are available in all shapes and sizes, are based on different technologies, and you have a range of manufacturers to choose from. When it comes to buying a photo printer, it can become pretty confusing to choose one. Here are a few buying tips:

- Give speed a consideration. If two photo printers, based on the same technology and offering the same quality prints are compared, and one printer offers faster printouts, it makes more sense buying that one, even if it costs a bit more . - Check for the various available printing options. Can you print borderless prints? Can the printer print 4 x 6 prints as well as A4 prints? Does the paper tray support various sizes of paper? Also check if the printer supports dual trays, which will reduce the hassle of changing paper types for documents and photos.

- Is portability your concern? Opt for a printer that makes for less hassle and more usability. You should be able to get a printout without messing about too much with the controls. However, be ready to spend a little more for a portable printer.

- Check if the printer supports memory cards and printing directly off a digital camera. Some photo printers are infrared-equipped, so you can directly print off mobile devices such as camera phones and PDAs. Of course, these devices do not yet support really high-quality images, but that may change soon.

- Usability features on a photo printer should include one-touch printing. This is not a feature you absolutely need, but comes in handy in situations where you just want to print without fiddling with the settings.

Quality with consumables - The quality of your photo printer may be excellent, but your investment can go right down the drain if the consumables you use are not up to the mark. If you are stingy in choosing the ink cartridge and the paper that you want the prints on, you will have to be prepared for poorer quality.

Paper type - Make sure that the paper quality you have is the best available for your particular application. If you want a regular photo print, you can use two types of paper—glossy or matte. Both have their disadvantages. Glossy paper is susceptible to accidental fingerprints after you get a print done; matte paper will not offer the finish that glossy paper does. It’s up to you to decide.

Paper quality - Check for the thickness of the paper, and the whiteness. Whiter backgrounds will result in a high-contrast image print, which improves the overall quality of the image. Thickness is important—it can make or mar the image. Some papers may be too thick for the kind of printing you do, while other papers may be so thin that the ink permeates through to the other side. This type of paper is especially risky for dye-sublimation printers, which use heat to print different colour densities on paper. Thick papers, on the other hand, can cause the pick-up mechanism to jam, especially when you want to print cards or calendars.

Ink quality - A basic principle: Don’t ever be stingy with your colour cartridges. If you demand the best, use the best. Saving a few bucks by using a fake or refilled cartridge will not give you the output that you expect. Always use manufacturer- branded or recommended cartridges and papers. Technologies such as HP’s PhotoREt colour layering technology or Epson’s waterproof ink technology are not possible with refilled cartridges.

Who needs photo printers?

Photo printers are available for home as well as for businesses. At home, they serve the purpose of having a photo lab as and when you need it. Borderless printing, which was not possible except in print labs, is now possible at home. You can print in regular sizes, and also photo print on stickers and other media. For businesses, a photo printer may be advantageous if you need good quality prints regularly. For example, if you need to send out a few exclusive, high quality invites to some clients, you may find it difficult to get it done from your regular print shop. Photo printers can be useful for creative designers, architects and engineers; there are many applications, such as AutoCAD, which make a photo printer a very handy thing to have.