Once you have clicked snaps through your digital camera, then the next step is to turn these “virtual” snaps into real snaps. One way is to send the memory card to a digital photo laboratory and get the snaps developed there. But if you click snaps on a regular basis, then it is better that you buy yourself a digital camera printer, or more commonly known as a digital photo printer.
There are lots and lots of choices available in the market today. The top three companies are HP, Canon and Epson. So, before you go and spend your money, here are some tips on what you must keep in mind while deciding on a digital photo printer.
Firstly, digital photo printers are available in two basic types. There are 4-colour printers and 6-colour printers. Nowadays, there are even 8-colour printers available. So, higher the number of colors better will be the photo quality.
Secondly, the printing method used by the printer is also very important. There are 2 main printing methods: inkjet and thermal. Inkjet is commonly used for taking photo prints but the quality of the printout is not excellent. You need to have at least a 6-color printer to get decent print quality. Also, the ink cartridges are quite expensive and the biggest disadvantage is that inkjet printing does not provide a waterproof coating to the images. Hence, the color fades after some time.
Thermal printing, on the other hand, is much better since it not only applies a waterproof coating but is also better quality-wise. It is also more cost effective as the paper and ink cartridges used are cheaper.
Most of these printers can be purchased under $500. However, there are few key characteristics that are different in all these printers which determine their price. These are :
? The printing width differs amongst printers. Normally the width is either 8.5″ or 13″.
? If you want to print really great looking black-and-white images, then the printer needs to have grey inks as well. So, an 8-color printer would be best suited for this purpose.
? Whether your printer has separate ink tanks for each color or does it have multiple inks in each cartridge. If you have multiple inks, then you have to replace the entire cartridge even if one color finishes. Hence, it is more expensive to replace such cartridges and you waste a lot of ink as well.
? The ability of the printer to print directly from your camera or a memory card through a link.
? The printing speed per minute. This can go up to 10 minutes for a colored snap, so you must properly check this out depending upon our usage.
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