BEST PRINTERS FOR PHOTOS ONLY HOW TO
BEST PRINTERS FOR PHOTOS ONLY PROFESSIONAL

Amateur photographers who want the occasional professional print are better off going with a professional printing service, and those who just want occasional family photos on standard 4 x 6 glossy paper can go to the local drugstore printing service. That being said, if you print infrequently, the price of the printer and its associated maintenance may not be worthwhile for you. In the end, вЂњlearning to print is a wonderful way of improving all aspects of your photography,вЂќ according to Cooper. But Cooper recommends to not вЂњget carried away trying paper after paper to search for вЂbetter printersвЂ™ until you have mastered a few basic paper types.вЂќ If youвЂ™re new to photo printing, start with a few basic papers and experiment with printing test images to learn the process. The quality of photo paper you use is also just as important as the printer itself.

For one, he recommends learning the basics of color management, such as using printer profiles and calibrating your computer monitor.

BEST PRINTERS FOR PHOTOS ONLY HOW TO

How to Print the Best Photos From HomeД¬ooper also provided tips for photographers looking to improve the quality of their prints from home, besides investing in a quality printer. With all inks, itвЂ™s also important to stick with the ink by the same brand as your printer to ensure compatibility and quality, instead of cheaper and lower-quality third-party inks. However, in addition to generally being more affordable, dye-based inks can produce superior results for ultra glossy prints, so your decision depends on your photo printing needs, if you want your photos to last over a lifetime, and your budget. Pigment inks also often have a wider color gamut, and pigment ink printers may come with extra ink colors like grey, which produce better black-and-white photos.

вЂњIf you are interested in black and white printing, then pigment inks are invariably better,вЂќ says Cooper. Pigment inks can produce prints that are considered archival quality, which is important if youвЂ™re selling fine art prints, but may not be worth the additional expense, compared to dye inks, for you. We interviewed UK architectural photographer Keith Cooper, who has been testing printers and color management kits for over 15 years, for his advice on how to decide between dye versus pigment-based ink printers. Some inkjets come with more than just cyan, magenta, and yellows inks, though, which make them better for photo printing. Compared to all-in-one printers, theyвЂ™re fairly compact and portable.ДЄll-in-one printers: These inkjet printers can do more than photos, including regular text documents as well as scanning, copying, and faxing. Snapshot printers: These are designed to print only small photo prints, including 2 by 3 inches, 4 by 6 inches, or 5 by 7 inches, but wonвЂ™t support letter-sized paper. Near-dedicated photo printers: Aimed toward amateur photographers, these photo printers offer more professional quality and can usually print up to 13 by 19 inches, also known as A3+ or 13-inch printers.

Read more below about the types of printers to consider, what features you should look for, and more tips for how you can get the best prints from home. If you prefer your photo printer to pull double-duty in your home office to print other documents, we found some great all-in-one printers that still produce excellent prints. But if youвЂ™re a budding photographer who wants top quality, you can benefit from a dedicated photo printer. ItвЂ™s true that just about any inkjet printer can print your photos nowadays.

Best printers for photos only