Some may wonder if the photo printers used by professional photographers are only 4’’ x 6’’ in size. The truth is there are many 4’’ x 6’’ photo printers in the market today. But they are not very widely used because of their limited media compatibility. For those interested in getting one, here are some facts about 4’’ x 6’’ photo printers.
A 4’’ x 6’’ photo printer can be better identified as a compact photo printer.
When you talk about 4’’ x 6’’ photo printers, the first thing that would enter most people’s minds is a compact photo printer because this kind of device is especially engineered to print 4’’ x 6’’ photos. These devices are small in size and they are designed for travel and on-the-go photo printing purposes. They are typically utilized by professional photographers and photography enthusiasts alike.
Not all 4’’ x 6’’ photo printers are small; a standard inkjet printer can also print borderless 4’’ x 6’’ photos.
Despite the fact that there are printers especially created for printing 4’’ x 6’’ photos, most standard inkjet printers are already capable of this printing process. Standard inkjet printers which are typically included in a desktop or used in offices, homes, and home offices have borderless printing functions up to 4’’ x 6’’ photos and if they have resolutions of 4,800 to 9,600 dpi, they can have quality that’s at par with these compact photo printers.
4’’ x 6’’ photo printers are preferred because of their handy sizes.
Because of their small structures, compact photo printers are ideally used especially by photographers who want to be able to produce output for their clients and customers no matter where or when. These devices are easy to carry around with you, and with their stylish appearance, you won’t feel awkward having one with you everywhere you go.
4’’ x 6’’ photo printers are typically dye sublimation printers.
These compact photo printers are typically dye sublimation printers because that is the only printing mechanism that enables them to sport such small sizes. As compared to portable inkjets which cannot be made too small because of the moving inkjet printer head, the dye sublimation printer only requires very little space to perform heat transfer from the dye panels to the photo paper, thus enabling engineers to create such small printing devices.
The maximum media compatibility of a 4’’ x 6’’ photo printer is 4’’ x 6’’.
As they are well-known for, these compact photo printers are capable of printing up to 4’’ x 6’’ photo sizes. But this limitation is very strict as no bigger size of a medium can be used for this printer. However, smaller prints in the same size paper can be produced, like 4 wallet size photos in one 4’’ x 6’’ postcard paper.
4’’ x 6’’ photo printers have complete direct photo printing features and offers ease of use.
For these photo printers to be completely usable anytime, anywhere, they have been equipped with features that allow easy direct printing from various imaging and storage devices like USB flash drives, memory cards, digital cameras, laptops, mobile phones, smart phones, and tablet PCs. These features include PictBridge and USB connectivity, memory card slots, Bluetooth, infrared, and other similar interfaces which enable users to print photos directly from one device to the printer itself. These compact photo printers also have their own LCD displays and control panels for easy editing, selecting, and printing of photos without the intervention of a computer.
The cheapest 4’’ x 6’’ photo printer is $99.
These devices aren’t exactly the cheapest in the market, although they are some of the smallest. The cheapest quality compact photo printer that you can get is worth $99 and the most expensive of these that you can get is around $300.
Conclusion
Now that you understand what a 4’’ x 6’’ photo printer is, you can make a more educated, informed purchasing decision. Good luck!