With photo printers, you no longer have to leave the comfort of your home to print your priceless photos. Gone are the days when you have to leave your home and go to the store to have your camera’s film developed. These days, you can take photos using your camera phone or digital camera and print your photos at home using your own photo printer. The best photo printers are capable of printing high quality photos that rival those that are printed from a store. But how do you choose the best photo printer for your needs?
There are many photo printers out there and all of them claim to be one of the best photo printers. The best photo printer for you, however, is the one that is suited to your needs. Continue reading to find out how to choose the best photo printer.
There are two main photo printer types that you can choose from: dye-sub (dye-sublimation) printers and inkjet printers. Dye-sub photo printers use a heating process in order to mix the dyes onto a special coated paper. This produces a continuous tone print. Dye-sub printers also add a clear protective layer over the dyes to make them less prone to smears and scuffs when the prints are handled. Only a few printers use dye-sub technology. Canon’s Selphy lineup and Polaroid’s POGO series use dye-sub technology.
Most of the printers currently available are inkjet printers. Inkjet printers spray very small droplets of ink onto a special coated paper. The printhead that sprays the ink makes multiple passes across a print surface. The ink dots don’t mix together before they are ejected onto a print surface, but they are so small that the image appears to be smooth. Complex dot placement algorithms called “Dithering” produce millions of colors and tonal gradations.
When looking for the best photo printers, you should also consider the size of the photos you plan to print. Some printers can only print 4×6 size photos, while others let you print large photos such as 8×10 or 11×14. You should also choose a printer model that suits your lifestyle. If you are always on the go, choose a compact photo printer.
A compact photo printer can be used even if it is not connected to a computer. You can simply plug in your camera or memory card on a compact printer and start printing. If you only plan to print at home, then you can just get a desktop photo printer. Most desktop printers even have input trays that allow you to print directly onto CDs and DVDs. Remember to think about your needs before deciding on which photo printer to buy. You may need to do some research to find out if a printer can satisfy all your needs.