| With the popularity of digital cameras, the need | | | | printer can really cost you or really save you big |
| for printing has increased dramatically. It is | | | | bucks! Some printers include a separate ink tank |
| convenient and easy to snap a photo on your | | | | for each color. Commonly, the colors are |
| memory card and download it to your computer | | | | magenta, cyan, yellow and black. Some printers |
| or even your printer. Photo printers are a great | | | | throw in additional shades of these colors or gray |
| solution for people eager to print their digital | | | | ink wells. Some ink tanks come bundled so that |
| images. | | | | when you run out of one color you have to |
| Image is Everything! | | | | throw away good ink in the other wells. Ink |
| The key element in choosing a photo printer is | | | | cartridges almost never run out of all the colors |
| image quality. However, there a number of other | | | | at the same time, so the ability to replace |
| features that likely will be important as well. | | | | individual colors as they become dry is a real cost |
| Depending on the types of photographs you are | | | | savings. Another way to save money is by |
| looking to print, different printers will be able to | | | | purchasing third party vendor ink, much of which |
| meet your needs. If you are not going to be | | | | is sold online. It can save you 50% or more off |
| printing anything larger than an 8x10 photograph, | | | | the original manufacturer's price for that ink. |
| a desktop printer will do the trick. If you take | | | | Other Important Considerations |
| panoramic photos and want to print them, you will | | | | Some printers feature direct printing; that is you |
| need a printer that can take something other | | | | can take your storage device from your camera |
| than letter size, preferably a paper roll. Many | | | | and pop it directly into the appropriate slot in your |
| photo printer manufacturers make printers that | | | | printer for quick printing. This feature saves you |
| support sheets up to 13x9 inches. | | | | the step of having to go through your computer |
| Do you want to print borderless images? Some | | | | first; however, you cannot adjust or edit your |
| printers have to hold the edge of the paper as it | | | | prints on standard size printers. Editing features |
| feeds through the machine so it can't print all the | | | | are found on mini photo printers, which will be |
| way to the edge. If you care about borderless | | | | discussed in a later article. If you really want to |
| prints, be careful to check that the printer you | | | | print directly, look for printers with a LCD screen |
| choose can do borderless prints at all of your | | | | which will allow you to thumb through the images |
| desired print sizes. Some people print on strange | | | | and select which ones you want to print. |
| materials like homemade paper, especially for | | | | Remember, when choosing a photo printer, think |
| craft projects. Make sure your printer can | | | | about your needs first and match those needs to |
| accommodate the various thicknesses of paper | | | | the printer. The printer you choose should be able |
| you intend to run through it. After you have | | | | to handle the types and sizes of photographs you |
| discovered the perfect printer for your image | | | | want to print. Don't focus on speed, unless it is an |
| needs, make sure it doesn't take up too much | | | | absolute necessity because the most important |
| space or that you have the space to | | | | element in picking the perfect photo printer is a |
| accommodate it. | | | | quality image output. The rest will take care of |
| Ink Tanks | | | | itself as you stare at your pictures for years to |
| This is a place where the structure of your | | | | come. |