| While
memories can fade with time, no one wants the same thing to
happen to their photographs. With a few precautions, you can
ensure that your prints are the best they can possibly be.
It's no secret that the big names in printers,
such as Canon, Epson, and HP, offer a complete line of inks
and papers. Each company claims that you'll get the best results
when you use its products with its printers, and all warn
you to steer clear of papers sold by other companies.
In general, they're right. With inkjet printers,
especially, companies design printers, inks, and papers to
work together to yield the best results. If you use third-party
paper with your inkjet printer from a big-name manufacturer--Office
Depot's plain-white copy paper or even specialty photo paper
from a company like UK-based Tetenal--the ink may spread too
far into the paper before drying, causing inaccurate colors,
lower print resolution, and a dull finish. Plus, the prints
will likely fade faster.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Click
here to find the new way to make long-term money online in
your spare time
-------------------------------------------------------------
For starters, in addition to using the best
photo paper recommended by the printer manufacturer, configure
your print software to use the settings for that paper when
you print. To do that, click the Properties button next to
the name of your printer in the Print dialog box and choose
the paper you've loaded into your printer from the list.
Obviously, this is a good reason to use the
printer manufacturer's paper for high-quality printing, since
other brands will not be listed here. Some printers don't
require you to do this, however, because they have a sensor
that detects the paper type.
You'll find that some companies will tout
fast drying times for their papers, and fast-drying paper
can be handled after just an hour or so. However, when high-quality,
coated, or photo-quality paper rolls out of your printer,
I recommend that you avoid handling it for 12 hours to prevent
finger smudges--or even 24 hours to allow the ink to set permanently.
And don't try to print on both sides unless
the paper is specifically marked for two-sided printing. Every
printer manufacturer sells at least one kind of two-sided
paper. Epson offers A Double-Sided Matte Paper, for instance,
while HP sells papers optimized for two-sided projects, like
the Premium Photo Card and Premium Note Card stock.
Once your print is totally dry, put the print
under glass or plastic. Exposure to common gasses and particles
in the air can dull or fade your photo quickly. Finally, for
the longest life, keep the picture out of direct sunlight
and in a cool, dry environment. That means no matter what
other precautions you take, photos that are stored in an album
will last longer than ones hung on the wall.
Oh, and one last tip: Keep your original digital
photo files around even after you print. That way you can
reprint them in ten years when you notice the colors start
to fade.
Find Out More
Photographic
paper | Pick
the Right Photo Paper | How
to Get the Best Prints |
Should
I Invest In A Photo Printer? | How
Color Images are Printed |
Eight
Tips For Buying A Photo Quality Printer | The
Modern Photo Printer |
What
You Need To Know When Buying A Printer |
