Re: Photo printer - good quality?

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

From: Barry (hiouchibear1_at_earthlink.net)
Date: 11/30/04 

Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2004 21:11:22 -0800

Ilan....

A 2 MP camera is usually only adequate for photos you want to send via
email. If you plan on printing photos of any size, then you'll need a
camera with higher resolution. I now use a 4.0 MP camera and I've found
that to be inadequate for printing larger photos. I'm in the market for a
6.0 MP or higher. If you are serious about printing photos, think about
going to a higher MP camera. If you got "excellent quality" when having
prints made from you 2 MP camera, then you must be printing smaller photos.
Enlargements would be impossible. The other advantage to a higher MP camera
is that you can crop and enlarge if you want to and still have a high
quality print.

Barry

"Ilan" <Ilan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:2B509E8E-30C4-49F8-A797-821BB31E7AE1@microsoft.com...
>
> Hi Chuck,
>
> I've had pix taken by my 2MP camera developed by an online photo service,
> and the quality is excellent, so if the printer is good, I would hope to
> acheive the same results. Are you saying that I should take the sample
> pictures I printed, the picture I had previously developed, my memory
> card,
> and photo paper, and bring them to the store to test their printers there,
> before I buy? Will they allow that? If so, that's certainly not a bad
> idea
> - thanks!
>
> Ilan
>
>
> "Chuck" wrote:
>
>> The 2MP camera is a bit low in resolution for high quality pictures of
>> any
>> size. 3.2MP or more is better. Next the basic resolution of the printer
>> is
>> enough to get a very good quality print. It may be that the commercial
>> photoprinting you use runs the image thru some sort of optimizer program
>> prior to making the print. Next as you mentioned, you are using different
>> paper than the commercial operation. I believ you can do a bit better for
>> the price on a differnt model printer. There are several that will allow
>> you
>> to plug in the memory card, and print from it. In high quality printing
>> modes, it's difficult to find individual dots on a photo quality printer.
>> I'd print a few pictures and have the commercially printed ones, as well
>> as
>> the memory card, and then go to my local printer store. Also bring a few
>> sheets of the photo paper of your choice.
>>
>> My 4 color printers currently in service
>> HP 512C (Poor photo quality, slow)
>> Canon S760 very good photo quality, tanks can be refilled.
>> Epson R300 very good photo quality, Tanks are not easily refillable
>> (chipped)
>> Brother MFC 420cn Good to very good photo quality, a bit slow, don't
>> know
>> if tanks are refillable.
>>
>>
>> "Ilan" <Ilan@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:F5C68296-AB90-40D2-9080-A293390ABC0A@microsoft.com...
>> >
>> > Hi Len,
>> >
>> > Thanks for the advice. When I tested out my printer, I was printing
>> > 4x6s,
>> > printing straight off of my memory card, using "premium" photo paper,
>> > and
>> > on
>> > the "best" quality setting. Yet the picture still came out slightly
>> > granier
>> > than it had with regular development. There's no point on spending a
>> > couple
>> > of hundred dollars just to be unhappy with quality, so I decided to
>> > return
>> > it
>> > and will look for something else (or just continue having them
>> > developed
>> > for
>> > me).
>> >
>> > Sincerely,
>> > Ilan
>> >
>> >
>> > "Len" wrote:
>> >
>> >> Ilan
>> >>
>> >> The HP245 is a fine printer for printing photos. Keep in
>> >> mind that a good phot depends on alot of factors,
>> >> including:
>> >>
>> >> 1. Resolution of image - the higher the better - rule of
>> >> thumb is 300 pixels per printed inch, i.e. to print a good
>> >> 8 x 10, you would want a file at least 3000 x 2400 pixels.
>> >> You can 'get by' with 200 pixels per inch if your camera
>> >> is low res / megapixels, i.e. a good 4 x 6 should be at
>> >> least 800 x 1200 pixels.
>> >>
>> >> 2. The format the file is in - tif's print better because
>> >> they have more pixels, jpegs 'lose' pixels/quality
>> >>
>> >> 3. type of printer paper - use a good quality 'photo'
>> >> paper, not standard paper
>> >>
>> >> 4. printer settings - read your manual, make sure you
>> >> select the right paper, quality ( photo vs draft, etc),
>> >> and size settings.
>> >>
>> >> hope this helps
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> >-----Original Message-----
>> >> >Hi! I have been using a Canon PowerShot A60 digital
>> >> camera (2.0 megapixels),
>> >> >and I love it. I take a lot of pictures, but just for
>> >> personal use
>> >> >(vacations, parties, etc.). I just purchased an HP
>> >> Photosmart 245 photo
>> >> >printer and tested out a few sample pictures, printing
>> >> directly from my
>> >> >camera's memory card. The pictures came out ok, but
>> >> there is definitely a
>> >> >loss in quality compared to the same picture that I had
>> >> devloped from an
>> >> >online service.
>> >> >My question is: Should this printer give me pictures that
>> >> are
>> >> >indistinguishable from regularly depeloped pictures, and
>> >> if not, are there
>> >> >any reasonably-priced printers (under $150) that do?
>> >> >
>> >> >Thanks!
>> >> >Ilan
>> >> >.
>> >> >
>> >>
>>
>>
>> ---
>> Outgoing mail is AVG certified Virus Free.
>> Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
>> Version: 6.0.788 / Virus Database: 533 - Release Date: 11/1/2004
>>
>>
>>

Quantcast