Re: Photo printer - good quality?

From: Ilan (Ilan_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 11/30/04 

Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2004 21:55:05 -0800

Barry,

Thanks for the reply. I'm really only interested in 4x6 pix, and the online
quality was great for those. I went out and purchased a Canon Pixmar 5000 -
if I'm not mistaken, it had 9600 x 2400 dpi, which may have been enough to
get excellent 4x6 prints, even with my 2 MP camera. Plus, you only need to
change the ink for the specific colors that run out, saving on ink costs.
Only, I retruned it before I even opened the box, because I did some
calculations, and between the high quality paper and all the ink, it worked
out to cost about 35 cents/print vs about 25 cents/professionally developed
pic. So, the more pictures I printed, the more costly it would be! I'll
continue to have my pix developed by someone else until the technology is
cheap enough to do it myself and get the same results.

Thanks,
Ilan

"Barry" wrote:

> 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
> >>
> >>
> >>
>
>
>

Loading