Monday, April 11, 2005

Photo Printing from Your PC

Now that everyone and their mother are investing in digital photography, doesn't it make sense to purchase a photo printer along with your new digital camera so that you can develop your own photos? Well, in this case, printing your own photos, as you no longer will have to wait one to 24 hours to have your photos developed at your local convenience store. You also will not longer have to pay seven to eight dollars for 32 pictures to be developed, knowing full well that 12 of them won't turn out no matter what miracles occur that day.

Photo printing from your personal computer, whether it be a desktop or laptop, a Macintosh or a Windows-based machine, has never been easier. Most printers come with the software, cables and even photo paper to get you started. Some companies, such as Hewlett Packard (www.hp.com) are packaging many of their popular digital cameras with photo printers in combination deals for half the price it would cost for both to be bought individually. This makes it very affordable for the average computer user who might spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars a year to buy film and develop their film locally; so, for spending maybe $500, you can save much more by doing it yourself and taking the leap into the wide world of digital cameras and printing only the photos you want to distribute for friends, family and colleagues.

Why should you opt to photo print from your computer? Well, first, you should realize that you don't have to invest in a digital camera in order to be able to print photos from your computer. This is a common myth among those who invest in photo printers, but nowadays, maybe places that develop rolls of films realize that many will print additional copies from their computers and they give you the option to get your pictures on a CD-Rom or over the internet. This way you can print from home and enjoy the picture in a compact and concise way that's not only easy to save but also easy to make your own copies without having to rush out the store to get for your needs.

Once you understand that you don't need to invest in a digital camera, and then you can find the right photo printer for your needs. If you are going to be printing most of your own photos as opposed to getting them printed by a developer, you'll want to invest in a high-quality and long-lasting photo printer. This way your photo printer won't run out of steam in the middle of printing, as many printers will eventually die of old age because of use, that's the primary reason you should invest in a long-term printer for photographs which will place more wear and tear on it than a conventional printer.

Photo printing begins when you get your photo printer and hook it up to your computer. From there, you'll want to install any necessary software and drivers as well as make sure it works. Once the software and drivers are installed, most programs will allow for a test printing making sure that it not only hooked up properly but is printing correctly with its toner cartridge. Many average computer users make the mistake of thinking that a printer is broken when all they need to do is change the toner or shake it to get it moving again. If your photo printer works fine, you're all set to begin printing your pictures, but if there is a problem, you'll want to contact the company's customer support and see what you can do on your own to fix it. Hopefully, you'll be able to fix it yourself, and if not, most will pay to have it shipped to and fro in order for technicians to have a look at and to repair it in good time.

It's always wise to invest in a warranty for a photo printer especially if you expect a long lifetime from it. This warranty will often cost a bit more, but it is well worth it if something does go wrong, which will happen from time-to-time. It's always wise to invest in a warranty on long-term projects, whether they are photography-related or computer-related, to aid you should something go wrong.

Finding the right printer for your needs is all about shopping around, comparing and contrasting, as well as realizing that it will cost a pretty penny. In the end, however, the investment will be well worth it as the printer will be capable of catering to all your photographic needs.

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