Photograph Printing Considerations

The advances of digital technology and easy access to cameras that generate high-quality images mean that anyone can print their photos. It is not as easy as clinking 'print', but it's not complicated either. All it needs is an understanding of certain things that can affect the quality of the printed photo, and anyone can generate a professional-looking print. Here are some of the factors to consider:

Image Quality

Evaluating whether a photograph is good enough to be printed can be done by checking its DPI aspect. Dots Per Inch (DPI) refers to the measurement of the number of pixels used in a single inch, in the photo. A DPI measurement of 100 or below is considered far (or bad), a measurement between 100 and 200 is considered good, and a measurement of 300 or more is considered excellent.

Choice of Printer Type

The choice of printer affects the quality of the photograph in a major way. There are two main types of printers: document printers and photo printers. Document printers, as the name suggests, are used to print documents which are text-heavy. Photo printers, on the other hand, are used to print photographs and images only. Inkjet printers or inkjet cartridges that are specialised to print photos improve the quality of the prints by printing in six or eight colours, as opposed to the usual four. Having two extra colours to print with make them capable of printing a wider range of shades, and reduce the number of visible dots in the photograph.

Speed of printer

The sharpest results are delivered by inkjet cartridges or laser toner cartridges. An inkjet cartridge is ideal for home or small office use, while a laser toner cartridge can be more useful if the quantity of photographs to be printed is high. The volume of photos to be printed (and the regularity with which they are to be printed) can also determine the choice of printer, as inkjet printers take about three to four minutes to print a photo, while laser toner printers take about fifteen seconds for one.

Choice of Paper

Several types of photo printing paper are now available, and the choice depends on the type of photograph that needs to be printed. The most common types are papers with matte and gloss finish. Matte paper has a dull look, and does not reflect. However, matte paper can soak more ink and reduce the sharpness of the image. This paper is ideal for printing landscapes and other images that do not have too much detail.

Glossy paper is smooth to touch, and produces a vibrant image. This is the most common paper used for printing photos, partly due to the sharpness of the images, and also because they are slightly lesser-priced. Photos printed on glossy paper, however, can attract dust and fingerprint marks, so they need to be framed. They are best displayed at places where there is not too much sunlight, or too many lights that can cause reflections.

Some other commonly used varieties include: glossy laminated paper (which looks similar to a postcard), UV gloss (which makes the image extremely shiny), stickers (which have a back portion that can be peeled off) and pulp (which does not produce sharp prints.)