Good quality printers are increasingly available at affordable prices. One of the benefits of this is that people can print their own photographs at home without needing to spend time and money at professional photo laboratories.

However, there are times when home printed photographs turn out to be very disappointing, in terms of their quality. The colours may not be vibrant, the images may be blurred, the printed photograph may fade quickly or the colours may not be rendered in the same way as they appear on the computer screen.

Fortunately, there are simple steps that anybody can take to increase the quality of their photo printing at home. The first is to look at the digital image itself.

Image File Quality

If the quality of the image file is poor on screen, it will be very difficult to print it well. One common cause of lower quality images is cropping them too much. The more a photograph is cropped the fewer of its pixels remain. This means that in order for an image to be high quality, there must be enough of it left to avoid the tell-tale jagged, pixellated edges of over-cropped images.

If a photograph is slightly blurred, many image manipulation programs offer an option to sharpen it. Overuse of this can cause images to become distorted, but the occasional use of an image editor\’s sharpening tool is very effective in cutting out slight blur. This will improve the appearance of the image when it is printed.

Choosing the correct photo paper

Another vital component of printing a great quality photo on your home printer is the paper you use. For the best rendering of photographs, photo paper is available in many variations and sizes to suit any personal preference. Better quality paper produces better quality photo prints, so be wary of budget brands if you are looking for top quality images.

In the printer settings menu on your computer, select the correct type of paper. The printer shoots out different amounts of ink for different types of paper, and glossy paper will quickly run or smudge if the settings are wrong.

Because of the texture of photo paper, do not pick it up or move it for several minutes after printing. The ink may run, and it is very easy to leave fingerprints in an otherwise perfect photo.

Printer Ink and Calibration

Use the best quality ink available. In the vast majority of cases, this means using the correct branded ink rather than refilled cartridges which may be of low quality and can even damage your printer. Branded ink cartridges may cost a little more, but if you are looking for great quality, they are essential.

It is also important to run a calibration test if your printer is not performing in the way you would like to. This is not as frightening as it sounds – it is simply a way for the printer to make sure that it is releasing the correct amount of ink of each colour. If your images are not being rendered in the way you would like and you have followed all the steps above, print a test page via your printer software, and any calibration problems can be identified and remedied.

By following these steps it is possible to turn disappointing, poor quality home photo prints into top-class, premium-quality images to be admired. Making sure that the image files are prepared, the correct paper is selected, and the printer ink is of the best quality and performing well will make the world of difference to your home printed photographs.

Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of Cartridge World, the UK\’s leading specialist in refillable toner cartridges and ink cartridges.

Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of Cartridge World (http://www.cartridgeworld.co.uk), the UK\’s leading specialist in printer cartridges.

Author Bio: Ben Greenwood is writing on behalf of Cartridge World, the UK\’s leading specialist in refillable toner cartridges and ink cartridges.

Category: Arts and Crafts
Keywords: inkjet cartridges, toner cartridges, printer cartridges