What’s a good review of photo printers? One that show pictures? A review that compares one printer to another? How to tell if it’s a good review? Glad you asked because her you will find what to look for in a good review for a photo printer.
The very best photo printer review will cover the printer, prints and compares them to another printer. This way you have a choice since there at a gazillion different printer and printer manufactures.
So what should be covered in the printer? The review should cover the type of ink used, (inkjet or dye-sublimation) portability, (can you take it with you) mini or snapshot printer, and what type of paper (easy to get or special order) and what size the printer will produce (4x6—8x10).
The review should also cover the type of prints and paper the photo printer can use. There are many different types of paper, glossy, matte, professional, semi-glossy, semi-matte, etc. also whether the paper has to be special ordered or can you pick it up at the local office supply store. The review should include some pictures that were actually printed with the printer to show you what quality the printer will produce.
The review with charted data and technical data is almost lost unless you are very technical and need the specs. It tells you they don’t really have much to say about the quality of the printer and its capabilities. It should have a minimum amount of technical jargon.
The photo printer review should cover a comprehensive review that the customer can understand and not have your eyes glaze over or your brain freeze. Also be on the look out for the reviews of “I like this printer- it makes good photographs”, they need to explain and show the difference in a regular prints (4x6) and the enlargement to printer can make.
To check out some good reviews and what to look for you can go to PC Magazine or PrinterInfo.com to see what good review should look like. They provide a comprehensive review that covers current printers. CNet.com reviews cover more compact type and they had detailed and comparative reviews. Consumer Reports also has reviews but they are limited to charted data and opinions.
You might want to check out other websites to see what they say in their review and don’t forget Amazon.com. They have actual uses in their comment section that report on how they like or didn’t like with that product. Some of the reviews are very comprehensive, where others are just how they like the produce and would recommend it to a friend. But you can depend on those review as being honest and forthcoming.
All printer manufacture claim their printers produce the best quality prints so make sure you evaluate the printers before you buy and do a lot of research on reviews before you decide on a printer.
Remember everyone has an opinion on what they consider what is good and bad in a photo printer.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Epson’s Photo Printers Review
Epson PictureMate Express Printer
With a touch of a button you can have quality photos that look like lab prints. It’s time to go for broke and get a photo printer that will produce superior high resolution pictures. That’s where Epson’s photo printer comes in.
Print straight to the printer without a computer or messy cables. You can use your digital camera’s memory card to print photos in less than 2 minutes. Your photos will be water, smudge and fade proof. Well, they certainly know how to write some good copy—however...in this case they match Epson PictureMate Express Printer to a T.
Epson designed the PictureMate Express with the hobby photographer in mind but it can print professional quality pictures as well. The prints will last two to four times longer than lab prints and up to 200 years in plastic sleeves. Well, I’m not going to be around for 200 years but future generations will be and it will be nice for them to see how we lived back then. (But then they will have holograms technology so they won’t need pictures)
The printer supports up to 5760 dpi, black and white or sepia tones, with or without borders photos. It uses a unique six-color pigment technology that makes the photo water and smudge proof. This same technology is how the photos can last for many years.
Epson’s PictureMate Express is called one-touch printing because that’s all it takes to print a photo. Easy to use and set up (just take it out of the box and plug it in) you can be printing your photos in a matter of minutes. It comes with a full in cartridge and 20 sheets of photo paper.
One of the disadvantages of this printer is you don’t get a preview of your picture but you can get the Deluxe model that does have the viewer. I found the quality of the pictures to be excellent, as close to lab prints as you can get.
Most of the reviewers have it right about Epson's PictureMate system—it is easy to setup and use. It can be hooked up to your computer or you can print your photos right to the printer. The Epson's PictureMate system is small enough to take where ever you want to it and print any type of picture.
This photo printer will print wallet and 4 x 6 size photos with or without borders. I like that it will print black and white photos. I haven’t tied the sepia color prints yet but it will print them without any special chemical or print cartridges.
This is a photo printer I can recommend to my friends and family—especially the ones who have problems figuring out their digital cameras.
Tips for Finding and Buying Photo Printer
You’ve got that nice high performance digital camera and a ton of pictures and the only place anyone can see them is on your computer or camera. What you need to buy is a photo printer to send your photos to everybody.
But choosing to buy a printer is not going to be an easy choice. There are a host of them around and several manufactures. Makers of printers are very good and they have good reputations but when choosing to buy a printer you need to choose a brand.
Brands are the companies that make printers and some of them have been making them for years. So what to look for in a digital camera photo printer?
Remember the printer market is very competitive and everyone has their own opinion about which printer is the best, so it pays to do your research first before talking to a sales person. Remember they sometimes get paid on commission....
So what you want in a printer must be how good the picture will turn out. Not the subject but the picture. Does the printer produce professional looking pictures? Are the ink refills easy to replace? What is the cost of the replacement ink cartridges? Is the photo paper readily available? Will you have to printer your pictures several times to get the perfect print?
These are all questions you should ask before you buy a printer. Photo printers are designed with the photo in mind unlike regular inkjet printers. Although you can print your photos on one the quality is not the same.
Check to see if the manufacture offers rebates or coupons before purchasing a photo printer. You should be able to get one for under $200.
But choosing to buy a printer is not going to be an easy choice. There are a host of them around and several manufactures. Makers of printers are very good and they have good reputations but when choosing to buy a printer you need to choose a brand.
Brands are the companies that make printers and some of them have been making them for years. So what to look for in a digital camera photo printer?
Remember the printer market is very competitive and everyone has their own opinion about which printer is the best, so it pays to do your research first before talking to a sales person. Remember they sometimes get paid on commission....
So what you want in a printer must be how good the picture will turn out. Not the subject but the picture. Does the printer produce professional looking pictures? Are the ink refills easy to replace? What is the cost of the replacement ink cartridges? Is the photo paper readily available? Will you have to printer your pictures several times to get the perfect print?
These are all questions you should ask before you buy a printer. Photo printers are designed with the photo in mind unlike regular inkjet printers. Although you can print your photos on one the quality is not the same.
Check to see if the manufacture offers rebates or coupons before purchasing a photo printer. You should be able to get one for under $200.
So You Want to Buy A Photo Printer...
Thanks to the popularity of digital cameras, most photo printers are now amazingly affordable and easy-to-use — and many of them don't even need to be connected to a PC. Photo printers have one thing to do: turn your brilliantly colored digital pictures into high-quality photo prints.
When shopping for a digital photo printer here are a few things to consider.
Most printers have a media slot that accepts a memory card so make sure you memory card will fit the printer you buy. There are some that connect with wireless and USB cables so you can print your photos without having to take out your memory card. With a USB you can connect to your computer and edit them as needed and print.
Find out which technology you might prefer. They are dye sublimation and inkjet technology. Dye sublimation is a photo printer that uses heat to vaporize the dyes on the surface of the photo paper. They create a smooth, lifelike gradation of color that permeates the paper’s surface. The printer applies a special coating to protect photos from fading and provide a resistance to moisture and oil from fingerprints. They will produce realistic colors with even tones.
The inkjet photo printer paints the image on the paper with a series of very tiny dots almost like a miniature paint spray gun. Hence the name, inkjet. A lot of the inkjet printers are multifunctional. They can scan, copy and fax documents and photos. They are capable of printing crisp pictures on photo paper at a high rate of speed. If you'll be printing lots of photos, or want the versatility of printing text documents too, consider an inkjet photo printer.
Just what is resolution and how much do you need?
The crisper, sharper you want your picture the higher the resolution on the photo printer. The higher the number (i.e. 200 dpi, 300 dpi, etc.) the better the resolution especially on inkjet printers. Dye sublimation photo printers offer a 300 dpi while inkjets have 1200 to 9600 dpi. The difference is dye sublimation numbers are just number whereas the inkjet it’s dot per inch. The resolution cannot be accurately compared between dye sublimation and inkjet printers — a dye sublimation print made at 300 dpi often looks as nice as a 4800 dpi print made on an inkjet printer.
Another consideration you should keep in mind is Portability. If you want to take your photo printer to parties, family reunions, and other get places make sure the model you choose is easy to transport. Some are not!
Also check to see what size of photo they will print. Some photo printers only print 4 x 6 prints. Others will print up to 8 x 12. One more consideration is the wireless photo printer. If you want quick, easy, and fast photo have a printer with wireless connection it the way to go. They have a built-in Wi-Fi and can be set up for multi users but watch out the kids don’t use all the photo paper.
When shopping for a digital photo printer here are a few things to consider.
Most printers have a media slot that accepts a memory card so make sure you memory card will fit the printer you buy. There are some that connect with wireless and USB cables so you can print your photos without having to take out your memory card. With a USB you can connect to your computer and edit them as needed and print.
Find out which technology you might prefer. They are dye sublimation and inkjet technology. Dye sublimation is a photo printer that uses heat to vaporize the dyes on the surface of the photo paper. They create a smooth, lifelike gradation of color that permeates the paper’s surface. The printer applies a special coating to protect photos from fading and provide a resistance to moisture and oil from fingerprints. They will produce realistic colors with even tones.
The inkjet photo printer paints the image on the paper with a series of very tiny dots almost like a miniature paint spray gun. Hence the name, inkjet. A lot of the inkjet printers are multifunctional. They can scan, copy and fax documents and photos. They are capable of printing crisp pictures on photo paper at a high rate of speed. If you'll be printing lots of photos, or want the versatility of printing text documents too, consider an inkjet photo printer.
Just what is resolution and how much do you need?
The crisper, sharper you want your picture the higher the resolution on the photo printer. The higher the number (i.e. 200 dpi, 300 dpi, etc.) the better the resolution especially on inkjet printers. Dye sublimation photo printers offer a 300 dpi while inkjets have 1200 to 9600 dpi. The difference is dye sublimation numbers are just number whereas the inkjet it’s dot per inch. The resolution cannot be accurately compared between dye sublimation and inkjet printers — a dye sublimation print made at 300 dpi often looks as nice as a 4800 dpi print made on an inkjet printer.
Another consideration you should keep in mind is Portability. If you want to take your photo printer to parties, family reunions, and other get places make sure the model you choose is easy to transport. Some are not!
Also check to see what size of photo they will print. Some photo printers only print 4 x 6 prints. Others will print up to 8 x 12. One more consideration is the wireless photo printer. If you want quick, easy, and fast photo have a printer with wireless connection it the way to go. They have a built-in Wi-Fi and can be set up for multi users but watch out the kids don’t use all the photo paper.
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