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Fall 2005 Photo Printer Buyers Guide

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the and-knowing-is-half-the-battle dept.

lfescalante writes "DesignTechnica has some great tips on what to look for when buying a Photo Printer. From the article: 'Some of the best printers offer 9600 x 2400 DPI and over 50 levels of gradation. Another important specification for inkjet printers is ink drop size, typically measured in picoliters. The smaller the number, the more ink per square inch can be placed on the paper. The more ink, the more accurate and lifelike the color of the print.'"

4 of 189 comments (clear)

  1. And ... by Alranor · · Score: 5, Informative

    The most important specification for /. readers:

    Is it supported on Linux? :)

    You can check at linuxprinting.org

  2. Why pay for your own? by LarsWestergren · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Ok, having your own photo printer is conventient, and as geeks we love our tech toys of course, but remember that these days you can have your digital images printed professionally at photo labs VERY cheap.

    The prints will last longer, and cost per page is probably going to be the same or even lower, as the printer manufacturers keep jacking up the price for new ink cartriges and use ever more draconian tech and/or EULA measures to prevent cheap no-name replacements/refills.

    --

    Being bitter is drinking poison and hoping someone else will die

    1. Re:Why pay for your own? by RandoX · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Because some places refuse to print your work if it looks too good.

  3. Re:So by iangoldby · · Score: 5, Insightful

    When you're out shopping, the higher the resolution, the smaller the dots...

    No, higher resolution does not necessarily mean smaller drops. Smaller drop size means smaller drops.

    The best way to gauge any printer's photo capabilities is looking at sample prints at the store

    Except that these are often highly tweaked images and are sometimes even printed from a demo application that doesn't even use the usual printer driver.

    or on printer company websites.

    Huh? Am I supposed to judge from an image on the website, or should I download a sample and print it out? (It reminds me of a TV ad trying to demonstrate how much better the colours are on their TV...)

    Another important specification for inkjet printers is ink drop size, typically measured in picoliters. The smaller the number, the more ink per square inch can be placed on the paper.

    No, the smaller the drop size, the more dots are needed to lay down an equivalent amount of ink.

    I stopped reading at this point.