By Reuben Lee
24/09/2002
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/digitalliving/tips/0,3800004921,39084600,00.htm

The beauty of digital photography lies not just in the convenience of capturing images, but also on the flexibility of converting your photos into prints. With a good photo printer, you no longer have to make that trip down to the nearest photo kiosk.

Technological advancements in the various fields of consumer printers now make it possible to produce photo-quality prints right in the comfort of your own home. The current trend points toward printers equipped with direct digicam connectivity or built-in memory card readers, so you can even print without using a PC.

While printing your own photos is easy and in most cases fun, it can be an expensive affair. Special paper media and ink consumables alone can cost a bundle, particularly if you make lots of prints for friends and relatives. There's also the initial investment to be factored in for the six-color photo inkjet or 4R dye-sublimation printer.

Still, this need not detract from your enjoyment of seeing your photos in print, if you keep the following cost-saving suggestions in mind.

Tip #1: Make draft prints

One of the most effective ways to save on ink and photo paper costs is to make a test print on cheap plain paper before embarking on the actual project. It may sound contradictory at first since you will be using more ink for the test print. But by ensuring the correct print resolution and paper size settings, this actually helps prevent wastage and, at the same time, preempt clogged print nozzles or alignment problems.

Tip #2: Multiple photos on one sheet of media

You can cut down on media costs by printing a few pictures onto one large photo sheet. For example, instead of four separate 4R (4 x 6-inch) prints, they can all be printed on one A4 sheet, and later cut with scissors. (Many printer manufacturers now bundle software printing applications that let you do that easily.) This way, a pack of 15-sheet Photo Paper Pro media (S$23; US$13) from Canon can give 60 prints, comparatively more cost-effective than the 20-sheet 4R pack which costs S$16 (US$9).

Users should note, though, that the size of each photo printed on the A4 sheet is actually a little smaller than actual 4R prints. The difference is quite minimal, however, thanks to the borderless printing capabilities of printers these days.

Tip #3: Play with printer utilities

Don't just stick with the default settings on the printer. It helps to know how to adjust the print quality settings for different types of prints, as higher-resolution prints use more ink and sometimes it isn't necessary to utilize maximum resolution when the source image doesn't justify it.

Tip #4: Take care of your printer

Like all other electronic appliances, a printer is most effective when it is in tip-top condition. Pay special attention to the print head. When you are not using the printer, employ a cover to keep off any dust and dirt. Better still, store the printer in a cool, dust-free environment so that the ink on the print head will not dry up and clog the nozzles.

The same applies for the paper media. It is important to keep these properly stored when not in use as they can get rather dusty when left exposed over time. This will affect not just the print quality but may also damage the print head.

In cases where the clogging is not so serious, you can rectify this easily by using the cleaning utility found on most printers. Use this only when necessary as it drains your ink cartridge. For printers whose print head cannot be unclogged, you can either get a new ink cartridge (for those that come with print heads) or replace the print head altogether, which can be quite costly.

Tip #5: Share a printer

Photo printers, unlike ordinary inkjets, are not designed for printing documents. So unless you print a lot of photos regularly, the printer is pretty much left unused most of the time. Therefore, if you have a group of friends who intend to print their own digicam photos, why not consider sharing a printer among yourselves? Besides paying only a portion of the printer and consumables cost, the printer is also kept in use most of the time, preventing ink clogs on the print nozzles.

Tip #6: Make loads of prints

Printing your own photos may be fun, but if you intend to make more than 50 prints, we suggest you send your images to a photo lab instead. Not only is it more economical at the present cost of S$0.50 (US$0.28) for a 4R print, plus a one-time handling fee of about S$2 (US$1.12), it is also less time-consuming.