Print
Better Images.
By: TJ
Tierney
It is often the simple things that spoil an image. Using simple techniques
and a little care, you can easily give you images the attention
that will do them justice. The materials used in printing
your images play an important factor in the quality of the
finished print.
Printer: When buying a printer think about the materials that
you’ll be using. If your are going to be printing your images
in large format buy a printer that can handle rolls of photographic
paper. These printers are usually more expensive, but great
savings can be made when buying paper.
Paper: Photographic paper comes in many different sizes and
textures. It doesn’t do any harm to test a few different papers
from different manufacturers to see which one suits your needs.
Ink: When buying inks for your printer I would strongly
recommend that you buy from your printer’s manufactures. Third
party inks will give you great savings but may not be suited
for your printer.
When buying a printer, photographic paper or inks, it is advisable
to plan well in advance. If you are only going to print a
small amount of images it may be better using your local photo
lab. If you’re planning to sell a large amount of images,
your own printer will be very valuable. Having your own printer
will ensure that you can process orders immediately after
getting them.
In today’s world, offering a speedy delivery can be the difference
in making a sale. Using a third party to print your images
may take a week or more before you’ll get your images back.
This will not be good for your business.
Presentation.
When you are happy with the quality of your printer you now
need to consider presentation. Placing an image in to a cheap
frame will not do anything for your prints. Presentation is
all about giving your images the impact they truly deserve.
Before you print your images start thinking about presentation.
It is often very effective to add a white border in Photoshop
before printing. If you decide against Photoshop I would recommend
that you mount your image before framing.
When finished printing match your prints to your computer
screen. If you think you have a problem with your final print
you may need to calibrate your computer. This is a common
problem with a lot of people printing at home. Most advance
photographic software comes with a basic calibration program,
which can be simply used in improving results.
Printing Tips:
Before you print your images do a final check to make sure
colours are perfect and that there are no marks on your image.
Make sure that you have the right quality settings on your
printer.
Always use the best printing options available on your printer.
If you are using heavyweight paper - load the paper one sheet
at a time. This will avoid clogging.
Once you are happy with your printing, allow your prints to
rest for 24 hours, place a sheet of plain paper between each
print when storing your images.
Other printing tips: Most ink and paper companies claim that
their product dry instantly - this means that they are dry
to touch. If you print you own images there are a few important
points to follow before framing.
1 - allow your prints to rest for 15 minutes after printing.
2 - after 15 minutes place a sheet of white paper over the
print - use standard paper - don’t use photographic paper.
The paper acts as a sponge absorbing the outgoing gases from
the printing process. Allow this process to continue for twenty-four
hours.
3 - if the plain paper is crimped once removed, repeat the
process for another twenty-four hours. If not, your image
is ready for framing.
TJ Tierney. Award winning Irish Landscape Photographer. If
you are looking for more tips visit: Photo
tips. To view some of his images visit his on-line gallery:
Pictures
of Ireland
Article Source: http://www.free-articles-zone.com
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