Computers & Laptops

Photo printing has become a popular hobby now that most people have switched over to the easier to use digital cameras. However, if you love printing photos, you’ll want to keep reading for tips and strategies that are going to help you save money and improve the look of your printed shots.

Ways to Save on Ink

As you are well aware, photo printing uses up a great deal of ink. However, there are some ways you can lower your ink use and save money as a result. Here are some of the top ideas:

• Multiple test shots on one page. Doing test prints is a good way to prevent wasted supplies but you can cut down on your ink and paper use if you shrink the shots and print multiple ones on a single page.
• Buy multiple cartridges. Buying in bulk can definitely save you money. Plus, you’ll have the extra ink when you need it and won’t have to run out to the store before finishing your print job
• Have ink supplies shipped. While you may not save on the ink itself, you will save on gas and time since you won’t have to drive to your local store. Plus, shipping is often free for orders of a certain amount and printer ink cartridge costs usually guarantee you’ll reach that level

Improve Quality of Prints

Obviously, you want your finished prints to look as good as possible. Follow these ideas to improve their look.


Choose a high dpi printer. The dpi refers to the quality of the image that is produced by the printer. If you’re going to be striving for photo quality prints then choose a printer capable of doing at least 600 X 600 dpi.

Choose the right paper settings. When you set up your print options, you can usually select different types of printer paper. That does make a difference.

Raise your print quality settings. If you want to save ink most of the time, adjust your setting to the lowest quality possible (usually called draft) but always shoot it to the highest setting when you’re doing photo printing.

Make sure to keep your printer well-maintained. Make sure to keep the printer you use calibrated, aligned, and cleaned to produce the best prints possible. Running routine maintenance every 90 days or when you notice a reduction in quality is a good way to keep the shots looking good.

Speed up Photo Printing

Photo printing can be a bit time consuming, especially if you are trying to print a large batch. The tips below can help expedite the process a little.

Choose printers designed for photo printing. You’ll find plenty of options on the market which are designed to do a great job printing photos. Do your research and look at the tested times for photo prints. You can find some that will do the job in less than 45 seconds instead of up to 3 minutes.

Keep Photos Looking Great

Lots of photo printers forget the ink on those shots needs to be given time to dry. If you want to keep them looking good, let them dry in the air for about 12 hours before you do anything else with them. Make sure you have a place where they can be undisturbed and save during that time.

This article is written by Brenda Stokes. A longer version of this article is at Inkjet Printer Cartridge Recycling Franchises and main source of this article is Discount Printer Ink Cartridges.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Tips & Tools for Heavy Photo Printer User