Have you taken a lot of photographs? Is your camera full? Looking to transform them into great quality prints? If you answered yes to any of these questions then it is time for a good quality printer! Good digital cameras need to be complimented with a high resolution photo printer. The machine should mix performance with productivity and sharp print resolution. There are many companies today who offer such products. HP Canon and Fujitsu are just a few that come to mind when we think of high quality printing.
There are two kinds of printers used for digital cameras. They are the dye sublimation printer and ink jet printer.
A dye sublimation printer employs a printing process that uses heat to transfer dye to a medium such as a plastic card, printer or poster paper. This process is known as sublimation. Sublimation is when a solid directly transforms into gas without the liquid stage in between. The printing process involves laying one color at a time using a ribbon that has color panels. Most dye-sublimation printers use CMYO colors which differ from the more recognized
CMYK colors in that the black dye is dispensed with in favor of a clear overcoating. This overcoating, (which has numerous names depending on the manufacturer), is effectively a thin laminate which protects the print from discoloration from UV light and the air while also rendering the print water resistant. These units are excellent for photographs and do a very good job printing them. It is hard to recognize the difference between a normal photo from a film and a print from a dye sub print.
On the other hand, ink jet printers have a completely different way of working. These machines spray very small and precise amounts of ink onto the media. They consist of nozzles that produce very small ink bubbles that turn into tiny droplets of ink. The dots formed are the size of tiny pixels. Ink-jet printers can print high quality text and graphics. They are also almost silent in operation. They are cheaper than laser printers, but are expensive to run, as their cartridges need to be frequently replaced.
Some of the best quality models are produced by Canon and HP.
I took a look at two printers one from Canon (dye sub printer) and the other one from HP (Ink jet model) to gain an over view of the choices that consumers, professionals and enthusiasts can expect from a good printing unit.
The Canon CP-300 is a complete printing system in an extremely compact machine. Portability is the key thing with this printer. With rechargeable batteries, this one can be carried. The machine is pict bridge compatible. Just plug in your camera with an USB cable and the machine will print out your photos at resolutions up to 300×300 dpi.
The HP photo smart is an Inject printer. IT can print high quality photographs. If your Camera supports wireless through blue tooth technology, then this machine is right for you. This model also has support for reading compact flash cards and provides 4 slots allowing you to print directly from the cards you use in your camera. An excellent choice if you don’t want portability.
A good photo printer is very important with your digital camera. The two go hand in hand and if a wise choice is made at the beginning, then a lot of problems are avoided later on. For a photo enthusiast, a printer is a must and he or she can not buy a camera alone with out a machine to show off the latest tricks with the magical picture producing digicam.