What to Consider When Buying a Photo Printer

The main thing to consider when buying a photo printer is what you're going to use it for. If you are going to be only using this printer for only printing a certain type or only actual picture photos then you'll want a very specific type of printer. This kind of printer is known as a dedicated printer since it is, well dedicated to printing photos. If you want a printer that can print great quality photos but can also handle a number of other printing tasks you'll be in the market for a near-dedicated printer.

That is the first big step in realizing what you'll be getting because there's no point in using that near dedicated printer as both a photo printer and a printer for all of your faxes. It will simply be a waste of the expensive ink and the potential of the printer. A near dedicated printer isn't just for an all in one home use printer, and photo quality prints it is simply meant to be a photo printer as well as handle other high quality printing needs. If you need a printer to print documents and photos you're probably not in the market for an actual “photo printer”, but a normal everyday printer.

Black and white Photos:

A photo printer may need to be tuned specifically for black and white photos since the grayscale and many minute shades can be very difficult to get smoothly in a printer designed for photos. Make sure that if you are going to be doing a large amount of black and white that you check out the printer and how it can handle those demands.

Resolution:

Photo resolution is a huge topic. If you are a photographer or need prints to be nothing less than perfect quality, then you'll need to spend the extra money investing in a printer that can cater to those needs. If you think that you could get away with something that isn't the best and greatest right now, then save your money for the next printer you'll buy. Look for the dots per inch, but consider that the rates are different for thermal and for ink jet!

Research:

These days the internet is your best friend when buying expensive electronics. There are expansive sites which their only purpose is to rate and supply buyer's information on the products out there. Here you can find people who needed exactly what you did and see how they fared and what they recommend.

Does Gutenberg Get the Last Laugh or Is He Spinning in His Grave?

The debate about print versus digital delivery of everything from college textbooks to newspapers and magazines has seen enough discussion to take out in the traditional print form, an entire forest. On the surface it would appear a foregone conclusion that the printed word (or picture) is going the way of the carrier pigeon.

While the financial motivation might be there there is more to this than meets the eye. The endgame will probably be some sort of coexistence for the foreseeable future. Let's look at both sides of the coin.

One area of division can clearly be found in the demographics along the lines of age. People who grew up with print generally like print. Certainly there are age related issues where larger type becomes required. This is an area where e-books can really shine. It is easy to adjust the font size and even the font in many cases.

Digital delivery absolutely crushes the cost overhead of traditional print. Of course making corrections is also clearly superior. The naysayers say that the displays are not up to snuff for print to be snuffed out. Clearly the folks holding that position have not looked at the latest versions of E-ink and E-display. Both the monochrome and color versions are becoming quite snappy.

Displays using Gorilla Glass and IPS (In Plane Switching) are replacing TFT displays in all but the lowest end devices.

If you've ever been involved in the details of putting out a technical manual you understand they thousands of dollars it must be paid to the professional indexer for creating the back of the book. An e-book eliminates this job niche. Annotation and notes can accompany hyperlinks in the E versions.

As a professional career author I switched over to E versions only several years ago. And even with this I am still not a complete bear in my view about print. Print will still be around, admittedly in a slightly different form. What is getting completely demolished is print and ship in large volume. In many cities entire newspapers have either gone completely digital (Seattle Post-Intelligencer), along with news-magazines (Newsweek).

Yet print will still be with us because of a new creation from Hewlett-Packard. Some years back they discovered the technical limits of the laser printer. They determined in the print process the fastest they will be able to go is one page a second (letter-size/A4). This is because the part known as fusing (where the toner is heated and pressed into the media) cannot go any faster than that.

However they have had some success with a two-part printing process of incredible color vibrancy and resolution. It is not unlike mixing two-part epoxy glue. First the media gets sprayed with a part A and then has a reaction (chemically) with a part B. if you have used one of the instant photo printers in one of the department stores you have probably experienced this technology and not known it.

It does not take a rocket scientist to see where digital delivery can be married to a localized print on demand.

There is a far larger force at work here that is accelerating an e-world. Is the ability for an author to work either solo or in a small team and not be beholden to a publishing company for getting their work out. Certainly that means there will be considerably more subpar material. It will also give the small diamond a chance to shine in its own niche.

Our near-term future seems less about print versus e-book. Rather far more about a change in the delivery methodology which includes much of the traditional book publishing joining the record industry in the La Brea tar pits along with the dinosaurs.

How 3d printing could change our lives

 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, allows a person to create an object based strictly on the concept as it exists in the creator’s mind. The object is built layer by layer until the complete object is formed. Unlike standard paper printing, where a two dimensional image is formed by ink on paper, 3D printing can take a three dimensional “real world” object and create it out of plastic or metal.

How Was 3D Printing Developed?

3D printing technology first developed in the 1980s by Charles W. “Chuck” Hull. He patented a solid imaging process that he called “stereo-lithography” or “3D printing”. In his patent, Hull defined stereo-lithography as a method and an apparatus for making solid objects by repeatedly “printing” thin layers of an ultraviolet curable material, one on top of the other. Using this method, a beam of concentrated ultraviolet light is focused on a container or vat filled with a liquid photopolymer. A computer controls the movement of the light beam, and the layers of the object are drawn onto the surface of the liquid material. When the beam hits the surface, the polymer solidifies in the shape defined by the computer program. Automobile manufacturers, aerospace companies, and the medical field, amongst others, are using this type of technology every day for a variety of uses.

3D Printing in Manufacturing and Other Fields

3D printers have been used extensively by designers in many fields to quickly create models and prototypes for testing new designs and modifications. But they are now also being used to create finished products. These revolutionary printers are now being used to manufacture furniture, tools, gift and novelty items, and even toys. Medical technologists can produce hearing aids, artificial teeth, prosthetics, and models of organs, tumors, or other internal components for study before invasive surgery.

3D Printing at Home?

As with so many other types of technology that were developed for large scale industrial uses, 3D printing is now available for home use. Artists use 3D printers to create sculptures, and jewelry makers develop wax castings for new jewelry designs. The possibility for home improvement use is almost endless: do-it-yourselfers can produce doorknobs, picture frames, drain stoppers, curtain hooks, and many more items. The range of uses for 3D printing is sure to grow and the cost of the technology will likely drop over the coming years.

Will 3D Printing Change Our Lives?

It is entirely possible that 3D printing will lead to a new industrial revolution. However, predictions of a world where every consumer is their own manufacturer have to be tempered with considerations of the cost of hardware and software, production materials, availability of templates or design capabilities, and numerous other factors.

The 3D printing technology has become a staple amongst industries and its uses help develop new items or help individuals get a closer look at things that aren’t normally able to be seen in a 3D manner. While 3D printing is still rising in popularity, it is one technology that is certainly different and definitely interesting.