InFocus | Photography
Home made
Until recently, photo printing was done almost exclusively at photo labs. The latest advances in photography and printing technology have changed this.
- By Andrea Anastasiou, Staff Writer
- Published: 02:37 October 27, 2007
- Image Credit: Pictures courtesy: HP
- Advances in home photo-printers have been dramatic over the last fiveyears,and these devices can now produce high quality prints that rival those previously obtained by photo labs.
While taking photos has become easier, so too has printing them. With a slew of home printers on the market, printing your own photos is as easy as saying cheese
Until recently, photo printing was done almost exclusively at photo labs. The latest advances in photography and printing technology have changed this.
Thanks to digital photography and digital printing, users now have new choices: printing at home, printing at kiosks or a mini lab, printing online, or not printing at all.
Do it yourself
Some of the best photographs today are digital. They can be e-mailed, shared online or put onto a slide show, or even printed at home.
Rashid Pasha, Marketing Manager for Kodak Middle East, explains why home printing is now by far the biggest trend.
"The boom in digital photography empowers consumers to do more with their images and get creative. Home printers have became a success due to the ease-of-use factor, and the freedom it gives consumers to print quality photos at home.
"The reduction in the price gap between the price of a lab print and the home printer has also encouraged the acceptance of home printers," says Pasha.
Dramatic advances
Advances in home photo-printers have been dramatic over the last five years, and these devices can now produce high quality prints that rival those previously obtained from photo labs.
The advantages of printing at home and the improvements in home printing technology mean this is often the best option consumers have today.
Khalil El-Dalu, General Manager of Epson Middle East says, "Users at home can print what they want. These new devices can take just 23 seconds to print an image. They are easy to use, and have good connectivity.
Types of printers
"On selected models, you can now use your memory card to print directly. Most cameras now have Pictbridge, whereby the camera is connected directly into the computer, and you can print from there," says El-Dalu.
Home photo-printers fall into three categories: inkjets, dedicated photo printers and professional photo-printers. Inkjet printers tend to be multi-purpose printers that print business applications and other documents, as well as photographs.
Dedicated photo printers are typically limited to printing on special-purpose, glossy paper. Many of these devices also print only on relatively small paper sizes (4x6 inches).
Professional photo printers are suitable for serious amateurs and professional photographers; the key characteristic of these printers is that they offer at least tabloid-sized (11x16 inches) output.
Photo-printers offer an assortment of convenient features. Pictbridge, for example, enables users to connect their digital cameras to the printer and print directly. Some offer a slot for memory cards.
Sherifa Hady, Consumer Business Manager, Imaging and Printing Group, HP Middle East, explains some of the latest features. "We have experienced a breakthrough in innovation in home photo-printing.
The benefits
"For example, some printers allow the user to edit, design and personalise photos with borders, text and creative graphics.
"You can even remove red-eye, enhance photos and make subjects more slender, without a PC ever being involved."
Home printing may be the most popular choice for consumers, however other methods of photo printing are still on offer and still have advantages.
Convenience
"Ease of use, privacy and convenience without the compromise of quality are the key advantages of home printing. However, home printing cannot replace the convenience of bulk photo printing at the store, because it is hassle free, more cost-effective and gives you the option of enlargements," says Pasha.
Photo labs now have technology whereby prints can be obtained from CDs. The user simply has to take the CD that contains the images they want printed to the lab, and the professionals will take care of the rest.
