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A photo printer is a printer designed for high quality digital photo printing on photo papers. The conventional inkjet printers and the modern digital printers require printer supplies that include inkjet refills and cartridge refills. There are several different models of printers requiring different compatible printer cartridges. These can either be new or remanufactured cartridges. Whether a person acquires a new or a remanufactured cartridge will depend on several factors. Before the era of digital printers, only the standard inkjet printers existed. The coming of photo printers brought a revolution and the birth of digital cameras even increased their use. Initially they were more expensive than the inkjet printers but they later dropped in prices when one company started offering less expensive photo printers. All major manufacturers of printers then followed suite and people really bought the printers.
Currently there are photo printers which print 4" x 6" photos. These compact printers do not require a computer at all and can also be found in larger sizes which can print 8" x 11", 10" x 14" and even larger photo sizes. The larger paper-size printers are manufactured by all major printer manufacturers which can handle different photo printer requirements. These printers are usually so good they have a guaranteed lifespan of over 100 years.
There are several significant differences between the standard inkjet printers and photo printers. To start with, photo printers use more printer cartridges than standard inkjet printers. They also make use of colors like light magenta, light black, photo cyan and yellow to be able to produce more realistic and vivid pictures. Standard inkjet printers use tricolor cartridges. Another plus on these printers is that they have digital memory cards that enable the printing of pictures without the need for a computer. Standard inkjet printers must make use of a computer to print.
Some photo printers have the capability of printing directly from cameras that support PictBridge protocol. PictBridge is a standard set in the photo industry by the Camera and Imaging Products Association (CIPA) on direct printing, which allows printing images directly to the printer from digital cameras. The majority of standard inkjet printers do not have these features. One of the latest printer technologies in the market today is photo printers that can print without using ink. The inkless printers are much smaller than conventional ink printers which make them both portable and convenient. The photo printers that are usually referred to as portable or mobile are printers that use wireless technology using signals instead of cables to print. However, most of them are just as big in size as conventional printers.
The inkless photo printer is a real portable printer that can comfortably fit into a purse or a pocket. The maintenance of these inkless printers is very easy since there are no printer supply costs and no toner refills or cartridge refills required. The best part of it however, is that no ink is required and thus no inconveniences are caused when looking for cheap remanufactured compatible cartridge.
Below is an explanation of the different kinds of printers and at least one recommendation for each type. In addition, I've provided some tips when looking to buy a printer.
Typical Inkjet Printers
These are printers that print both photos and text. They are sometimes called Photo Printers only because they produce high quality photo prints. However, the text printing quality can still be excellent.
The HP Photosmart D5460 Inkjet Printer is one you might consider. It is a good quality printer at an excellent price. Another good one is the Canon iP4600.
Photo Printers - Just For Photos
These are a good option if you are just looking for a printer to print your pictures but not text documents. Most of these printers allow you to print directly from the printer using either a memory card or a USB connection to your camera. You don't have to go through your computer to print. Sometimes these are portable, so that you can easily move them from room to room (or take themwith you)since they are light. Take a look at the Canon PIXMA iP100.
Multifunction Printers
These printers are also known as All-In-One printers, and they do it all...scan, print, copy, and sometimes fax. This type of printer is a real space-saver, as you just need the one machine for everything.
I recently purchased the Canon MX850, which also has a fax. It's a great machine, easy to use, and offers many options. For example, you can scan, and then choose the option to attach to email, save it as a PDF file, or just save it to your PC. I can also put in multiple pages for copying and choose the number of copies I want.
Portable Photo Printers
If you want to take a printer with you on the go, there are quite a few mobile printers. Bluetooth connectivity and batteries often come with these printers, and if not, you can purchase them separately. Some even off the option of connecting through the outlet in your car.
Although there are many portable photo printers, Canon makes an interesting one called the SELPHY CP770. It comes in a bucket so that you can easily carry it around with you. Another more typical mobile printer is the HP Officejet Mobile Printer H470.
When selecting a printer, there are a few specs that you should look at to determine if the printer is right for you.
1. The dpi, which determines the resolution, is indicated by two numbers, similar to this: 4800 x 1200. All you have to know is that when you are comparing different machines, the higher the numbers, the better the detail will be in your photos (generally speaking).
2. More ink colors produce better colored photos. It used to be that ink colors came in an all in one cartridge. Now, however, ink colors come separately. This is better economically, since you only have to replace one color as it runs out, not the entire cartridge. Often there are five or six separate ink colors in individual cartridges. The HP Photosmart Pro B8850 Printer is a higher end printer and has eight ink colors.
3. What size paper does the printer accommodate and what sizes are you looking for? Sizes above 8.5 x 11 are less common.
Knowing what you are looking for will help you to select the type of printer that is right for you.