Digital Camera Printer: Making the Printing Process Easier

by: Ismael D. Tabije

Gone are the days of the box-camera – it is the age of digital technology and digital cameras have taken over the entire range of photography. However, at its early stages, digital photography had eclipsed the most exciting aspect of seeing what you have clicked on photographic prints. Things have changed and various digital camera printers with many unique and useful features are now available to take care of this deficiency.

As these digital camera printers do not need a computer to give you the prints, you can print directly from the camera and this makes it very convenient and portable. However, deciding which printer, out of the hundreds flooding the market, would suit you best is the most important question. Given below are the special features and other information relating to these cameras that will help you make the right choice.

In order to get prints at home, digital camera printers have special features ranging from paper sensors that recognize photo media to built-in editing tools. The other special features are given below:

• Memory Card Slots: If you have a memory card slot, all that you have to do is to insert your camera’s memory card and print. You don’t need a computer or any cables.

• Color LCD screen: You can see the photos on a color LCD screen before you print.

• Front-panel buttons: If you want to preview, edit or remove the red eyes, you should choose a printer that has front-panel buttons for this purpose.

• Photo proof sheets: Thumbnail images on a printed page can be displayed on photo proof sheets to enable you to preview and choose the photos you wish to print.

• One-touch connections: You can have one-touch connections to your printer, TV, and PC if you place your camera in a built-in dock for printing directly from your camera. The other advantage is that you can recharge your batteries every time you connect.

Besides considering the above factors you should also consider the following paper-handling factors before you decide which digital camera printer you wish to buy.

• Capacity: It is cumbersome to keep on adding paper to the printer. As such the number of sheets a printer can hold is important. Generally personal printers hold between 100 and 300 sheets.

• Versatility: Choose the printer that can print on the type of paper you wish to use. Some printers cannot print on certain types of papers that other printers can.

• Paper size: Your choice of a printer should be such that it can handle letter (8 1/2" x 11") and legal (8 1/2" x 14") sizes, as well as borderless 4" x 6" and 5" x 7" photo paper, panoramic paper, and envelopes.

• Image Quality: The prices of the printers of color photographs, though high in the beginning, have now come down and are within the reach of the average buyer but you must ensure that the printer can deliver photo realistic results, which should be as close to real photographic prints as possible.

• Print Resolution: For fine details and smooth gradation the print resolution should be about 2,400 x 1,200 dpi and this would be more than sufficient.

These digital camera printers store the images we capture on a memory storage device like a memory stick, a memory card, or even the camera’s built-in memory. There are many people who would also like to have actual copies of their photographs. It is a matter of choice and depending on your needs you can choose the best digital camera printer. The above-mentioned features will help you in making the right choice.