Personal printing has changed so much for the world we live in. Inkjets? Laser toner? Photoshop? Watermarks? Contrast? Hue? The details are staggering, for those initiated. But have you ever been in the house of someone who really got it? Not someone with cheap blurred scrap paper sheets taped up to the walls everywhere, but someone with the know how and the artistic eye to take scenes from their life, capture them on camera, and then make that image into a beautiful poster, or a collage frame? Or perhaps they’ve simply taken an image, paired it with the perfect frame, and allowed its natural beauty (apparently) to take over?
While this type of person represents an intersection between natural talent and learned skills, the fact is that just about anyone can learn to use the technology necessary to create beautiful images and memories (although the natural eye for it is pretty much genetic). Now, you can always go to a professional photographer, but using a professional to clean up your images, print them, and consult as to their placement is sure to get expensive in a hurry. It is much cheaper (and more fun) to do it yourself. Here are some quick guides to the technology you’ll probably need and how to use them.
First you are going to need a good camera. Now, one of the slim wallet sizes are perfectly convenient to have in your purse or pocket, but the quality of image that they capture leaves a lot to be desired, and cleaning up a picture that doesn’t have enough resolution in it to begin with is a losing battle. Fortunately, modern cameras have never brought so much quality to the game for so little. So go, invest in your memories and get something which will take pictures you can be proud of later.
Once you get yourself the shots you need (and let it be spontaneous when you do it) you are going to want a quality photo editing program. Iphoto and Photoshop are notable examples and have served thousands well over the years. These often have an auto adjust feature which can make your job real easy. But don’t stop there. These photos can do much more than destroy red eyes and acne (which is nothing small by the way). You can soften edges, fix bad smiles or closed eyes with faces from similar pictures (always take two in a big group), adjust color and contrast, warmth and hue, and can help create a lot of fun and interesting details as well. Have fun with it, learn a bit. There are guidebooks and classes for those especially interested in the program and all it can do for you as well, and if you do show an aptitude for graphic design, there is very good money to be had there.
As far as printing, you have some significant options.
Easy and cheap, you have your corner drugstore. CVS, Walgreens, WalMart, and a number of other respectable companies often have specials which can take your images and turn them into high quality prints for ten cents a piece! And did you know that they can do posters as well? This can make personalized wall decorations and centerpieces, refrigerator images, and much more easy and cheap—and instill them with memories and emotions that a poster from the store, no matter how beautiful, will simply lack.
Now, if you are in the market for a photo book to mark a special event like a birth or a wedding, you may want to consider these stores as well, or look online for sites such as picaboo or snapfish. These give you the software to plug your photos in and print a high resolution, glossy, hardcover set of memories sure to impress everyone who opens it, and to last for years as well. These books are favored for being user friendly, customizable, and easy on the scrapbooking fingers.
If you decide to print your pictures yourself, however, you should go for some high quality photo paper. While it is cheap and convenient to print images on stock paper, the fact is that you look like a high school student decorating their locker thanks to the school library. It should be glossy and sized to your liking. Also, make sure you put it in right side up. Next, you are going to want to set your printer to the highest settings. While this can be hard on your ink supply, you’ll appreciate the difference. Make sure that you have the appropriate Lexmark, Dell, Epson, or HP ink cartridges and that they are fresh. Getting half way through a poster when your HP toner cartridges tap out is a frustrating and expensive mistake. Also, make sure that you have the best printer for the job or you can go somewhere and find a friend or a business that does.
Inkjets are the most common printers, which print slow and nosily and use a lot of liquid ink. However, these printers are favored for images due to the sharp and lasting colors. LaserJet images often smear on photo paper and are not always recommended unless your situation is unique.