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A special service for PCPhoto Readers powered by
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Printing Without A Computer
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Create Quality Prints With Only A Digital Camera And Printer
By Ibarionex R. Perello
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You can spend a
good amount of time enhancing an image using your photo-editing
software, but do you really want to do that for each and every
image? Sometimes you just want a quality print as quickly as
possible. Thankfully, both camera and printer manufacturers
have introduced features that make it a snap to create outstanding
prints, even without the use of a computer. |
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Direct
Connectivity
Many of today’s photo products enable direct connectivity
between your camera and the printer. This is provided either
via a printer’s built-in card reader or a USB cable. Printers
such as the Epson Stylus Photo R300, Canon i900D Photo and Hewlett-Packard
PSC 2510 Photosmart include a multi-format card reader that
accepts a variety of media cards, including CompactFlash, SecureDigital
and Memory Stick. Simply remove the memory card from your camera
and slide it into the printer’s media slot. You can print
individual photos or all the images directly from your card.
If you use a printer with a color LCD panel, you can preview
and select the images you want to print. The panel, which also
serves as a menu display, allows you to choose print sizes and
quantities as well as make some enhancements for color and sharpness.
Since most of today’s digital cameras come with a USB port,
you can connect your camera directly to the printer with your
USB cable. You then can use your own camera’s LCD to navigate,
select and edit the images you intend to print. Many cameras
provide in-camera features to output prints directly in this
way.
PictBridge Technology
Although direct connectivity offered convenience initially,
it still was no guarantee of a decent print. That’s why
both camera and printer manufacturers incorporated PictBridge
technology into their products. PictBridge, which is becoming
an industry standard, provides an easy way for connecting printers
to cameras without a computer. This works regardless of whether
the printer and the camera are from the same manufacturer.
The technology that’s designed into both cameras and printers
lets you print multiple images, specify print quantities and
print size, and choose bordered or borderless prints, among
other features. You also can crop and enhance the color, sharpness
and contrast, depending on your camera model.
Simply connect your PictBridge-compatible camera and printer.
On the camera’s LCD, preview and select the images to be
printed. Press the Print button on your camera, and the images
are output by your printer. If the digital camera doesn’t
provide print settings, the printer utilizes its own default
print settings.
All-In-One Printers
There are several printers that are specifically designed to
work primarily without a computer. Although they may offer connectivity
with a computer, they’re geared more for convenience and
portability.
The Canon CP-330, Epson PictureMate and HiTi Photo Printer 730PS
by Hi-Touch Imaging access your digital image either by a media
card slot or a USB connection. These printers produce high-quality,
4x6-inch, bordered or borderless photographs in a fraction of
the time it would take if you navigated through an image-editing
application. In addition to producing a color print, you also
can create a black-and-white print from a digital image file
or make index prints of the images on your cards for convenient
reference.
Improving The Images
Although image-enhancement control in your camera may be limited
compared to what’s available on your computer, such control
still can go a long way to improving your prints. Adjusting
contrast and color or cropping your images can produce a stronger
photograph. If your camera and printer offer such features,
you should experiment with these settings to see if you can
improve the look of your prints.
If you photographed a scene on an overcast day, for example,
the resulting lighting may appear flat, with the resulting image
lacking contrast. By using the controls offered by your camera
or printer, you can increase contrast, saturation and brightness,
creating a more satisfying print.
Many cameras offer such controls for saturation and contrast,
but they often go unused because a computer provides users with
greater control of such adjustments. The advantages of in-camera
controls are that they’re easy to access, and enhancements
are quick and simple when compared to making changes on a computer.
These printers and features make it increasingly easy to output
beautiful prints in minutes. For those times when you want to
create a lot of prints to share with family and friends, these
controls offer convenience while maintaining quality. |
|
| |
|
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| |
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Printing Without A Computer
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Create Quality Prints With Only A Digital Camera And Printer
By Ibarionex R. Perello
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
You can spend a
good amount of time enhancing an image using your photo-editing
software, but do you really want to do that for each and every
image? Sometimes you just want a quality print as quickly as
possible. Thankfully, both camera and printer manufacturers
have introduced features that make it a snap to create outstanding
prints, even without the use of a computer. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Direct
Connectivity
Many of today’s photo products enable direct connectivity
between your camera and the printer. This is provided either
via a printer’s built-in card reader or a USB cable. Printers
such as the Epson Stylus Photo R300, Canon i900D Photo and Hewlett-Packard
PSC 2510 Photosmart include a multi-format card reader that
accepts a variety of media cards, including CompactFlash, SecureDigital
and Memory Stick. Simply remove the memory card from your camera
and slide it into the printer’s media slot. You can print
individual photos or all the images directly from your card.
If you use a printer with a color LCD panel, you can preview
and select the images you want to print. The panel, which also
serves as a menu display, allows you to choose print sizes and
quantities as well as make some enhancements for color and sharpness.
Since most of today’s digital cameras come with a USB port,
you can connect your camera directly to the printer with your
USB cable. You then can use your own camera’s LCD to navigate,
select and edit the images you intend to print. Many cameras
provide in-camera features to output prints directly in this
way.
PictBridge Technology
Although direct connectivity offered convenience initially,
it still was no guarantee of a decent print. That’s why
both camera and printer manufacturers incorporated PictBridge
technology into their products. PictBridge, which is becoming
an industry standard, provides an easy way for connecting printers
to cameras without a computer. This works regardless of whether
the printer and the camera are from the same manufacturer.
The technology that’s designed into both cameras and printers
lets you print multiple images, specify print quantities and
print size, and choose bordered or borderless prints, among
other features. You also can crop and enhance the color, sharpness
and contrast, depending on your camera model.
Simply connect your PictBridge-compatible camera and printer.
On the camera’s LCD, preview and select the images to be
printed. Press the Print button on your camera, and the images
are output by your printer. If the digital camera doesn’t
provide print settings, the printer utilizes its own default
print settings.
All-In-One Printers
There are several printers that are specifically designed to
work primarily without a computer. Although they may offer connectivity
with a computer, they’re geared more for convenience and
portability.
The Canon CP-330, Epson PictureMate and HiTi Photo Printer 730PS
by Hi-Touch Imaging access your digital image either by a media
card slot or a USB connection. These printers produce high-quality,
4x6-inch, bordered or borderless photographs in a fraction of
the time it would take if you navigated through an image-editing
application. In addition to producing a color print, you also
can create a black-and-white print from a digital image file
or make index prints of the images on your cards for convenient
reference.
Improving The Images
Although image-enhancement control in your camera may be limited
compared to what’s available on your computer, such control
still can go a long way to improving your prints. Adjusting
contrast and color or cropping your images can produce a stronger
photograph. If your camera and printer offer such features,
you should experiment with these settings to see if you can
improve the look of your prints.
If you photographed a scene on an overcast day, for example,
the resulting lighting may appear flat, with the resulting image
lacking contrast. By using the controls offered by your camera
or printer, you can increase contrast, saturation and brightness,
creating a more satisfying print.
Many cameras offer such controls for saturation and contrast,
but they often go unused because a computer provides users with
greater control of such adjustments. The advantages of in-camera
controls are that they’re easy to access, and enhancements
are quick and simple when compared to making changes on a computer.
These printers and features make it increasingly easy to output
beautiful prints in minutes. For those times when you want to
create a lot of prints to share with family and friends, these
controls offer convenience while maintaining quality. |
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