DIY Home Photo Printing

At the mention of home photo printing, it used to bring out images of a darkroom at the back of the house. As photos were being developed, a little red bulb at its doorway would be illuminated to deter anyone from entering the room. Most modern photographers have probably never set foot into an actual darkroom nor dabbled with the developer's chemical compounds. Everything now revolves around the computer with advanced software, high resolution monitors and home photo printers.

In order to produce good quality pictures, the source is the best place to start. Take a clear picture in good lighting with minimal blur. Your camera plays an important role in that its resolution will determine clarity and details. This is normally stated by its megapixels, the more meaning the higher the resolution which translates into better looking pictures. Assuming you are using a digital camera, its settings pretty much covers most environments from good lighting to dusk to night lighting as well as bursts of lights such as fireworks. Red eye effect is easily avoided by preparing your targets. Blurry pictures due to shaky hands are compensated as best possible with shock sensors. As such, you should be able to take some good pictures if the above are adhered to.

Once done, ensure you save your pictures into the correct format to preserve their details for quality home photo printing. Normally files for high resolution pictures tend to be larger. If you're intending to send some via email, save them into an alternate format which is smaller in file size but not suitable for printing. If any picture requires further touch-up, there are numerous applications to enhance lighting and color, soften rough edges, remove red eye effect to result in a much better outcome.

Although some printers are able to produce paper and photo prints, it's best to choose one which best suits your purpose. Home printers are very much different from office or commercial printers in that their lower cost compensates for lesser abilities.

Select good quality photo paper to preserve your photos. Although they are more expensive, it's a worthy investment to complement the expensive ink from your home photo printer. There's no point to skimp on one or the other as you'll end up wasting money and effort.

If any image needs further refinements, there are numerous applications to enhance the brightness and color, soften the rough edges, remove red-eye effect caused by a better result.