Should I print my own photos
“To print or not to print” is the question right? We often look at the printing we might do at home as second best, and this could be the case if we are talking about a cheaper printer but does it matter? We can say the quality of a professional printing shop or lab will always be better but this may not be the case if we don’t ask for the quality to be the highest. Printing at home with a high-end Epson or Cannon printer can be of similar quality and you will have it in your hand right away.
There are things to consider when you are printing at home such as the ink type (dye-based or pigment based). Each ink type has its advantages dye being normally more saturated in color and pigment having more permanence. Pigment ink is normally considered more archival, meaning it lasts longer by as much as a century or more. However, dye-based inks can be more vibrant or colorful and bright. It really depends on what you are looking for.
Often the pigment-based inks are used in printers with a larger color gambit or ones with more ink color cartridges leading to a more varied ability to produce accurate colors. This is a critical part of getting the image to look color accurate but not the only consideration. You also have to ask yourself what is color accurate. Some people will say they want it to look like it did on the screen. This is not fair since what is on the screen is not exactly what it looked like in real life and the screen is backlit and nearly impossible to replicate in print.
If you are going for the on-screen look with your portrait photography or landscape photography, paper selection will be more important than you might recognize. If you pick metallic paper for instance you are likely to get more punch from the colors as they will be more reflective or will appear backlit. Likewise, if you chose a bright white paper it will be brighter than if you choose something with more color. Keeping paper types in mind when you are printing is almost as important as the type of ink.
Regardless of the ink and the paper you use, it is critical that you calibrate your screen to ensure what you are looking at while editing is color accurate. There are many different devices available to accomplish this but it is the only way to ensure you are getting the desired result. Also, it is important to use profiles for your printer and paper to ensure they are going to match what you are seeing on screen as well. These are called ICC or International Color Consortium profiles. However, there is nothing stopping you from just trying the printer and making adjustments by testing some photos you like and make adjustments until the print is the way you want it. Sometimes this is necessary either way in order to get the desired results.
No matter what method you choose, what printer you choose, or if you are sending them to a lab, do print your photos. Printing them means you will have them for as long as you protect them. There is no better way to judge your work than to print it and hold it in your hand. This is also the most satisfying for me to view my final product. There was a reason for the Polaroid being so popular and why it is coming back into fashion. We love to hold and view our prints and what better way to share them with your friends, family, or fans.
