Using an Inkjet Printer

The essentials Inkjet printers are getting better all the time. To get quality prints with the least amount of "fiddling" with the printer always use inks and paper from the manufacturer of the printer. To complicate things there are alternatives to using OEM paper and ink...
Here is a link to an article I wrote a few years ago about paper and ink, most of the links still work...
Paper & Ink
For more information about inkjet printer ink check out this link
 http://www.wilhelm-research.com/

When making inkjet prints, the easy way is to let the printer handle the color management and let the printer driver decide how the colors in your picture will print.

When you are ready to make prints, decide what is controlling the color management. Photoshop, color profiles, and/or the printer. And, when when you are setting up the parameters for printing are be aware of what you addressing:
1. The operating system (Windows, Mac OS X)
2. The application you are printing from (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc.)
3. The printers parameters

Letting the printer control color management

 Letting Photoshop control
 color management

3 Setting up the OS for printing

Setting up the OS for printing
This is the dialogue box you get
when you choose the menu item
File/"Page Setup" Page setup is also available
from within photoshops print dialogue box.

In this requester you choose the printer, page size, orientation...

 Setting up the OS parameters
 Setting up the OS parameters

2  Setting up Photoshop for printing


This is Photoshops Printing interface in CS3

For a larger view of the requester
double click  the image on the right
Photoshop CS3's Printer Dialogue box
In order for the printer to manage color in  the photoshop part of the  dialogue  box we choose Printer Manages Color. 		PhotoShop Manages Color
In order for Photoshop to manage color we have to choose Photoshop Manages Color in the photoshop part of the printing dialogue box.

1 Setting up the Printer for printing


This is the printers interface



 Printer set up requesters
It is here in the printer dialogue where you choose the kind of paper, Print mode, quality of the print and that the printer is choosing the colour and doing all the work...
 Printer Does NOT manage color
It is here where you choose the kind of paper, print, quality of the print and that the the printer is NOT managing the color...

0... Okay, now you can press the print button!

But, there are other ways to control the printer.  For example you can purchase specialty papers with profiles.  The profiles tell the printer how to print the colors. Or, you can use photoshop to manage the color and have it tell the printer profiles how to make the printer spray the ink...

Here are some resources on the web that are outstanding. They show you how to set up printing with color management in detail

Printing using Color Management
A Computer Darkroom Tutorial  This tutorial is intended to help simplify the process of printing from within Photoshop CS
this tutorial also applies to version 7.
 http://www.computer-darkroom.com/ps7_print/ps7_print_1.htm
Understanding Printer Colour Management
A Brief Tutorial on Printer Settings
 http://luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/und-print-mgmt.shtml
A really thorough and good book
 Mastering Digital Printing by Harald Johnson http://www.dpandi.com/
A video tutorial (it's really  really good). It takes you through the entire process from setting up color profiling to  making your prints.
http://luminous-landscape.com/videos/camera-print.shtml

Additional things to be aware of...


How accurate does your printer print those colors?

The only real way to find out is to get your printer profiled.  However, here's a way to get an reasonable idea, it's an "eyeball" test.
Down load the following charts and photo collages...
Chromaticity
DigitalDog.net
Photodisc.com

Print them and check to see if you printer can actually print 16 shades of gray, and distinct colours in each cell, how do the flesh tones look?
Way off?  Take next step!

Purchasing Inkjet Printer Profiles

Making your own color profiles  requires that you buy expensive equipment and you take the time to set it up and actually make the profiles a time consuming process.
There are companies that will make color  profiles for you... This method will in the long run be quicker and cheaper.
here are some web sites to check out
http://www.ddisoftware.com/printerprofiles/
http://www.printerprofiles.homestead.com/
http://www.cathysprofiles.com/
PC35 PhotoLab Custom Printer Profiling Services
InkjetArt.com

I use a Huey Pro to profile my monitors and so far I have purchased papers that come with specific profiles for my printer a Canon i9100.
I have used Illford Galerie and Red River papers with excellent results. I also use Canon Photo Paper Pro

Must Have Plug-ins for Photoshop

As good as photoshop is, there are some third party plugins (They work inside Photoshop) that a far superior to photoshops built-in functions.

Noise Reduction

Noise Ninja  http://www.picturecode.com/
Dfine 2.0       http://www.niksoftware.com/dfine/usa/entry.php
Noiseware     http://www.imagenomic.com/
Focus Magic http://www.focusmagic.com/

Up Scaling a photo for printing

Some times you have a low resolution photo that you need to upscale to make a large print. Photoshops function Bi-Cubic smooth is okay but these are way better

SiPro V2.5                         http://www.fredmiranda.com/Interpolation_Plugin/
Genuine Fractals Pro     http://www.ononesoftware.com/detail.php?prodLine_id=7 (A Portland Company)
Blow Up By Alien Skin   http://www.alienskin.com/

Okay, thats all for now.