In the past when it comes to photo output, many people will immediately think of photo-processing, as opposed to the traditional printing is the photo output option. However, with the last two years, photo printers and the increasing lower product prices, direct photo printing output has gradually become a people's choice of a new photo output. One side is a direct fashion photo printing, one side is the traditional photo development, after all, how should we choose? Who would it be more cost-effective? Many consumers have raised such questions.
One, how to select a photo printer?
Photo printing and printing in the discussion who print more cost-effective, first must know how to choose a photo printer. At present, the kinds of photo printers on the market range, if the number of points according to the ink color, it is divided into four color, 5 colors, 6 colors, 8 colors and 10 colors. Of course, the higher the number of colors, the print quality, the higher the use of five-color printing is clearly better than the four-color printing, so apparently than 5 colors 6 colors is good, but the machine using 8-color ink is better than the first three effects persons. However, an 8-color printing machine for relatively expensive for the average home user is not absolutely necessary, while the four-color printing is obviously can not meet the demand for printing photos, so 5-color or 6 color photo printer is one of the most good choice. This type of photo printers are the prices of 400-1200 yuan.
If you are a professional designer or photographer who needs the output color, exquisite image quality, level and strong sense of image, then the 8-color or 10 color photo printers will be more concerned about their models, Of course, the price than the previous models priced much higher.
Second, the cost of cost-effective
1, the output cost of
Present printing a 4A (ie 6-inch, 4D refers to the large 6-inch) photos cost will be around 0.7 to 1 yuan. And as the market competition and lower costs, printing costs are further reduced space. At present, a home-grade six-color photo inkjet printer sells for 650 yuan, remove the cartridge that comes with its internal costs, the price of a printer 500 yuan. It can print photos by 1000 life expectancy calculations, then amortize the cost of each photo will be 0.5 yuan. Including the future maintenance costs may occur, so for the time being to 0.5 yuan on a flat photo print cost.
Then calculated the cost of the cartridges, at present a number of printer vendors in order to meet the user demand for lower printing cost side and then, using a number of cost-saving technologies, such as Epson's split-type cartridge, run out of the same color for the same color. An average of a color ink cartridge can print 100 pages or so, A4 format of the big picture, if we adopt the special photo paper, an A4 paper size, equivalent to 2.5 6-inch photos, this calculation, a pack of Color Ink Some can print 250 or so 6-inch photos. Ink and color to a box of 200 yuan in cost estimates, the equivalent of each photo will cost about the ink cost of 0.8 yuan.
Finally, paper costs, the actual price from the market knowledge, the most expensive relative to A4 paper for about 15 yuan per pack (20), original economical A4 paper is about 20 yuan per pack, if we adopt the original 6-inch paper, each about 1.2 yuan.
Comprehensive calculation, using photo inkjet printer to print a 6-inch photo, cost about 2.5 yuan or so. Of course, if the use of compatible ink, or even for export cost will be much cheaper, the fact is that many small printing shops use this method to help customers print photos, they use even for the ink, but from the advertising company to buy large photos from the rolls do printing paper, cut to his 6-inch, each with the cost of photo printing paper is less than 0.5 yuan, the cost is not high because of ink, each playing a 6-inch photo cost about 0.6 yuan. But in that case difficult to ensure the best quality.
So, in general terms in relation to printing, photo printing expenses are relatively high, mainly due to the current relatively high cost of ink cartridges, photo paper plus other costs, expenses also higher. If you just look at expenses, photo printing is a little advantage, so we have choices we must take into account the application of photo-printing operation and timely output and so on advantages.
2, the opportunity cost of
The so-called opportunity cost is because the choice of a particular policy or program, while devoid of other policies or plans may be opportunities for profit, also known as "alternative cost."
In daily, you may have encountered such a situation, after printing and found dozens of photos, many photos exist a variety of problems: Due to printing problems caused by personnel to operate the photo color cast; As the light causes the photo quality and effectiveness of some poor, etc., so not through the traditional printing photos all worth treasuring. This virtually waste, has actually increased the cost of traditional prints. If the application photo printer output photos, would not have the above situation. Prior to the printout, you can use photoshop and other software to post-editing and processing, light Pianan the background is too chaotic, it can be repaired on the computer. Print out the photos do not have any recurring problems with printing photos are the most satisfied with their own and can be treasured.
3, time cost
If it is to use photo printer, you need only set up the initial print parameters and models, the remaining print jobs to printers can do other important things. Photo development takes a long time to wait for the inevitable take-phase, and most of the digital printing shop, and there is no such lab equipment, they are only responsible to receive the live, printing should be sent to the central store, so a long time. But also to and from the kiosks to pay the time and distance between the cost of the whole process, "tiring." When compared to photo printers printout is very free.
Third, the quality of cost-effective
1, color comparison
Today, photo printers from the first three-color and then to the subsequent four-color, followed by six-color, has been developed to the current 10-color or more of its broader color gamut, the transition has been very fine, high-end large format printers, especially in no way inferior to the photo color laser printing, and even in color than to restore the area to greater than that of laser printing. However, the average home photo printer in color or not keep up with the professional printing. This addition to the technical relationship, also with the use of people's professional standards related to digital printing shops have professional staff and equipment, so a number of more professional handling of the photographs. In addition, the digital printing shop and the printing paper glossy paper two kinds of velvet, light paper, color saturation is good, suitable for printing landscape photo; while people flock paper right soften facial color can play a role, suitable for printing portrait photo . Therefore, the ordinary printing of digital photo printers is difficult to achieve results.
2, stability
Since the output of different devices and photo printers, photo-processing operations are one-off large quantities, while the specific one for consumers, a printing 100, or even 10000 photos, the output effects are stable. But for photo printing, although there is a stable technology platform, but for a specific printer, the unlikely-volume output of hundreds of thousands of copies can only small quantities of output, so that large quantities of photo output is not suitable Select a photo printing, photo printing should be used. In addition, the photo printing photo processing by the user's own performance level and printers and other factors, so the output effects of a specific application there are also destabilizing factor.
3, shelf life
Save time in the photo on this issue, most of the printer manufacturers have made a great effort, "a hundred years without fading," "waterproof", "Light" and has done very well, even in a certain printer manufacturers Manager conference, drank the water soaked pictures to confirm the photo waterproof. At present a series of domestic pigment ink, and some manufacturers claim that can be stored in the indoor 100 years without fading, there are User experiments have been done: to print out photos on the bubble in water is also not found in three days fade. In addition to inkjet photo printers, the use of dye-sublimation technology to output, not only the image of higher quality pictures, but also has a longer shelf life.
Compared to photo printing in a waterproof, light features, save in the photo printing technology have also made much effort, at present the ordinary printing photos saved a very long time, but in terms of water may be no good pictures of digital printing.
Fourth, other aspects of cost-effective
1, personalized to enjoy
Printing with personalization is also a lab can not enjoy the offer. General lab stores will generally only be responsible for output, individual needs can not be achieved. Although there are some printing shops to adjust the photo business, but requires an extra fee. If it is print photos with the printer, the user can make use of editing software came with the printer to personalize the picture editing, the user can easily adjust the picture into your favorite editor and add personalized look borders and text, so Zhang is an exclusive boutique.
2, privacy
Many users have experienced this sort of thing, some printing shop privately, without the consent of the guests brought to the guests as a model for photo prints displayed in the shop. In addition, in everyday life will have some pictures for some reason not easy to get printing shop printing. Printout can guarantee your privacy will not be leaked. In particular the private "privacy photographs," once the image file to the printing shop, it would mean their "privacy photographs" at least to the printing staff to see, while the self-print does not exist these problems.
Summary: After the above analysis, we can clearly see that photo printing and photo-processing advantages and disadvantages: photo printing is necessary to achieve the photo processing and output synchronization, has greater freedom of maneuver. However, if the user does not carry out color management, you can only buy expensive original printing paper and ink printing can guarantee results, so the cost of on uneconomical. And even bought the original printing paper and ink, photo, or because of improper operation prone to the phenomenon of color cast. The photo-processing have obvious advantages in cost expenditures, and the output effects of stability, and printing large quantities, but not synchronize with photo processing, require a longer waiting time. Therefore, you in the photo output, must be according to their specific circumstances to carry out specific choice.