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While 4" x 6" glossy photo paper is the most popular medium for printing photos, there are many other ways you can print photos to get a variety of effects! Flex your creative muscles, and add some personalization to your photos. Here are some tips and ideas to inspire you to get creative and experiment!
Things to consider…
- Did you know that if your digital camera is at least 3 or 4 megapixels, it is capable of taking photos that can be printed out to 8" x 10" size and still retain their detail and quality? That literally expands your photo printing potential!
- Before you print, don’t forget to adjust your printer settings according to the paper type and the quality settings to those recommended for your media. This way, the printer will use just the right amount of ink, and print to your size specifications. Consult your printer's manual for specific instruction on making adjustments to printer settings to obtain optimum printer performance.
- You can experiment with your photo editing software to achieve a variety of unique effects. For instance, you can make your photo all one color in a sepia tone, or print the same image in three or four colors to be used on the page.
- When printing on specialty materials, print a draft first to be sure the sizing is adjusted the way you want. This will save you time, supplies, and money!
With that advice in mind, here are some materials you can experiment with:
| Vellum – Vellum is a translucent paper that can lend a muted effect to photos that are printed upon it. There are many brands and weights of vellum on the market that will give you a variety of results. Because of vellum’s waxy finish, the ink tends to sit on top of the vellum because it isn’t as porous as regular printer paper. So be sure to handle the printout carefully, and allow for extra drying time as it takes time for the ink to be absorbed! You can try rubbing sandpaper over the printable side of the vellum before printing a photo on it to increase the absorption. Vellum sheets often come in 12"x12" size, and that's no problem – simply cut the vellum to 8 1/2" wide so it is closer to a standard paper size that runs through any printer. Before you print, select the "transparency" setting so the ink output is adjusted to the appropriate levels. Vellum also works great by itself as an overlay to soften a photo. |
| Transparency – Like vellum, transparencies do not absorb the ink like paper, so be careful when handling the printout. While vellum is translucent, transparencies are what you might think – transparent. You will notice that one side of the transparency is slightly rougher than the other side. Be sure to print on the rough side so that your ink will dry correctly and smearing will be less of a problem. Vellum and transparencies are widely used in scrapbooking because of their layering potential. |
Cardstock – Printing photographs onto cardstock gives the photos a more textured background, and provides a sturdy photo that can be used in a number of creative ways. The cardstock is easier to glue over painted backgrounds, and photos printed on cardstock can be embellished with crayon, chalk, colored pencil, watercolor, or other media.
Tip: Try printing a photo onto cardstock and then weave a ribbon in and out along the edge, tying it in a bow at the top, for an easy and pretty border. |
| Canvas – Make your photo look like a work of art and print on canvas! The texture of canvas gives the photo depth and dimension that is hard to create with regular paper. Try taking a portrait of someone, and then print it out on canvas so you can see how really artistic it looks! If your canvas print turns out really well and is frameworthy, place batting behind the printed canvas paper, then matte and frame just as you would any portrait. |
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Iron-on Transfer – Iron-on transfers allow you to put photos on a wide variety of fabric items, including t-shirts, canvas bags, aprons – virtually anything that has enough space and can withstand the heat of an iron. There are many instances when a t-shirt customized with a photo and perhaps some text would be fun and appropriate: bachelor or bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners, retirement, birthday, or anniversary parties, class reunions, and more! Don't forget to flip your photo before you print. Flip the image by selecting the "mirror" setting. If you have a software program that has already flipped the image, then leave it at the "normal" setting.
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| Specialty printing materials – There are so many other paper products that are specifically created for ink jet printers to create interesting embellishments, text, and photo treatments on your pages. There are also kits you can purchase that provide the materials for you to print your photo on a greeting card, gift bag, mouse pad, trading card, and more. |
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