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Optical Zoom vs. Digital Zoom
By Sally Adams, March 01, 2006

Digital cameras may be equipped with an optical zoom lens, optical and digital zoom settings, or a digital zoom only.

Optical zoom works similar to the traditional camera where optical zoom lenses actually “move” you closer to the subject of the photograph without sacrificing quality. The higher the optical zoom rating on a camera, the farther away you can be to take a photograph and still get a clear, close-up image. You want to pay close attention to the optical zoom number as it’s the zoom that will give you the quality results you want.

Digital zoom is not really zoom, in the strictest definition of the term. What digital zoom does is enlarge a portion of the image, thus 'simulating' optical zoom. In other words, the camera crops a portion of the image and then enlarges it back to size. This results in a loss of quality, and is no different than cropping and enlarging an image with editing software. The benefit of using image-editing software instead of the digital zoom on a camera is that you can decide how much to crop, and how much to enlarge the image to where the quality is acceptable to you. When you use digital zoom on the camera, the image quality is irreversibly lost.

Cameras with a 2X-3x zoom lens have established themselves in the medium range. In short, compare optical zoom and ignore digital zoom. Optical zoom capabilities make all the difference in the final product. The higher the optical zoom, the farther away from the subject you can be and still get a great, clear, crisp quality shot.

About the Author
Sally Adams writes articles that contain helpful tips on printing. Find out how you can lower your printing costs at www.printcountry.com

Choosing a Photo Printer That's Right for You
By Sally Adams, February 28, 2006

The photo printers in the market provide great quality photo printing; they are affordable and easy to use. If you choose the right photo printer, you can easily print wonderful digital pictures and be amazed. If you do not feel ready to start using a photo printer yet, you can also find an inkjet printer that produces high quality high resolution pictures. There are also portable photo printers if you are planning to print on the go. Here are the important points to consider when selecting a photo printer:

Resolution is one of the most important aspects of photo printing. You will need a printer with a resolution of at least 1200 dpi. The higher the resolution, the sharper and clearer your results will be.

The printers that use multiple ink cartridges (4 to 8 ink cartridges) provide a better quality, crisp and clear pictures. They are also cheaper to maintain as you have the chance to replace only the color that is empty. If you get the additional gray ink cartridge, this will give you better quality rich blacks, whites and grays. Some photo printers provide long lasting fade-resistant photo prints that keep their colors for many years.

If you will make a lot of prints, speed will also be an important factor for you. If that is the case, get a fast printer, though keep in mind that their prices will be higher.

If you want to print your digital pictures without using a computer, than you can select one of the many photo printers that have the direct printing from the camera feature. Such photo printers have memory card slots and most are compatible with the PictBridge technology. So you can use a PictBridge compatible camera and print directly from these printers.

Remember to consider the paper handling features of the photo printer as well. How much capacity does it have? Depending on how often you will print, you can determine how many sheets your photo printer should hold. Usually personal printers hold 100 to 300 sheets which is quite sufficient. Also find out what kind of media the photo printer accepts. Can it print on thicker papers for example? Some can print on envelopes. If you are willing to use different media types such as postcards, envelopes, glossy photo papers, transparencies, or iron-on transfer sheets, make sure to get one that accepts these kinds. Most personal printers handle letter and legal size paper. Some printers also provide double-sided printing.

Finally, make sure the technology your printer uses is compatible with your computer’s technology. Most printers use USB interface, some still use the older parallel port technology.

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Basic Inkjet Printer Care & Maintenance
By Angelo Gastelum, February 28, 2006

The printer is the one computer component that requires the most attention, though the importance of regular maintenance is often overlooked. Your printer is the single conduit between concept and creation --- the device that brings your virtual media into the physical world.

In this article I will provide tips to maximize your inkjet print quality and introduce you to regular maintenance procedures. This information is provided to assist you in consistently producing quality prints and to extend the life of your printer.

Whether you use your printer frequently or infrequently, to improve and lengthen your printer’s life it is essential to ensure that it is clean, running smoothly and is clog free. It is recommended that you clean your printer thoroughly every 6 months for optimal performance based on how often the printer is used. Also, if you have pets it is a good idea to blow the printer with compressed air from time to time as dust and hair take their toll over time.

Keep in mind that the maintenance process consumes ink, so only perform it when necessary. It’s also a good idea to swap out your expensive inkjet or photo inkjet cartridges with inexpensive cleaning cartridges to conserve your ink levels. The maintenance tools can be accessed through the printer driver or control center. Once the cycle begins it is imperative that you run the complete cycle before restarting the printer.

• Check the Nozzle: Are you experiencing a faint print quality or are certain colors failing to print? You will need to run your nozzle pattern check utility. If the printout still shows gaps you will need to clean the nozzles.

• Clean the Print Heads: If your nozzle check indicates that your print heads are clogged, it will be necessary to run the cleaning utility which removes the blockages. Occasionally it may be necessary to perform the cleaning utility more than once to remove the blockage. Also, some printers have a built in ‘deep cleaning’ option that you may need to perform.

• Align the Print Heads: If the lines and colors are out of sync or there is banding, it may be necessary to align your print heads. This can be done by choosing the ‘alignment’ option on your printer’s utility menu.

If cleaning and aligning do not solve your problem, you will have to contact the original manufacturer to assess the cost of the repair. If your printer isn’t covered by a warranty you should weigh the repair cost versus the cost of a new printer. Sometimes a new printer equipped with new cartridges is the most logical alternative.

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