Shopping For A Photo Printer

Output should ideally be waterproof and long lasting. Most thermal-dye printers lay down a clear over coating to protect the image. Some ink jets also offer waterproof prints.  Make sure you can print at a large enough size. A dedicated photo printer with a maximum 4-by-6-photo output is great for snapshots, but consider whether you need to print at 8-by-10 or even larger to frame the photos and put them on your wall.  Look for options for smaller prints. You may want photos for your wallet or 3-by-5s for an album. Make sure your printer works with paper available in the smaller sizes. Otherwise, you may have to resort to scissors and waste a lot of expensive paper.  Consider the type of paper for the printer. There are other choices besides glossy paper. In particular, many professionals prefer the look of matte paper.  Remember that vendors offer several different paper choices for your printer, and some are much less expensive than others. You can save money on photos destined for the refrigerator door if you can get reasonable output on inexpensive paper.  Check the cost per print. You can get the exact cost per page for thermal-dye and other printers that sell supplies in sets with a specific number of photo sheets and a matched supply of ink or dye rolls. Additional ink colors of light cyan, light magenta, red, green, or blue don't necessarily improve color in photos, but they can improve subtle gradations in skin tones and the like.  Most printers print black on glossy photo paper by mixing cyan, yellow, and magenta. If you prefer black-and-white photographs, even occasionally, look for a printer that uses black ink for glossy paper, typically in a second cartridge for ink jets.  A photo printer can be purchased from shops in Bahrain that sell computers.