All-In-Ones
Kodak, long a manufacturer of some of the best dye sub--they prefer "thermal
transfer"--printers announced a range of new All-In-Ones using pigment-based
inks and special paper that they promise works out to 10 cents per 4x6"
print. The printers range from $150-$300 with the top of the line EasyShare
5500 featuring a scanner, document feeder, fax, and LCD display. Inks cost $15
for the color cartridge (for just over 100 4x6 prints) and $10 for the black
cartridge (for over 300 pages). The EasyShare 5100 ($149.99) offers scan and
copy capabilities and can print and copy up to 32 ppm in black and 22 ppm in
color, as well as from PictBridge-enabled cameras without a computer. The sweet
spot EasyShare 5300 ($199.99) offers a 3" color LCD display that enables
photo viewing and cropping directly from the printer. Its built-in memory card
slots let you print pictures without a computer. The EasyShare 5500 ($299.99)
is aimed at home-office users and has fax functionality, a 2.4" color
LCD, automatic document feeder, and a duplexer for two-sided printing.
Snapshot Printers
Sony showed two lightweight photo printers with built-in carrying handles and
the ability to print snapshots in less than a minute--the Picture Station
DPP-FP70 and DPP-FP90. The printers' built-in displays let you preview
and edit photos before printing. Using Sony's BIONZ (ya gotta love these
names) image processor it takes 45 seconds to create a 4x6" print from
a Memory Stick. The DPP-FP90 has a built-in 3.6" LCD screen that tilts
and adjusts and the DPP-FP70 features a 2.5" screen. Both photo printers
offer Auto Touch-Up that corrects common problems like exposure, focus, and
redeye. Either printer can correct the exposure of a face if it is over or underexposed
without affecting the background. This same button also gives users the ability
to sharpen out-of-focus images by creating simulations of camera lens movement,
checking the contrast of each simulation and then selecting the best simulated
image to improve the original photo. Superimpose helps personalize photos by
adding a special message and you can select from phrases, such as "happy
birthday," "thank you," and "congratulations."
You can also customize the color and placement of the superimposed text by using
the cursor buttons on the printers.
The filter feature on both new printers offers options for modifying digital
photos before printing. The cross filter can make the lights in a photo more
dramatic, while the partial color filter lets you highlight the subject of a
photo in full color and remove color in other areas of the print. The paint
filter adjusts the image to appear as if it were printed on canvas and the monochrome
and sepia filters let you create a black and white image. The fisheye filter
adds a new perspective to a portrait or landscape picture. Each printer can
access the MakerNotes in picture files created from Sony digital cameras and
use this data to create the best print based on the settings when the photo
was taken.
All Picture Station photo printers use dye sublimation technology and are sealed
with a laminate coating that protects photos from fading and makes them resistant
to water, heat, and fingerprints. Printing with the DPP-FP90 and DPP-FP70 photo
printers costs as little as 29 cents per print. The DPP-FP90 and DPP-FP70 printers
cost $200 and $150, respectively.
Joining HP's popular line of photo printers, HP announced the HP Photosmart
A440 Printer Dock, a compact photo printer that uses HP Advanced Photo Paper
and Vivera inks to print photos for as low as 24 cents per 4x6" photo.
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HP
Photosmart A440 Printer Dock |
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Best Of The Photo Books
Photo books are the best answer to the following question: "What are we
going to do with all those pictures we made at (fill in the blank)?" They
are not wedding albums, although there were plenty of those on display at PMA
2007. They are definitely not scrapbooks, although the show had an entire Scrapbook
Pavilion. Nope, photo books are hardbound single-topic books containing your
photographs that can be made via your favorite in-store or online vendor or--my
favorite--at home. Photo books are the perfect project to do-it-yourself
with a photo-quality printer, and PMA 2007 showed several interesting solutions.
Hands-down winner in the cute department is ZoomAlbum, a combination of software
and printing materials that lets you create small books, including a full-bleed
photographic cover! The cover includes a protective cover to guard against wear
and tear and you can even print text on the edge just like a "real book."
The Windows-based software is easy to use and you can insert text, add captions,
rotate, flip, zoom, and crop each photo page in these cute (as a golden retriever
puppy) photo books. You supply the printer; ZoomAlbum supplies everything, including
software, photo sheets, and album covers.
The most versatile for the money award goes to the Unibind PhotoBook. For
around $100, PhotoBook Creator lets you make beautiful portrait or landscape
oriented books in just 90 seconds, right in your own home or office. The black
paper on the inside of stylish cover materials guarantees a perfect presentation.
Four different window cuts allow you to personalize your PhotoBooks and each
book can hold 10-30 pages, depending on the paper thickness. When you're
ready, insert the unbound book into the Photo Book Creator device and wait for
the light to turn green. When it does, the book is finished and ready!
The easiest to use photo book system is from Peleman Industries. Their MyBook
PhotoBook Kit easy photo album creation kit lets anyone with a digital camera
and a printer create professional-quality photo books at home. MyBook PhotoBook
Kit makes landscape-oriented hardcover 81/2x11" personalized photo albums.
There is no need to upload photos to an external website and wait weeks for
delivery. The easy binding method does not require any special equipment or
glue. You start by printing the pages, attaching the included cover sheets,
and removing some adhesive strips. For less than $20 MyBook PhotoBook Kit includes
one book with a window cut, two end sheets, and photo book layout software.
It takes less time to bind the book than to read this paragraph.
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Peleman
Industries MyBook PhotoBook Kit |
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Manufacturers/Distributors' addresses can be found by visiting the Instant
Links section of our website at:
www.shutterbug.com/currentissuelinks/.
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