Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 16. Printing Photos
Now that you've gone to so much trouble to make your photos look terrific, you no doubt
want to share your masterpieces with other people. This chapter and the next two look at the
many different options Elements gives you for sharing photos with the world at large.
This chapter covers the traditional method: printing photos. You can print them at home on
an inkjet printer, take them to a kiosk at a local store, or order prints online. Elements makes
it especially simple to use Shutterfly, Adobe's online printing partner. The best thing about
ordering photos online is that you're not limited to just ordinary prints: You can create hard-
cover books, calendars, embarrassing t-shirts—you name it.
It's worth noting that while the basics of printing are the same whether you're using a Win-
dows computer or a Mac, some things are a bit different between the two platforms. This
chapter notes the differences as they come up.
Getting Ready to Print
Whether you're printing at home or sending photos to a printing service, you need to make
sure your image files are set up to create good-looking prints.
The first thing to check is the resolution, which controls the number of pixels per inch (ppi)
in the image. If the photo doesn't have enough pixels, then the print will look grainy and
pixelated. Most photo aficionados consider 300 ppi ideal; a quality print needs a resolution
of at least 150 ppi to avoid the grainy look you see in low-resolution photos. See
Changing
the Size of an Image
to learn how to check and—if necessary—tweak a photo's resolution.
TIP
Be sure to set the resolution to a whole number—using decimals may make some printers
print black lines on your photos. For example, 247 ppi is fine, but 247.35 ppi may cause
problems. (Older printers are most likely to have trouble with decimals.)
