Reasons to Print Your Own Photographs
It’s incredible how vast the world is, and the more we think we know of it, the more we find out we have yet to discover. Heading out in the quest for adventures is at the very essence of every photographer, be it professional or amateur, and the chance to capture unique moments is one hard to resist. It’s not surprising to see this kind of passion can easily shift from just a hobby to the profession of a lifetime. As Steve Jobs, American IT entrepreneur and inventor, once said: “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do .”
Taking this into account, one should take a hobby seriously and invest in it. What sets a professional photographer apart from an amateur is the investment in equipment and not just learning a few photography tricks and skills, as it’s crucial in the whole creative process. When you have the equipment and knowledge to use it you’d create jaw-dropping photographs. Then again, you might not be able to get all the equipment you want but there’s still the renting option. One thing is certain, as much as it’s easy to share one’s work in this world of digital technology, if you want to be taken as a serious photographer you’d have to consider doing prints at one point or another, which is what makes the purchase of a printer more than a worthy investment.
Ever since the beginning of photography, it was the chance to have it in a physical form that made it possible to marvel at it and if you want to stand out from the crowd, your aim should be to avoid the all-digital use and create prints that could be used as part of exhibitions, shops and even people’s homes. This provides more business prospects as you could start off by selling prints and having a printer of your own can save you time and money, including preserve the quality of your photographs. You can even go a step further when you opt for a large format printer because you could earn through printing out photographs and advertising material for clients (the sky is the limit). When it comes to printing your photographs, you take their value into your hands when you do the printing on your own as you get to choose the paper and ink for printers that most suit your requirements.
Printing is art in itself since a print is the realistic form of a photograph and it takes a skilled and daring photographer to get large format prints because the flaws are easily spotted if the resolution isn’t good. Having a large print is actually going to work in your favour as you’d see things that could use some improvement more than you would notice when looking through the computer screen so a printer can help you grow professionally as you become a better photography editor and better photographer altogether, learning how to use camera tools properly, different techniques and programs. Be wary, though, the paper and ink for printers you get to pick make all the difference in the end.
It’s advisable to get some knowledge of the two basic printer ink types, so you’d make wiser purchasing decisions. Dye based inks are colours dissolved in liquid so once the ink gets on paper it dries off quickly. Pigment based unlike dye ones, have pigments that are suspended in liquid and this process makes them more resistant to fading, also slightly more expensive. It’s important to consider the kind of paper that is ideal for the different inks so you’d get a better outcome. For instance, dye based are perfect when applied on plain and glossy paper whereas pigment based is great with matte. Choose accordingly and you’d get a long way.