Here you are with your new and state-of-the-art digital camera, the best photo editing software and a fantastic color printer. This article will teach you how to print digital photos on 3x5 (89x127 mm) or 4x6 (102x152 mm) paper: so you can keep all your best memories. At the end of the article you will find suggestions for the best possible printing of your photos.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Print 3x5 or 4x6 photos directly from your camera or mobile device
Step 1. Choose a suitable printer
- To avoid having to use a computer, you need to buy a printer that can be connected directly to your camera or smartphone.
- Some printers can print directly from the card memory. Other printers require a connection to the camera or smartphone via USB. Some machines offer a wireless printer connection.
Step 2. Insert the memory card or USB cable into the printer
If you are using a USB cable, connect the other end to your camera or smartphone.
Step 3. Put the correct ink and paper into the printer
Step 4. Tap "Photos" on the main printer screen
Then tap "View and Print" to select the source of the photos.
Step 5. Use the arrows to scroll through the images until you find the one you want to print
Step 6. Tap "Edit", if you want to edit the photo
Step 7. Tap "Print" and choose the number of copies to print
Preview the photo. If you like it, print it.
Method 2 of 4: Print multiple copies on an 8.5x11 (215.9x279.4mm) page using Windows Live Photo Gallery
Step 1. Download Windows Live Photo Gallery, if you don't have this program on your computer yet
Step 2. Choose ink and paper for the printer
For best results, choose the ink and photo paper recommended by the printer manufacturer.
Step 3. Open the photo in Windows Live Photo Gallery and click "Print"
Select your preferred printer.
Step 4. Click the Page Layout drop-down menu
- For the page size select 8, 5 x 11 or "Letter".
- Choose the Page Layout from the panel on the right. 2 4x6 prints or 4 3x5 photos have enough space on a letter-sized photo paper.
Step 5. Enter the desired number of copies in the "Copies of each photo" field
Step 6. Click "Print"
Method 3 of 4: Print photos from iPhoto on a Mac
Step 1. Put the manufacturer's recommended photo paper and ink into the printer
Step 2. Open iPhoto and open the photo you want to print
Step 3. Edit the photo if necessary
If the photo is fine, choose "Print" from the File menu.
Step 4. To choose a photo size, click "Print Size" in the Printer window
You can choose both 3x5 and 4x6 among other sizes.
Step 5. Choose the layout on the left side of the Print menu
You can choose a standard border or you can add opaque.
Step 6. Click "Print" to print the photo
Method 4 of 4: Prepare photos for printing
Step 1. When taking photos, set the digital camera to the right resolution
Typically, set your camera to a resolution of 1600x1200, or 2MP, for high-quality 3x5 or 4x6 photo prints.
Step 2. Open the photo editing software on your computer
Upload photos from your camera to your computer.
Step 3. Save the original photo and save another copy for editing
By doing this you will always have a photo to start over in case of errors.
Step 4. Remember the aspect of the aspect ratio
If you crop photos using the wrong aspect ratio, even high-resolution images can be distorted.
- A 4x6 horizontal photo has an aspect ratio of 3: 2: the aspect ratio is 3: 2. A 3x5 horizontal photo has an aspect ratio of 5: 3 (5 "in length and 3" in width)
- The aspect ratio will be inverse for a vertical photo. For example, a vertical 3x5 print has an aspect ratio of 3: 5 and the aspect ratio of a 4x6 print is 2: 3.
- When cropping the photo, make sure the length and width have the right aspect ratio of 4x6 or 3x5. Specify the aspect ratio in the crop tool in your software or online editing tools.
Step 5. Choose a dots-per-inch (DPI) setting in the editing software
A DPI setting of 300 usually produces the best photos.