Some tips for printing at home
If you choose to order a digital file of your personalised invitation and you plan on printing at home there are some things to keep in mind in order to achieve the best possible results.
Printers
Not all printers are equal and if you only have a cheap printer which does not have the facility for printing photographs at a higher quality setting, then you could well be disappointed with the outcome. Also, be sure to check that you select the correct paper type when printing a photo.
The picture above is an example on a Canon printer. The Properties menu has been opened to reveal the settings you need to choose. You will get different results and quality of print depending on what you select as the Media Type. You also need to make sure you select the highest print quality setting available on your specific printer. Some printers give you the option of using a photo black cartridge for instance as well as the normal matte black.
This picture shows another setting on a Canon printer in the Effects Menu where you can choose options such as Vivid Photo and Photo Optimizer Pro. You should not require the image optimiser or photo noise reduction as you will have received a very high quality, low noise print already with your purchase. If you are new to using your printer in this way, you may just have to experiment a bit or take your file to a professional printing lab.
Choosing the right paper or card stock
This is very important and specialised photo paper is well worth the money due to the special coating on the surface which will result in a much more professional print. There are many options to choose from and these papers are readily available. You can choose to print onto full glossy paper, semi-gloss or matte depending on your requirements. Just be aware that most photo papers have the company logo splashed all over the back of their photo paper so you would need to mount these onto coloured card.
Another option is to print onto card stock but unless you have a top of the range printer, this may result in a duller, less professional print as the card is not specially coated. There is a range of card stock available such as plain, linen and several other lovely textured and metallic papers so again, you may have to experiment a little to see what results you get. Some printers react badly to the pearlised and metallic paper and card stock. Be aware of the thickness of the card and make sure your printer can accommodate it.
