Printing Your Photos

After you've touched up (or otherwise manipulated) your photos, it's time to print them a task that's really easy in Windows XP.

Choosing the Right Printer and Paper

If you have a color printer, you can make good-quality prints of your image files. Even a low-priced color inkjet can make surprisingly good prints, although the better your printer, the better the results.

Some manufacturers sell printers specifically designed for photographic prints. These printers use special photo print paper and output prints that are almost indistinguishable from those you get from a professional photo processor. If you take a lot of digital photos, one of these printers might be a good investment.

The quality of your prints is also affected by the type of paper you use. Printing on standard laser or inkjet paper is okay for making proofs, but you'll want to use a thicker, waxier paper for those prints you want to keep. Check with your printer's manufacturer to see what type of paper it recommends for the best quality photo prints.

Making the Print

Any photo editing program will let you print your pictures from within the program. You can also print directly from Windows XP via the Photo Printing Wizard.

You launch this wizard by opening the My Pictures folder, selecting a picture, and then selecting the Print Pictures option in the Picture Tasks panel. The Photo Printing Wizard then appears and walks you step-by-step through the printing process. Here are some of the options you can select:

• Which pictures to print

• Which printer to use

• Which layout to use

• How many prints to print

When you complete the wizard, the printing starts just as you specified.