Printing Digital Photos

It is safe to say that a large percentage of people in the world have a digital camera, or at least know someone who does.  Digital cameras allow photographers and amateurs alike to take crisp and vivid pictures of important events and scenic views.  With the growing demand for photo printers, there are a number of ways to pull the images from the digital camera and load them onto the computer or printer.

There are two standard ways to transfer photos from the camera to a computer and two ways to load photos directly from the camera to the printer:

USB Connection to Computer

A USB cable will come with a brand new digital camera.  It will have one end that is smaller and fits into the camera and one end that is a standard, rectangular USB jack.

1. Turn the camera off then plug the cable into both devices.
2. Turn the camera on.
3. When the camera is recognized, a window will pop up that allows you to import the images.
4. Once they are uploaded, drag them to a computer file such a My Pictures.
5. From here, you can select what pictures are printed and edit each one.

Memory Card in Computer

Some computers have slots available for various types of memory cards.  NOTE: these slots are designed to fit specific memory cards exactly- you should never have to force a card into a slot.

1. Remove memory card from the camera.
2. Insert it into the appropriate slot on the computer (most slots are labeled for added convenience).
3. The computer will recognize the memory card within a minute or so.
4. Once the images pop up in the window, click and drag them to the computer file of your choice.
5. From here, you can select what pictures are printed and edit each one.

Memory Card in Printer

Many modern photo printers, like the HP PhotoSmart 7510, which can also scan and make copies of photos, have memory card slots either on the front or side of the machine.  Again, because there are a few different types of memory cards, the slots will be different sizes.  It is imperative that you use the correct slot.

1. Remove memory card from the camera.
2. Insert it into the appropriate slot on the printer (photo printers with memory cards will have a touch screen LCD).
3. Select the Photos folder.
4. Select the View and Print option.
5. Choose the pictures you want to print.
6. If you wish to edit the image, basic editing features will be possible through the printer.  For complex editing, it is recommended to load the image onto your PC.

PictBridge Port on Printer

The PictBridge connection generally requires the same cable that is used to attach a digital camera to a computer USB port.  The PictBridge feature will automatically read and load the images from the camera.

1. Select the Photos folder on the LCD.
2. Select the View and Print option.
3. Choose the pictures you want to print.
4. If you wish to edit the image, basic editing features will be possible through the printer.  For complex editing, it is recommended to load the image onto your PC.

Wireless cameras are fairly new and many people do not even know they exist.  This interesting new technology allows you to take a picture and either load it to your computer, an internet location, or send it directly to your printer to print over a wireless network.  Additionally, these wireless cameras sometimes support sending over cellular networks, so you can take a picture on your digital camera and send it to a destination on the internet from just about anywhere.

Of course, if you do not have the time to print your pictures at home, you can always submit a zip drive or folder of photos through email to a photo printing company.  Another option is to drive down to a photo lab at the local pharmacy or superstore.

For those of you that would prefer to print from home, make sure you get good photo paper and have plenty of inkjet cartridges on hand, because picture printing does consume a lot of ink.  The various connection options available on photo printers make the entire process easier and faster while still delivering high-quality pictures.