[svlug] fun with printers

[Akkana Peck]

Bill Ward writes:
> I do not understand why anyone would print photographs on an inkjet.
> Water-based ink compared to a real photo printer at Walgreens or
> Costco or wherever is no comparison.  I mean, if you print a photo you
> want it to last a long time right?

The new(ish) pigment-based inks are supposed to last a lot longer.
I've only been using them a couple of years, long enough to know
that they're a lot more fade-resistant than the old dye-based inks,
but not long enough to report on real longevity.

Certainly I agree that if you want something to put in a photo album
to show your grandkids, an inkjet isn't the right solution.
On the other hand, they're terrific for projects like
- greeting cards customized for each recipient
- quickie business cards
- glossy club flyers, nametags and other handouts
- one-off stickers (like a "Powered by Linux" sticker to put on
  my laptop's lid)
- other one-off specialty items like t-shirt transfers, mouse pads,
  temporary tattoos (though admittedly most of those aren't great)
- quickie prints to show something to non-techie friends who aren't
  comfortable with email

Anyway, you get the idea -- there lots of fun, quickie projects
that are easy if you have your own printer handy for testing, but
a big hassle if you have to package it up and take it to a print
shop and hope it comes out okay.

	...Akkana