Monday 29 July 2013

What a Difference...


Hello Friends

Today I thought I would share with you a lesson I have learnt recently in printing photos for a scrapbook layout.

I once had an HP printer which was fabulous at what it did.  It would print good photos no matter what papers were used.  However, the ink cartridges were very costly and we were having issues with the rollers and other niggles,  so it was time we bid it a fond farewell.  It was cheaper to have photos printed either on line or at the local chemist, than use my printer.  I came home from work one day to find a sparkly new Kodak printer which can scan, copy and of course, print photographs.  So we linked it up to the computer and printed off the test photos that came with the start up and yep, they were fine.

A short while later I decided to print some photographs but I could not get good results no matter what I tried and was deeply disappointed and so off to the local chemist I went to get photos processed again.  This was no good at all  So on a Snow day earlier this year I chose a photo, got all the different makes of papers out that I possessed and printed them all with the same photo and this is what transpired....

(Fuji film)

(Lidl)

(Aldi)

(HP)
(Ryman 7 x 5)

(Kodak paper- OK)

(Kodak paper after I calibrated my screen)

 So here is the layout I have made using the final picture....
I used Basic Grey, October Afternoon, We R Memory Keepers and TPC Studios papers.  Martha Stewart punch around the page, Artemio stamps and Spellbinders dies.  I cut the letters on my Cricut and on the word "Chikkin" I used glossy accents adding a little red Hampton Art glitter on there.  The Life card is VOS and includes some handwritten journalling.  
I found some more VOS - very old brads for the centres of the snowflakes and the papers I have had for a long time.  The ribbon was a purchase from last week so a NBUS - I could not resist the barbed wire!  


So moral of today's story, use the right paper in a Kodak machine or you will not get good results!  If anyone has an HP and would like 49 sheets of HP 6x4 paper, Liddle/Aldi paper or Ryman paper let me know!  

Thanks for bearing with me with today's looong post.  

Hettie

11 comments:

scrappymo! said...

This is so interesting...You were wise to try them all.

I had an HP 4 in one, and while the colour was good, if the ink got damp it "ran". Even on a photocopy if you licked your finger to count copies, it ran where you touched...I think it was just my copier style but was truly frustrating!

I heard Kodak does not have that problem so bought a Kodak printer as well but then the laptop had the black screen of death and then my computer blew up a week later...sigh
So the new windows 8 does not recognizr the fairly new Kodak printer and I am going to be shopping for a new one yet again...lol I say it can darn well wait till I get home....not many sleeps now!

Love your layout...the brads on the snowflakes look great and the barbed wire ribbon is wonderful.

Well I have a bit of a new "do", cut and colour so finally feel almost ready to leave...getting excited now. You are going to have sore sides from laughing when you hear some of our hotel stories...can't wait to share them!

Belinda Basson said...

Love the chicken stamp and the ribbon. I can see why you needed it. As for printers and paper. Canon is the same...you can only use Canon paper in it with Canon ink or it is a mess. I have a Canon! Done the same test runs!

tilly said...

3 of my friends and myself have a Kodak printer and they are all rubbish at printing red. they also use colour ink when printing even black and white as they clean the heads every time you start it up, so not cheap!
none of us can wait till they go to printer hell! lol
Tilly

Kimbo said...

A lot of test printing but the result looks great. Fantastic page too and what a find that ribbon was x

Sarn said...

Thanks for the printer info Sam.

GREAT layout . . . say Hi to the chooks for me. xxxx

voodoo vixen said...

I had the same dilemma Hettie! I always had an HP Photosmart printer, loved them, had three in a row, but then the costs just kept creeping up so went over to a Kodak... the HP paper didn't give me the results I expected and I went and bought Kodak paper and voila!! LOL

You are most welcome to use the destructions for my little book, I look forward to seeing what you do with them!! Hugs Annette

Words and Pictures said...

Well, well, well - it really makes a huge difference, doesn't it? I think I'm going to forward this to Cestina, who likes to get the cheapest she can!!

Love the layout - the neutral background (fabulous punched border) with the little chickens is so cool...
Alison x

Anonymous said...

Great info~! Thanks for sharing. LOVE your layout. Thank you for visiting my blog earlier. :)
Hugs, Sue

G Peplow said...

Thanks so much for sharing your printing results, what an amazing difference the paper made! Wonderful page with the photograph Sam, beautiful memories, I love those little chicky stamps too LOL Gay x

toni said...

Hi there Hettie, firstly i love the results of your layout, lovely details, very interesting to see the results of your printer research. Definitely worth using the right paper the final photo is much more vibrant and shows more detail . Well done for persevering. Thankyou for your kind comment have a lovely day toni x

Darnell said...

It was a great post, Sam! Thank you for sharing so others don't have to go through that. Your final layout is so great!! Love the NBUS and the VOS, LOL! HAK! Now I just made that up and it means Hugs And Kisses. Aren't acronomyomnins funny old things. Hugs And Kisses should not sound like the noise a person makes when coughing up a lung!!