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Microsoft Picture It! Companion Guide
Chapter 12: Printing Photos
104
Selecting Print Quality
Most desktop printers are capable of printing in a range of qualities, from a
low-quality draft mode to a high-quality setting that requires more time and
uses more ink. Printer settings for quality and color vary, but you may be able
to specify your paper type, ink type, dots per inch required, and color manage-
ment preferences. Some printers have simplified printing options such as
“Good,” “Better,” and “Best.” Make sure to read your printer’s manual to find
out how to take advantage of these different settings.
To select print quality for your printer:
1 On the File menu, click Print.
2 Click Change printer settings.
Your printer’s dialog box opens.
3 Adjust your printer’s quality settings, and then click OK.
Selecting a Print Size
The quality of photo prints is directly related to the number of pixels in the
photo. A high-resolution photo contains a lot of detailed visual information, and
can be printed at larger sizes. For example, a photo whose dimensions are 2048
x 1536 pixels (3.1-megapixel) would look good even when printed as large as
8” x 10” on most printers.
A low-resolution photo has less detailed visual information, and therefore
cannot be printed in larger sizes. A photo with pixel dimensions of 1280 x 960,
for example, lacks the detail needed to fill an 8” x 10” print. The result would
be a grainy, pixilated image. But printing this photo at a smaller size, such as 4”
x 6”, would give you a sharp, detailed print.
Determining a photo’s pixel dimensions
How do you determine the number pixels in a photo? If you haven’t cropped
the photo since you’ve taken it, you may know the pixel dimensions that you
had set on your camera for that photo. But if you don’t remember how you set
the camera or if you have cropped the image, you can check to see a photo’s
pixel dimensions before you print it.
Turning on color
management
Check your printer’s
manual to see if it
offers color manage-
ment. Color manage-
ment can help your
printer to produce
colors that match the
ones on your monitor.
If your printer offers
color management,
click
Change pictureChange picture
Change pictureChange picture
Change picture
settingssettings
settingssettings
settings while perform-
ing the Print task. Your
printer’s dialog box will
open, and you can
adjust the settings for
color management.