Posts Tagged ‘printing’

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Download and Print Photos and Images from the Internet

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

One of the first things most people do when they get a new computer or printer is print everything and anything they can find! They’ll print their favourite webpage or download lots of photos and print them. However, beginners tend to make several mistakes when printing websites so it’s important to follow these printing tips to make the most of your hardware and software.

Photo Printing Tips

1. Download the photos you want to print.

First create a new folder on your desktop. Then start downloading pictures into this folder. You can do this by right clicking on the image you want to save from the web and selecting “Save Image As…” You can then change the name of the file or leave it the same.

2. Edit the photos.

With your photo manipulation software, set the photo resolution to somewhere around 200 to 300 DPI. This makes the image print quality rather than web quality, which is around 75 DPI. Photo printing at web quality makes for blurry, unfocused image. During this stage, you can also adjust the brightness, contrast, colour, hue, saturation, and sharpness. Doing this will give your photos the best quality they can achieve for photo printing.

3. Save your image.

After you’ve made the adjustments to the photo, it’s time to save it. The standard format in which to save photos is JPEG. These image files compress each time they are saved, meaning a bit of the quality is lost with each save, so don’t save them too often!

4. Time to print.

Your first concern should be that your printer is of photo quality. If not, you cannot expect to achieve high-quality results. When you go to print, be sure to set the printer on high quality or photo setting. This ensures your photo printer achieves optimum results. You should also use photo paper, which prevents bleeding, running and “muddiness.”

So the next time you want to try printing websites or photo printing, make sure you follow these easy steps. You’ll get the best results and have photo-quality pictures to show off to your family and friends. Now you know the photo printing tips to give you professional quality photos every time!

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Printer Software Installation Guide

Wednesday, August 4th, 2010

Printer Software Installation Guide

So … you have just bought a new printer and you can’t wait to go and print just about anything you can think of to see the results. But before you can begin to print anything you will firstly need to install the printer software. This ensures that printing is a smooth and trouble free task. The good news is that most software will facilitate the installation process on it’s own with just a few clicks needed at your end!

1. Always read the instruction manual

Before you do anything you need to read the instruction manual carefully, this is very important. You must take note of any special instructions like if you need to uninstall a previous version of the software first, or if you need to tweak some settings or turn your virus protection program off.

2. Insert the installation disk

Insert the installation disc into the disk drive, you will hear all sorts of whirring and buzzing sounds, this means the drive is reading the disk. Usually, a new window will pop up, displaying all the files read on the disk. If you see a “readme.txt” or “readme.doc” open this and read the contents of the file. These are usually important pieces of data or reminders in that file pertaining to your printer software. When you’re done, look for a clean file that has an icon different from others and a “.exe” extension. This is the executable file. Click on it.

3. Installation proper

Once the executable file is run, the installation process will automatically begin. Get the box which came with your printer software CD and take note of the registration code or key. You might need to enter this data later during the installation process or when you need to reinstall the software all over again.

During the installation, you will be asked which folder you want to save all information related to the printer software, which type of installation (typical, custom or minimum) and which icon to use. It is suggested that you stick with defaults. Then tweak the settings later based on your preference.

4. Reboot

More often than not, before you can fully use a newly installed programme, you will need to reboot the computer first. After rebooting, run your printer software to check that everything is working as it should.

All finished! Just remember to carry out all the necessary precautions like scanning the software ever now and again to make sure it is all running as it should!

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Printing Photos from your Phone or Digital Camera

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

Printing Photos from your Phone or Digital Camera

These days with the right know how and kit you can easily print your pictures wirelessly from your digital camera or mobile phone. There are a few different options available to choose from. However, the basic steps for printing the photo remain the same.

1. Wi-Fi enabled

You must purchase a mobile phone or digital camera that is Wi-Fi enabled. This is technology that is founded on the IEEE 802.11 standards. This helps you achieve interoperability between two wireless devices.

2. Wi-Fi enabled printer

To be able to print your photos wirelessly, you will need to ensure that your printer has full Wi-Fi capabilities. Try to choose a printer that helps you achieve wireless compatibility.

3. Fully Functional Devices

Once you have full Wi-Fi compatibility, the devices that you are going to use, mainly the digital camera or mobile phone will need to have all the features and settings that will enable you to print your photos without wiring the devices.

4. Bluetooth

You could also use a Bluetooth device to wirelessly print out your pictures. Once again, you must make sure your printer and computer are both Bluetooth compatible.

5. All in one camera

These days, there is often to need to have a printer if you want to print your photos directly from your digital camera. The printing process will be done by the camera itself. There are various types of cameras available today which offer a full printing function. These cameras are available for all the major printer manufacturers and there is increasingly more choices available and prices are dropping!

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How to Find Your Printer Model

Monday, July 26th, 2010

How to Find Your Printer Model

Trying to find the model number of your printer shouldn’t be difficult. What is considered a model number might be more confusing. Fortunately, if you are trying to contact the printer manufacturer you will likely only need the model name and series of your HP, Canon, Epson or Brother Printer.

Where to look

Usually, the model number of your printer is right under your nose. This is often true for finding a printer model or series number. Given the way that most computer engineers think you might believe that taking the printer apart is necessary to find the printer model or printer series. This is not true. In most cases, the model name and series number the customer service representative will need is actually right there on the front of the printer. After all, if it is easy for you to find it will be easier for them to help you troubleshoot the unit when you are in crisis mode.

Finding the serial number

When it comes to finding the serial number of your HP, Canon, Epson or Brother Printer you will need to look a little closer. On the back of most of these printers you will see a white rectangular sticker. It s likely it will have the printer company logo shown in a big way. The “UL” logo for Underwriters Laboratories will also be found on the sticker.

What you are looking for, however, is the always present barcode symbols that everything has on them these days. Numbers will be above the barcodes. There will likely be two barcodes here. One is a product code, which is not important, and the other is the serial number which identifies that particular printer. If there is no sticker on the back of the printer check under the lid or open the printer up and it should be there. In any case, these stickers are usually about 3×5 inches in size and have all sorts of other symbols on them that you don’t need to worry about.

If you have looked all around the printer for the printer model, serial number sticker and/or series and make of the printer with no luck try going to the printer test page option on the computer. Print out a test page and everything will usually be there. All this may sound like it is involved but it really will only take a few minutes.

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Assigning an IP Address to Your Printer

Monday, July 26th, 2010

Assigning an IP Address to Your Printer

There are a few ways to assign an IP Address to your printer. Below we have a few steps that will help you assign an IP address using a web interface. Another way of assigning is through the printer itself.

1: The Configuration and the Explorer

Take a printout of the configurations page. The internet explorer page needs to be open. All addresses from the address line have to be deleted.

2: Enter IP Address

You now have to enter the IP address in the address bar, and then press enter.

3: Printer

Once you connect the printer and switch it on, the IP address that has been entered will automatically get assigned to that printer.

4: Manual Assignation

Click on the networking tab in case of a newer model of printer; open the ‘administration’ window and then click on the ‘configuration’ tab.

5: Editing

You need to edit the IP Address entered previously. For this you need a Gateway address and also a Subnet Mask, no other field needs to be changed.

6: Apply

All you need to do now is scroll down to the bottom and ‘apply’. You then close the internet explorer window and restart the computer.

You will need to check that the configuration was set and you will need to print the configuration page again. The above steps will help you assign an IP address to your printer through the Wizard.

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How to stop your printer from printing

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

How to stop your printer from printing?

There are times when you will need to stop a printer from printing, midway through the print job. There could be many reasons why you might need to do this. Below we have a few steps that will enable you to quickly halt the printing process.

STEP 1: Stop Job through Printer Settings

In Windows XP, go to Control Panel. Then click on ‘Printers and Faxes’. Once the window opens, click on your printer icon. Now, you will see your printer job. Cancel the job by right-clicking on it and selecting ‘Delete’ or ‘Cancel’.

STEP 2: Quick Launch Toolbar

In most operating systems if the printer process is on, your Quick Launch Toolbar will also be on. All you need to do is right click the icon and open the window. Once the dialog box is open, just right click on it and click ‘Delete’.

STEP 3: Turning Off the Printer

At times, there is no job running through the hard disk. But the printing process is still going on. Here, the culprit is the printer’s memory. So, the best case option would be to turn off the printer.

STEP 4: Removal of Paper

Another simple step would be to remove the paper from the paper tray. If there is no paper there would be no printout. After you remove the paper, cancel print job.

It’s really very simple to stop an ongoing printing job. The only problem that you might encounter is that the sudden stopping of printing process might lead to a paper jam.

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Thursday, July 15th, 2010

Continue printing when only one cartridge is empty!

As you may have found, it’s quite difficult to continue printing if there is no ink in one or both or your ink cartridges. Most printer manufacturers have made sure that the printer stops working from a safety perspective. However, there are some steps you can take if only one of your ink cartridges is empty, read on…

Don’t remove the empty cartridge

If you are using a printer that can function with only a black cartridge installed, then it would be a good idea to keep the empty cartridge inside the printer. You should install a colour cartridge alongside it that is not empty.

Printer Settings

You will need to go into the printer settings, out of the available options choose the ‘black only’. You will also need to change the print quality to the lowest level.

Lie to your Interface

After you have reinstalled the empty cartridge, the printer will ask you if the ink cartridge is ‘new’. ‘Full’ or ‘empty’. This question will be in the form of tabs, always click the ‘full’ tab.

The Print Command

After completing the above steps, the only command that needs to be given is the printer command. Remember, this kind of process might not work on some printers, however the steps given above successful across most printers in the market today.

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Printing from an Internet Browser

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

Printing from an Internet Browser

Using a printer to keep a physical copy of pages you are browsing online can be frustrating and an unnecessary waste of paper and ink. Not only does the advertising print, but also the formatting doesn’t work properly, and printed sheets with two images and no text or text only are not uncommon.

Selecting print from a browsers file menu causes the browser to send everything showing in the window to the printer. To avoid this you will need to plan ahead before clicking ‘print’.

Option 1

Keep an eye out for the special ‘print page’ button. Many web pages include a print page version now. Google Maps, for example, allows you to bring up another window where you can customise your print options, including how many and what size maps to add to your printed directions. Many news or text based sites offer a downloaded PDF or Word formatted document for printing purposes. These pages will save you time and materials.

Option 2

If there is no specific print version button on the web page, you will need to decide how much you want to print. If you only want to print a small section or a block of text, highlight what you want and right click it, and then select ‘copy’. Open a new blank text page and right click again, this time selecting ‘paste’. You can now format the text as you wish.

Option 3

If you only want to print an image from a web page, you can usually right click and copy the image and then paste it into a photo editing program or a simple ‘paint’ type program to print it from there.

Option 4

If the web page you wish to print from is mainly text, or the amount of text is too great to copy and paste into a whole new text document, you will have to print it from the web browser. This means you may get more graphic elements then you want. You can control the extent of this by ‘right clicking’ on a frame (section of a page) and then selecting ‘open this frame in a new window’. You can then print only what is showing from the browsers file menus without as much waste.

You must remember that websites were designed to be read by web browsers and not printers, and the two do not interact well, but following the simple instructions above should solve you a lot of hassle and time!

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Setup Your New Wireless Printer

Friday, June 18th, 2010

Setup your new Wireless Printer

There are lots of advantages to purchasing a wireless printer. Firstly, by adding a wireless printer to your small office or home it will help diminish the mess of tangled cables. It will also enable you to print from anywhere in your home, and will allow the whole family to share a single printer.

Follow our step by step guide below to help you set up your new wireless printer network.

  • Determine the type of wireless printer

You will need a wireless router to be able to connect your new wireless printer to your home network, so first of all you need to make sure your router is up and running. Most new computers and wireless printers come equipped with either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi capabilities. If your printer is not wireless, you can easily purchase a wireless card that plugs direct into the USB port.

  • Select a good location for the printer

The wireless printer needs to be set up in a location in your home or office where it will be easily accessible to everyone. There should be ample space for paper, printer ink and other supplies. If you are using a Bluetooth wireless connection, you may want to give this thought since Bluetooth printers have a much smaller wireless range than Wi-Fi printers.

  • Enable printer sharing

The server computer’s operating system must be informed that the printer you are adding the network is a wireless printer. (The server computer is the one the printer is connected to). In Window’s Vista, this is done by accessing the network settings in the control panel and then activating file and printer sharing in the local area network settings. For Window’s XP operating systems, go to ‘Start’ and then ‘Control Panel’ and go into ‘Printers and other hardware’. Go to ‘View installed printers or fax printers’ right click on your printer and select ‘sharing’, then select ‘share this printer’. Give the printer a specific name and click ‘ok’.

  • Add the wireless printer to any other computers on your network

The other computers on the network must also be setup to use the wireless printer. If you are using Window’s Vista you will need to open the control panel in classic view and then open printers. Right click on the printer that you want to share, and then open ‘properties’. In properties, check the box that allows the printer to be a shared device.

If you are using Windows XP please follow the tips below.

1. Open the control panel, go to printers and faxes, and click on ‘Add a printer’.

2. This will take you into a Wizard to find the printer you shared previously.

3. Click ‘next’ until you are at the Local or Network printer page.

4. Select ‘A Network or a printer attached to another computer’ and then click next.

5. Now click ‘Browse for a printer’ and click next. This will display your workgroup; the PC’s connected to it and any printers that are attached to them.

6. Click on the wireless printer you shared earlier and click ‘next’. (This should begin installing the driver automatically, if not you may need to get the CD software that came with the printer.

7. Now click ‘yes’ to make the wireless printer the default printer for this PC (or No if the computer already has one attached to it).

8. Click finish.

  • Wireless printer troubleshooting

Both this computer and the one that is wireless might need to be rebooted after the installation process.

If you can’t see the computer that it is attached to, you will need to double check that all computers have the same network name. To check this go to the control panel under performance and maintenance, and click ‘see all basic information about your computer’. From here click on your computer name and your workgroup will be displayed.

If you are still not seeing the printer, make sure it’s switched on. If the printer still doesn’t work, you may need to install the printer driver using the software CD that it came with.

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Buying Your Printer With Your Computer

Friday, June 18th, 2010

Pros and Cons of Buying Your Printer with Your Computer

It can be tempting to purchase a new printer at the same time you purchase your new computer. Many brands offer lucrative packages, which are designed to draw you in. However, in the long run, this could end up costing you more. Below we have listed some of the pros and cons of purchasing a printer alongside your new computer!

Price

The price is probably one of the biggest advantages to buying a new computer and printer together. If you were to purchase the same computer and printer separately, you would find the overall cost a lot more than what you pay for both together. Most brands will slash their prices when you buy their products as a bundle. Holiday seasons and sales are the best times to find these reduced price bundles.

Compatibility

You may think that purchasing a computer and printer from the same brand means there will be no compatibility issues. There is less likely to be issues about improper drivers for the printer or being able to find the latest device drivers for your printer. There is also less likely to be hardware malfunction and associated issues, you will therefore be less likely to be calling tech support every now and again.

Better Deals

Many brands are clever enough to position their special offers in such a way that makes you feel like you are getting the best possible offer. You can probably find a better deal elsewhere and did some research of your own. You may also find that purchasing a computer from one brand and a printer from another actually works out cheaper. The features provided by a particular printer brand may also be more suited to your personal needs and provide more efficiency. Many brands try to shift their old stock lower end printers in their special bundle packages. So you think you are getting a better deal, but are infact getting a lower spec outdated printer model.

Versatile Printers

These days, there are lots of different types of printers available, from photo printers to multi-function printers. These printers can have copier, scanner and fax facilities. Buying one of these printers makes much more sense compared to buying a base model printer along with your computer. While the initial cost of a multi-function printer may be higher in the first place, the functionality of these machines compensates for it several times over. If you later decide to start a home business or your own small office, these printers will be invaluable to your needs. The cost savings of having your own multifunction printer is huge, especially when you consider the amount of functionalities on offer. In conclusion, it is better to buy a special multi-function printer for more efficiency. This way you will get more advantage and mileage from both!

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