Printing Pictures in Word Document

[Brio]

I have a 20 page presentation prepared in Ms Word that contains a number of 4*6 pictures (2 per page)
I am wondering what the best way to print such a document. I would like to have reasonable quality in the photos.

I am not sure if I should attempt to print at home ( I have an Epson Photo printer and a HP Laser printer) or should I take to a Print Shop.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions

[Russinator]

Brio, I have printed many times off word. I was always happy with the results.

I know you know this, but, I'll say it anyway. Make sure you use the correct paper and tell your printer to print at the best settings.

Russ

[deedeeO]

I have an HP 8750 and have printed word documents for sales presentations with photo illustrations using high quality matte brochure paper. And it comes out looking photo quality. I am sure Epson has a similar paper type. Is your word document for a portfollio, or what is the intention? If you do not have to print double sided, go for the photo quality paper.... If you are going to stick with paper, just make sure you set your printer setting to either BEST or MAX DPI quality to get good results. Try one page with different paper types.

[LeeOtsubo]

I think it depends on your priorities. "Reasonable quality" is subjective. I print 30+ page booklets for my photography classes. Because photos are an important component of a photography class (duh!), I invested in a color laser printer. They're not the best quality but certainly equal to what a short-run print/copy shop will produce. Also, I do this on a regular basis so it made sense to pay $800 several years ago. These days, a color laser can be had for $199. The advantages are fast turn-around, average cost and good photo quality.

Photo-quality inkjet printers will have the best photo quality but will take much longer and cost much more. To get the best quality, you'll have to use photo quality paper which adds to the expense.

Print/copy shops around San Diego charge US$0.39-0.59 per color page. A 20 page handout would cost you $10 each. If you're turning in 1 copy for a class project, that's not too bad. If you're printing 20 sets for a project team, you've just paid for a color laser printer.

Bottom line, how much quality do you need, how much do you have to spend, how fast do you need it and how sure are you there aren't any typos or other changes to the document. HTH

[Rusty]

Lee, would you please explain what you mean by photo quality paper?

I often have one-off tasks needing to print 4 or 5 pages of images. I don't want to use 60 or 70 pound "photo paper" and the best "plain paper" I have been able to find at places like Office Max is a 24 pound Kodak product.

Is there something in between that? Maybe I'm not shopping at the right places?

I guess "high quality plain paper" is an oxymoron -- am I explaining what I'm looking for? (using Canon ink jet)

Rusty

[Codebreaker]

Keep in mind that when it comes to printing, Word isn't a colour managed program so you may find the colours alter slightly.

You may need to play with the Printer Drivers settings.

Colin

[LeeOtsubo]

Lee, would you please explain what you mean by photo quality paper?...

Anytime I say "photo quality", I mean papers, printers and inks specifically manufactured, designed or formulated for printing photos that rival commercial chemical process prints.

I use 2 basic paper categories:
Copy/Laser Paper - The stuff I run in my laser printers and copier. I also use this when I'm cleaning or testing IJP heads.

Photo Paper - Matte, luster, glossy, canvas and anything else that is designed for printing photorealistic, art-quality prints. There's a wide range including cheap stuff from Costco to expensive canvas from specialty houses. I use the cheap stuff for proofs and the expensive stuff for final output.

There's also some HP stuff called Brochure and Flyer Paper. It's good for high quality brochures and handouts. I haven't used it in a while but IIRC, it works with IJPs, lasers and color lasers. Cost is between copier paper and photo paper but it's not available in bulk. HTH

[cats4jan]

I like matte paper for photo and text presentations. The matte coating really makes the photos pop. Now that matte is becoming popular, you can buy it at a reasonable cost just about anywhere. When quality is paramount, I match my photo paper with my printer.

My Epson R800 with Epson matte paper/cardstock does a high quality presentation without muss or fuss. I sometimes don't even bother to use matte setting - just use the regular setting (but not draft.)

If you are using paper and not cardstock, the matte setting lays too much ink and your paper gets wet.

I use matte paper (bond weight) for most of my casual stuff, too. I just like it better than the "wicking" I see with regular bond using my photo printer.

[Rusty]

Thank you, Lee,

That HP paper sounds like what I'm looking for. That may even be the same as the "bond weight" paper Janice is talking about.

Janice - you are just up the road from me ... where do you buy it?

Rusty

[cats4jan]

I shop everywhere, but good selection can be found at Best Buy and Office Max and Office Depot.

When I first started using matte paper, it was really difficult to find, but now, it's readily available.

I bet you can even buy matte paper at the "marts" - KMart WalMart, etc.

Depending upon what you are trying to accomplish - take note whether the paper is single or doube sided coated. If it does not specifically say it is double sided - most likely it is only coated on one side.

I hear Red River has a huge selection of matte products.

[RobertSchuldenfrei]

Hi Lee & Forum,

I learned of Red River Paper (http://www.redriverpaper.com/) recently from this forum. I wanted double sided note cards with a glossy front and a matte back. They had one that was perfect for me. But the company has so much more. They are into things like specialty papers for medical equipment etc.

They optimize their inkjet stock by brand and model number. They have products for seven types of Canon printers including my S9000. They have stock for four models of Epson Ultrachrome, three Epson wide format, and four "other" Epson printers. If you want a perfect match, they probably have got your brand.

I have been using Ilford (http://www.ilford.com/index.asp) Galerie paper for years. I have liked Ilford products going way back to the 1960s when I first started with chemical based photography. BTW, the company goes back to 1879:). However, I am so pleased with Red River that I am going to order more of their papers and see which I like best.

Being retired, I have only a small need for business printing, like business cards. I have had good luck with Avery clean edge business cards. The only drawback is that the Canon inks are not water proof. Does anyone have any experience with coating inkjet dye inks with a waterproofing agent? My business printing needs are quite modest now!

Cheers,

Bob