Last in the line up of the new Sony Photo Printers is the DPP-FP60 which is attractive like to its big brothers DPP-FP90 and DPP-FP70. The Sony DPP-FP60 Photo Printer is also accessible with the DPPA-BT1 Bluetooth adapter (model DPP-FP60BT) that allows easy wireless printing straight from mobile phones and other Bluetooth hold devices.

The Sony DPP-FP60 has been equipped with a 2-inch LCD screen and a Sony BIONZ processor which not only improves the final output but also makes the printer able of handling high-resolution print files of up to 48 Megapixels. Then there is the Face Detection technology which detects human faces in a scene and adjusts contrast and color so and TruFast technology which cuts down delivery time to just 45 seconds for a postcard-sized 4×6” print.

The DPP-FP60 Printer comes bundled with Paper tray, AC adaptor, Cleaning cartridge/paper, CD-ROM (Printer driver, Picture Motion Browser) and will be accessible throughout Europe from May 2007. Other features include; PictBridge support, ‘Superimpose’ mode, special effects like Black & White and Sepia plus Paint, Fish-Eye, Cross and partial color filters.

Brother global has just launched three 6-in-1 inkjet multi-function centers in India, increasing its ‘MyOffice Series’ in the country. The new printers include the MyOffice MFC3660C, the MFC5460CN and the MFC5860CN inkjet printers that offer various functions such as colour printing, faxing, scanning, mono PC fax sending, etc.

The Brother MyOffice MFC3660CN is an entry-level colour printer with a print speed of 25 ppm in color and 20 ppm in black & white. It is equipped with 16 MB memory and can store up to 170 pages of incoming faxes.

The MFC5460CN and the MFC5860CN color printers offer print speeds of up to 30 ppm in black & white and 25 ppm in color. Both these printers offer 32 MB of memory and can thus store up to 400 pages of incoming and outgoing faxes. It can print straight from a digital camera in just a single plug-and-play step from either PictBridge-enabled digital cameras or by using PhotoCapture Center, which is able to host different media card slots.

The new Brother Multi-function centers feature a 33.6 Kbps Super G3 fax modem. Thus users will be able to send and be given full colour faxes to and from other fax machines at a likely speed of 3 seconds per page. All the new Brother MyOffice series of multi-function printers are built with paper less neutral PC Faxing that help to save on long term running costs. Also even when the PC is turned off users can take delivery of faxes in soft copy as these MFCs utilize the PC Fax Receiver feature.

The MFC-3360C, MFC-5460CN and MFC-5860CN are available in the market for Rs 7,350, Rs 13,500 and Rs 16,900.

Ink jets are a good choice if you are looking for high quality color photo output for a reasonable price. Prices start at less than $40, with only a few business-level ink jets costing more than $700-the starting point for color lasers. And ink jets that handle tabloid-size paper start at less than $500, which is thousands less than tabloid-size lasers cost.

First, you’ll need to decide on the type of machine you want: a standard ink jet for reasonable photos and a low purchase price, or a photo ink jet for superior photo quality. All of the top models offer 4800-by-1200-dpi resolution, but they vary quite a bit in terms of printing speed.

Specialized photo printers may not work as well on general tasks such as word processing. Even if they do, their per-page costs may be higher and their operation slower. The cost of the printer isn’t the only consideration. Color ink cartridges can be expensive, offsetting the low cost of the printer. Special coated photo papers also add to the cost of color printing.

Choose an inkjet printer based on the cost of replacement ink cartridges, and not on the cost of the printer. Over time ink and paper costs can exceed the cost of the printer several times over. Avoid single-cartridge printers which only come with a color cartridge that can’t print true color. It is more cost effective to purchase a color inkjet with multiple color cartridges (CMYK), so they can be replaced individually.

Another cost saving tip: Leaving any inkjet idle for even a week or two can allow the ink in the tiny tubes that feed the nozzles to dry. The resulting clogs cause streaks and other anomalies in your pictures. To avoid clogs, print at least once a week. Some printers run a maintenance routine on startup, meaning that you can keep the nozzles clear simply by turning your printer on and off once a week. Check your device’s manual to see whether it has this feature.

Don’t Buy the Cheapest or the Newest Model and NEVER BUY A PRINTER BUNDLED WITH A COMPUTER
Remember that all printer manufacturers make a range of printers. Pay as much as you can afford for your printer. Don’t go for the cheapest one in the range if you can help it. Don’t buy the latest newest model either. The chances are that there will not be any cheap cartridges available for it for several months. Beware of “Bargains”. Guess why?There have been many cases recently of printers (usually Lexmark) being sold at prices that are the same as (or less than) the cost of the cartridges they contain.

Don’t buy a printer that uses “permanent” ink unless you want to leave your photos in the sunshine. Permanent inks use pigments that ire insoluble. If you get a printer that uses permanent inks and the printhead dries out with lack of use, it is unlikely that you will ever get the printer going properly again. Ordinary dye inks do not suffer from this problem.

They will last for years if kept in the dark and won’t fade noticeably in typical room lighting.. If you want an archive print of a very good picture, arrange to have a Cibachrome copy made of a fresh dye inkjet print. The Cibachrome process is used in photo booths that produce passport photographs. Alternatively arrange to get a colour laser copy made. Then you won’t have the possible expense of replacing a pigment ink printer.

Beware Expensive Cartridges!