How to Print Images: A Simple Guide for Perfect Prints

Printing your digital images allows you to bring your memories to life, share them with loved ones, or create tangible art pieces. With the right tools and a few simple steps, you can easily print photos from your computer at home. This guide will walk you through the process of printing images from both Windows and macOS systems, ensuring you get the best possible results.

Printing Images From a Windows Computer

Windows offers straightforward methods to print your images, whether you’re using a dedicated photo application or the built-in Windows Photo Viewer. Here’s how to print your photos using the Windows Photo Viewer:

1. Find Your Image: Locate the photo you wish to print on your computer. It could be in your Pictures library, on your desktop, or in any folder.

2. Open with Windows Photo Viewer: Right-click on the image file. In the context menu, hover over Open with, and then select Windows Photo Viewer from the list of options. Your selected photo will now open in the Windows Photo Viewer.

3. Initiate Printing: In the Windows Photo Viewer, look for the Print icon, usually located at the bottom right of the window. Click this icon to open the Photo Printing Wizard.

4. Start the Photo Printing Wizard: In the Photo Printing Wizard dialog box, click Next to proceed to the next step.

5. Select Pictures for Printing: The Picture Selection window will display all the photos you initially selected. Choose the specific photo(s) you want to print by checking the boxes next to them. Once you’ve made your selections, click Next.

6. Choose Your Printer and Printing Preferences: In the Printing Options window, you will see a list of available printers. Select your printer, for example, EPSON PictureMate Deluxe. Then, click the Printing Preferences button to customize your print settings.

7. Adjust Printing Preferences: The Printing Preferences window allows you to fine-tune your print job. Here are some key settings to consider:

   • Borderless or Borders: Choose Borderless for prints without any white edges, ideal for photos. Select Borders if you prefer a white border around your image.
   • Expansion (for Borderless): When printing borderless, your image might be slightly cropped to fill the entire paper. Adjust the Expansion slider. Start with Min if too much is being cropped. Increase to Mid or Max if you see white lines at the edges of your borderless prints. Preview the sample image to see the effect of your adjustment.
   • Orientation: Select Portrait for vertical photos and Landscape for horizontal photos.
   • Color Options: Explore Auto Correction to automatically enhance photos that are too dark or have color imbalances. Sepia creates a vintage brown tone, while Black & White converts your color photo to grayscale. These effects only apply to the printed photo, not your original digital file.
   • Digital Camera Correction: Enable this option to automatically minimize common flaws often found in digital photos.
   • Enhance Fine Details: For photos with intricate details, select Enhance Fine Details to improve sharpness (note that this may slow down printing).
   • Print Preview: Always use Print Preview to see exactly how your photo will look before printing, saving paper and ink.
   • Number of Copies: Specify how many copies of each selected photo you want to print.

8. Confirm Layout and Print: After setting your preferences, click OK to return to the Photo Printing Wizard. Click Next. In the Layout Selection window, choose Full page photo print for standard photo prints. Click Next to begin the printing process.

9. Monitor Printing Progress: A printing progress window will appear, showing the status of your print job. You can use the buttons to Cancel, Pause, or Resume printing as needed. This window also often displays ink level information.

After printing, remember to handle your printed photos with care to preserve their quality. Consider storing them in albums or frames away from direct sunlight and humidity.

Printing Images From a Macintosh OS X Computer

Printing from macOS is equally user-friendly, especially if you use applications like Preview or the Photos app. Here’s a general guide to printing images on macOS:

1. Open Your Image: Open the image you want to print using your preferred image application such as Preview or Photos.

2. Access Page Setup: In the application’s menu bar, click File, and then select Page Setup… from the dropdown menu.

3. Choose Paper Size and Border Options: In the Page Setup window, find the Paper Size menu. Select a 4×6 in option. You will likely see extended options for borderless and bordered printing. Choose 4×6 in (Borderless) for borderless prints or 4×6 in (Borders) for prints with white borders.

4. Set Orientation: Choose the correct orientation for your photo. Click the Portrait icon for vertical images, or one of the Landscape icons for horizontal images.

5. Confirm Page Setup: Once you have selected your paper size and orientation, click OK to save these settings and close the Page Setup window.

6. Open the Print Dialog: Go back to the File menu and select Print…. This will open the Print dialog box.

7. Access Print Settings: In the Print dialog box, look for a dropdown menu, which may initially display options like “Copies & Pages”. Click on this menu and select Print Settings (or Advanced Options in Photos app) to access printer-specific settings.

8. Adjust Print Settings: Similar to Windows, you can adjust various print settings to optimize your photo output:

   • Enhance Fine Details: Select this for detailed images to improve sharpness.
   • Color Options: Choose Sepia for brown tones or Black & White for grayscale prints.
   • Expansion (Borderless Prints): Adjust the Expansion slider to control image cropping in borderless prints, similar to the Windows settings.

9. Explore Additional Options: In the same dropdown menu in the Print dialog, you can find other useful settings:

   • Copies & Pages: Set the number of copies you want to print.
   • Layout: Adjust page layout options if needed.
   • Output Options: Save your print job as a PDF if you want a digital copy of your print settings.
   • Summary: Review all your chosen print settings.

10. Print Your Image: After finalizing all your settings, click the Print button to start printing your photo.

11. Monitor Print Progress: You can monitor the progress of your print job by clicking the Printer icon that appears in the Dock. This will open the Print Center, where you can see the print queue and manage your print jobs.

From the Print Center window, you can:

• Cancel Printing: Select a print job and click Delete to cancel it.
• Pause Printing: Select a job and click Hold to pause.
• Resume Printing: Select a “Hold” job and click Resume to continue.
• Prioritize Jobs: If multiple jobs are queued, you can change their order by selecting a job and using the Status arrow to move it up or down the queue.

Once printing is complete, close the Print Center window by going to File > Quit.

Printing images from your computer is a rewarding process that allows you to enjoy your digital photos in a more personal and lasting format. By following these steps for Windows and macOS, you can confidently print your images and achieve great results every time.