Alistair Gleave » canon

How to make professional Greeting Cards all by yourself

Alistair — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:19:50 +0000

The ability to create your own professional looking greetings cards is something I personally love to do, I no longer need to visit the likes of Truprint I can use my creativity to make something truly fabulous – well I think so.

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So the question is what do you need and how do I make them.
First of all a good printer, I use a Canon iP4600 printer, I find it offers me all the versatility I need and produces great photo prints.

Then you need software that can help you make cards as you would want to, for me I like Picassa which is a Google product and does all I could ask of it, allowing me to manipulate and create as I want.

And finally you need great paper, and I think this is probably the most important bit; you need a variety of weights and finish to get the right result. For this I go to Ink2Paper who provide the best inkjet paper I have found, you can choose from Matt/Matt, Gloss/Matt, Gloss/Gloss finish and they have double sided printed card in a variety of sizes and finishes. Finally all the cards are scored and supplied with envelopes so you really can’t go wrong. I myself go for the Gloss/Matt finish, i am happy with 6×4′s – this gives em a shiny side for the image and ‘flatter’ for the writing inside the card.

So that’s my top tips for making your own personalised Greetings Cards, it’s not that difficult I promise.

Canon PIXMA iP4600 Printer

Alistair — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 09:03:18 +0000

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There are lots of sites on the web where you can submit your photos and get them to print your images out and they all do a great job BUT and its a B I G but, alot of this you can do yourself.

You need to get a good printer and i recommend the Canon PIXMA iP4600 Printer, the quality of print is just superb.

Three keys elements of the printer are;
# Canon FINE (Full-lithography inkjet Nozzle Engineering) 5-ink technology – minimises ink wastage
# Print speed: up to 26 ppm – mono / up to 21 ppm – colour
# Max resolution ( colour ): 9600 dpi x 2400 dpi

The 5 ink technology is basically five Single Inks. These provide superb colour reproduction and, as only the ink tank that has run out requires replacing, they offer great efficiency.

So there you have it the Canon PIXMA iP4600 Printer is my choice for quality printing and at around £80 it represents extremely good value.

Photo Quality Paper

Alistair — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:34:23 +0000

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As a keen amateur [tag]photographer[/tag] i have struggled for quite a while to get great quality (not just good) imagery with a standard of service i like. So when i found a website and product that i think just makes the output of images fantastic both in terms of quality and speed i want to share this with you. Bascially i now print everything myself on a Canon printer and get my own paper from a source that i cant recommend highly enough.

[tag]Photo Quality Paper[/tag]
I have discovered a fantastic site that sells simply the best paper i can find, their service is first class and the quality of the paper superb at very reasonable prices, the site is Ink2Paper and they have a wide selection of paper all with free – yes free delivery. So far i have used the Satin Paper and have just discover Repositionable Paper which has a self-adhesive backing that allows the paper to be moved and repositioned. It is ideal for ’storyboarding’, project management, displays, mounting photographs, posters, labels, stickers and permanent signs.

[tag]Photo Quality Printer[/tag]
For the printer, it has to be a Canon the combination of a great product coupled with excellent reviews and feedback (all online) means this was a no brainer.

The net result with Ink2Paper and this printer is simply superb, one thing to mention though is dont forget to order the USB cable if you dont have a spare one. I forgot and had to go on the hunt for one, not good when i wanted to working NOW!

Printing your own images with a Canon iP4600

Alistair — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:52:18 +0000

There are a number of great websites online that can process your photos, print them and send them back to you for a reasonable price BUT you NEED to be aware of a great printer that when matched with top quality paper can be just as good if not better than the ‘online big boys’.

Lets start first with the printer that i use and 100% recommend, this is the [tag]Canon iP4600 [/tag], it not only looks great but produces some of the best imagery i have ever seen. Canon state that the iP4600 is aimed at users looking for exceptional print quality with increased functionality, and i have to say i can’t fault it. With a high resolution 9600×2400 dpi and super fine print heads the quality of print for the money is exceptional.

Cost benefit wise the iP4600 benefits from five Single Inks. These provide superb colour reproduction and, as only the ink tank that has run out requires replacing, they offer great efficiency.

So thats the printer sorted, where for the paper, well for me if you want 100% quality paper, a wide range – gloss, satin, repostionable and more then the site i recommend is Ink2Paper with FREE next day delivery and their site currently offering a pack of 25 230gsm A4 FREE when you buy just three packs of paper it really is a great deal.

I love their product and their service and i really cant fault or for that matter the Canon printer – a great team.