Developments for photos

Printer-scanner-copiers have their place but aren't always best for pictures.
By RACHEL KONRAD
AP BUSINESS WRITER
SAN FRANCISCO -- The idea of turning my home office into a high-quality photo lab has captivated me since I first switched to a digital camera from a point-and-shoot in 2001.
Instead of dropping off my rolls of film at a store or mailing them to an online photography site such as Kodak's Ofoto, I'd be able to print at home for a fraction of the cost and without the delay of waiting for the pictures.
I also liked the notion of having a printer that could turn my best photos into personalized greeting cards, invitations or pictures suitable for framing without needing to first drop, drag and otherwise cajole my photos into Adobe PhotoShop.
For all these reasons, it was fun testing the newest "all-in-one" (printer-copier-scanner) from Hewlett-Packard. I scanned old photos, created collages for friends and relatives, and even experimented with T-shirt designs. But I'll eventually return to the professional lab, particularly for keepsake photos.
The PSC 2175, priced at $200, was great for photos in the rotating, disposable picture gallery on my refrigerator: the wacky shot of my dog, my friend's new baby, or a silly grin from last weekend's birthday party. The 18-pound machine also reduced the number of gadgets that clutter the small office I share with my husband.
Drawbacks
But the photos are not as crisp and rich as those from a professional lab, and I wonder whether the 4,800-dots-per-inch wedding photos I printed -- already slightly fuzzier than the professional prints in our year-old album -- will fade over the years.
Despite its mercifully quick installation, more-than-adequate quality for plain-text print jobs and a poster with easy-to-follow instructions, the 2175 sparked a few other complaints.
Although the scanner and copier produced sharp images on the computer monitor, paper printouts were of medium caliber.
I couldn't use HP's software to e-mail photos, meanwhile, because it couldn't seem to find an Internet connection, though our DSL service was working smoothly.
It also took patience to figure out how to print a greeting card on HP's software. The borders were uneven at first, and I had to burn through a lot of paper and expensive card stock to get it right. The settings for a garden-variety card were buried within a staggering array of print properties, including settings for odd-sized envelopes and even a Japanese format called hagaki.
Cost comparison
It's also unclear whether home printing is less expensive than a photo lab, at least for the amateur photographer who buys moderately priced equipment. Although digital aficionados beg to differ, film enthusiasts say the combined expense of a digital camera, color printer, ink cartridges and paper is more costly than using a $100 point-and-shoot at $5 per roll of film and $10 per roll for development.
My setup included the $200 all-in-one printer, a $20 black inkjet cartridge, and a $35 tricolor inkjet cartridge that was half-empty after about four dozen prints of various sizes and resolutions.
The HP photo paper I sampled cost up to 90 cents per photo. But at least I wasn't buying film or paying to develop and print an entire roll just to see the handful of good shots I tend to get per roll.
The 2175, which debuted in June, competes against all-in-ones such as the $150 Epson Stylus CX3200 and the $250 Lexmark X6170.
Although IBM and other companies are investing heavily in laser jet printers, particularly for business users, HP says all-in-one sales jumped 142 percent in the past year. I can see why they'd catch on. They're simple to install, relatively easy to use, and small.
Print quality
Though a step down from photo labs, the quality is acceptable for casual shots. For people who have just bought digital cameras, the printer helps smooth the transition from film to pixels.
You don't even have to use your computer to operate the printer. Just slide your camera's memory card into a slot on the printer, and you can get a proof sheet.
But ultimately the all-in-one concept reminded me of pan-Asian restaurants, which serve passable pad thai and sushi for quick eats. For top-quality Thai or Japanese food, I'd go to a specialty restaurant -- and for top-quality photos, I'd head to a professional developer.
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