These days, the ease of digital photography ensures you'll never forget a cherished memory. Click. Just like that, with the press of a button, you can capture a moment in time and treasure it forever. The best part is you can snap away, taking as many pictures as you like without worrying about the costs of printing every single one. Once uploaded to your computer, all you need to do is take a look and print only the best photos. Simple! You don't even need to visit a professional printer. With the right tools, printing photos at home is a piece of cake.

3 key elements for printing photos at home

The task of printing photos at home is nowhere near as daunting as it sounds. Gone are the days of mixing chemicals and developing negatives. Nope. Now, all it takes is the press of a button. Okay, there's a little more to it than that if you want the perfect picture. But, don't worry, we're here to help you print like a pro from the comfort of your own home office.

Buy the right printer

First things first; you're going to need a printer. There's a wide range of machines on the market, the one you choose will depend on what you're going to do with it. In this case, you'll be looking at photo printers. And no, that doesn't necessarily mean you have to opt for a laser printer, nowadays, there are excellent inkjets on the market. The only catch is the price increases with quality. So, it's important to do your research and find the right machine for your needs before investing a wad of cash.

And, don't forget the ink! You'll need good quality cartridges to ensure your photos pop with colour. Our Inky Shop alternative ink and toner cartridges are both affordable and fantastic quality. Browse our catalog and buy yours online today or find a store near you.

Print on high-quality paper

It doesn't begin and end with buying a good printer. You also need to use the right materials. High-quality paper can make all the difference when printing photos at home. You're not limited for choice either. There is a range of different types and textures of photo paper on the market. What you choose will depend on how you want your finished product to look. When making your selection, keep these characteristics in mind:

Thickness

When it comes to printing photos at home, a thicker paper will give you a more traditional finished product. Not only that, but photo paper with a greater thickness is also less likely to tear. Thicker paper, between 120-160 gsm is a great choice for longer lasting prints.

Colour Brilliance

Paper with a high brightness rating will appear whiter, giving your pictures better contrast and colour quality. But keep an eye on the brightness value. If it is too high, there are fluorescent whitening agents in the paper, which will affect your ink.

Finish

Photo paper generally comes in two finishes - matte or gloss. Commonly, people use glossy paper for colour and matte for black and white. Whichever you decide comes down to personal preference. If you want to print double-sided, opt for matte as gloss paper is usually only coated on one side.

Know your optimum settings

If you want the best results, a little tweaking won't go amiss. Use one of the many photo-editing programs to correct the colour and make enhancements before printing. Remember, the higher the resolution, the better quality your print will be, so keep the DPI (dots per inch) high when saving your edited picture.