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Smartphones today have powerful cameras. But why, then, do you see so many blurry, out-of-focus images when you print your shots? The reason may be your default camera settings, photography techniques, or even the type of paper you use. If you’re looking to print high-quality photos straight from your smartphone, here are a few things that will help.
1Master Your Camera Settings
Whether you have an iPhone or an Android device, familiarize yourself with the different camera settings to maximize your device’s potential andimprove the quality of your photos. Take a few minutes to adjust the focus, exposure, ISO, and other parameters until the shot looks as close to what you’d like to see in print as possible.
Camera settings may vary between iPhones and Androids, so be sure to look up tips and features that are specific to your device. For instance, iPhone users can use the Live Photo camera setting to record 1.5 seconds before and after you click a photo, so you’re able to change the key photo later for better results. There are several otheriPhone-specific camera settingsthat can help.
2Avoid Editing Your Photos
Just took a great photo and think it needs a touch of editing before you can print it? Well, think again! Whether you want to crop your photo, use something like an object eraser, or even add a filter, editing your photo will affect its quality.
To avoid having to edit your photo later, be sure to take a look at it as soon as you shoot it. This way, if your image needs any adjustments, you’re able to reshoot it right then and there.
Keep in mind that photo edits can happen automatically as well. For instance, my iPhone auto-enhances pictures as soon as I click them. While the purpose of this is to improve picture quality, I often don’t appreciate the over-processed, beautified look it gives my photos. More importantly, this filter reduces detail, which becomes more than apparent when the photos are printed.
While there’s no way to disable this auto-enhancement feature, at least on an iPhone, since it is built into the camera app, there areworkarounds that can reduce its effect.
If you intend to do any editing on a computer, be sure to shoot your photos in the RAW format, given that it captures all the details, allowing you to tweak the photo with much more flexibility later. Keep in mind, though, that RAW images take up a lot of space. So, if you’re shooting multiple images in this format, you’ll want to keep an eye on your phone’s storage capacity.
3Use the Right Image Format
Each type of image format, from JPEG to RAW, has its own pros and cons, which ultimately affect the image quality. JPEG is the most popular image format. However, when an image file is saved in this format, a lot of the quality is lost due to the file getting compressed, which works against you if you want a high-quality print.
For high-quality prints, click or save photos as RAW files. On most smartphones, JPEG is the default format. You can change this by launching your camera, accessing the Settings, and changing the picture/image format to RAW from JPEG. Alternatively, you can also use online image editors to convert your image file from JPEG to PNG, which is another lossless format.
4Avoid Printing Photos That Were Sent via Social Media
Messaging apps usually compress photos, which is helpful if you’re using your mobile data or have spotty internet, but all this compression reduces the quality of an image. While you can increase the resolution at which a photo is sent by adjusting an app’s image settings, there’s not much you can do if you’re the receiver.
In this case, if the photo means a lot to you and you need to get it printed, ask the sender to share the original high-resolution image file. You can ask the sender to email it to you, upload it to the cloud and share a drive link, or even send it via a messaging app after adjusting the settings, so the app sends the file at its original size.
WhatsApp is one of the most commonly used apps, and it’s notorious for compressing images that are shared—but the app, fortunately, lets you share high-quality images as well, with a fewsimple adjustments. It’s still not my favorite platform for sending high-quality images, but in a pinch, these adjustments work.
Likewise, there are ways to send the original photo or at least a higher-than-normal resolution image on apps like Signal and iMessage as well.
5Opt for the Best Quality Paper and Ink
The last step in ensuring your smartphone photos look great when printed is choosing high-quality paper and ink for the printer. The kind of paper you choose has a significant effect on the final appearance of the photograph.
For instance, glossy paper, which is a popular choice, can make an image pop in terms of contrast and saturation without affecting the photo’s resolution. A matte-finished paper is a solid option for photos that you’d like to display since it won’t reflect as much light. Keep in mind that this type of paper can make colors appear slightly muted.
Apart from the finish, you’ll also want to consider the weight and thickness of the paper. It’s best not to choose paper that’s very thin since it will be prone to buckling when you hang it for an extended period of time. Some papers can be too thick for certain home printers, so you’ll want to check that the paper you choose is of the right thickness before you purchase it.
Additionally, make sure to use good-quality ink in your printer. Avoid using cheap ink, as it can lead to poorer print quality.
6Get It Professionally Printed
While you certainly don’t have to get your photos printed professionally for a quality end product, it’s worth considering this option if you want extra large prints that you don’t have the means to produce at home. I’ve only gone this route when printing photos of special occasions, like milestone celebrations, and I thought it was worth the investment, but I wouldn’t recommend it for photos otherwise.
Not only will the above-mentioned tips help you take high-quality photos using just your smartphone, but they will also ensure that your pictures can be printed at a fairly professional standard.
