Do we get better results printing with Photoshop ?

[drumkid]

A friend of mine recently told me that when printing a picture, the best results are obtained by using Photoshop.
I usually print pictures from Word by inserting them into a blank document.

Is this true I can get better results from Photoshop or is is just an old urban legend?

Thanks !

[Poppa_Meth]

Over Word I would imagine Photo Shop would do a much better job. You have a lot more control over what you are doing with it.

[maldb]

It's 100% true that you get a better image with Photoshop. You have a heckuva lot more control with the way your image prints. The special effects alone are mind-boggling, let alone the touching-up you can do. Remove zits, scars, red-eye, glare, etc. Go with Photoshop.

[drumkid]

Allright, but you guys are talking about Photoshop capabilities and features.
But let's say I print the exact same image:
1) with Microsoft Word
2) with Photoshop
and with the same settings for the printer (let's say Photo Quality).

Why would the 2 versions be different?

[maldb]

Allright, but you guys are talking about Photoshop capabilities and features.
But let's say I print the exact same image:
1) with Microsoft Word
2) with Photoshop
and with the same settings for the printer (let's say Photo Quality).

Why would the 2 versions be different?

I'm not sure, but one is being printed as a text document with a photo image embedded on it, whereas the other is being printed as a true image. I would image the image settings would be better represented by the graphics software when it's being printed as opposed to a word processing program. Anyone?

[Capmaster]

I've always placed my images into Pagemaker for printing.

[jimmalenko]

Allright, but you guys are talking about Photoshop capabilities and features.
But let's say I print the exact same image:
1) with Microsoft Word
2) with Photoshop
and with the same settings for the printer (let's say Photo Quality).

Why would the 2 versions be different?

I'm not sure, but one is being printed as a text document with a photo image embedded on it, whereas the other is being printed as a true image. I would image the image settings would be better represented by the graphics software when it's being printed as opposed to a word processing program. Anyone?

I would think this too.

[garman]

I myself use QuarkXpress to print pictures from. I have printed from both applications and there are no apparent differences. I use the sharp laser printer. they look identical. The only reason why i choose Quark is to apply layers of art and text to the main picture. This method is far easier on quark, working with layers in phooshop can be messy. -garman

[jimmalenko]

If we're talking covers, I use DVD CoverPrint, Roxio Jewel case creator and an app that came with my canon i865 to print onto the disc's surface. The quality of the image really determines how good I can print it out.

[lordsmurf]

Direct from Photoshop or a layout program (Quark, PageMaker) ... not Word.

[GizmoTheGremlin]

there was a picture printing program that came with my i550 canon printer. It was specifically made for printing the images on the canon, and for whatever reason it printed the images better than any other program I tried, including photoshop. All the images looked great, but this program did it the best. unfortunately the programs features were very limited. couldn't print multiple images on one sheet, only 4 x 6 inch prints, etc...

Can't remember the name... iphotoprint or something.

I just figured canon saved it's best settings for use with it's own program. very annoying.

[LeeBear]

Gizmo: If you mean that the Canon software prints your pictures better as in colour wise, then yes it would by default. The Canon photoprint software automatically sets the printer to Exif mode when you print so the colours will match your pictures from Exif compatible digital cameras. By default Photoshop and other programs will use the printers default settings so your colours may not match. This can be fixed though if you are using the latest version of Photoshop that has Exif support or an older version with Exif plugin.

-LeeBear

[GizmoTheGremlin]

ahh, i didn't know that. thanks for the info.

[dxj40c]

I would imagine it has to do with the default dpi. With Word I don't imagine it would be that great, probably 72-96 dpi. With an image editing program like Photoshop the dpi is adjustable and can be adjusted to match the quality/capability of the printer. More dots-per-inch make a better picture in both color and sharpness. Even low-end inkjet printers are capable of 300 dpi. If you used a graphic program like adobe Illustrator, the default dpi is 800 and can confuse a low-end printer and your quality may be compromised because output from these programs are intended for 'commercial' printers.

[noki]

also PS let's you use icc color profiles to print.

[lordsmurf]

More DPI in the image does not determine print quality. That's mostly a myth.

A 200 DPI image on a 1200 printer will look better than a 300 DPI image on a 300 or even 600 DPI printer. Just the way it works.