How to Make Accurate Inkjet Prints

[@NigelDanson]

Great video Ben and I concur that printing your photos is so important. I also find it the most rewarding part of my photography. Your process is different than mine. All the colour processing is the same and I agree with the iMac brightness and colour profile being good out of the box. However, I never resize or apply additional sharpening. I did a series of tests on this in fact and found that printing from Lightroom from the original edited image provided the cleanest and most pleasing image. When I applied sharpening / resizing in photoshop I didn't notice any difference. It would be really interesting to know why you started resizing / applying aggressive sharpening.

[@BenHorne]

Hi Nigel! Though I do have Lightroom on my computer, I don't use it so everything is printed through photoshop. It sounds like Lightroom automates much of the process that is traditionally done manually in photoshop. If I just hit print in photoshop, it doesn't handle resizing the file. It will just print it at the stated size at the given PPI setting. That's my reason for resizing the file ahead of time. If you were to simply resize the file to the proper size and print it without sharpening, the file is quite mushy, so it needs the sharpening. It sounds like Lightroom takes care of that process, but I will say that I like having control over the specific sharpness.

[@peterfarr9591]

I think it depends on the printer. The canon printers will print at 1200 dpi every time, so unless you plan to upsample I don't see a lot of reason to convert to a specific dpi. I found that not converting to 300 or 600 dpi and just sending it at full res to the printer resulted in the sharpest prints. Might be different for epson though

[@JamesLanePhoto]

As someone who has recently just started printing I can absolutely concur with Ben's adage that printing improves your photography and your editing. After printing my favourite images I have seen them in a new light causing me to revisit them in the edit. Thank you for the sharpening tip; that has really helped. Great video, I really appreciate it.

[@BenHorne]

Thanks James. It sure does become a self fulfilling prophecy at some point. The act of printing a photo makes for a better photographer, which makes for a better print.

[@ashvarma2486]

Great video Ben with great tips. Many thanks for sharing.

[@i3aluchi]

Thank you Ben for this long-awaited video. Printing at home is very rewarding once the initial quirks are sorted out. I found the tips on viewing the photo under the various lights, and what to look for in the print, were very helpful.

[@BenHorne]

Thanks for watching Khalid, and I'm glad you found that tip useful. You can learn so much about the photo by closing your eyes, then getting that first glance at it in different lighting conditions. The same is true for when you're editing the photo on the computer. You can just close your eyes for a while, then open them and look at the photo and it'll help guide you on an edit.

[@CornishMotorcycleDiaries]

Very helpful and it also reminded me to check the brightness on my iMac which was too high d'oh!!

[@BenHorne]

It's definitely one of those small things that sure makes a big difference!

[@mariolombardi4766]

Thanks Ben this was helpful and insightful!

[@BenHorne]

So glad you found it helpful Mario!

[@alexnail]

A really informative video Ben - much easier than me trying to explain this photographers - I think I'll direct people here in future!

[@BenHorne]

Awesome! Thanks for watching Alex!

[@lfac]

Very useful indeed. This is a topic where there is a lot of confusion and these kinds of videos really help.

[@BenHorne]

Thanks Luís! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@simek_art]

Color management is an important thing for any photographer and graphic designer. Great video.

[@BenHorne]

Thanks Jan!

[@KenrickFischerArt]

Thanks Ben! I love printing my images both for learning but also to be able to physically hold them. It's amazing how much the ambient light impacts a print and I really like the "close your eyes and then look at the print" idea. Those initial glances can really draw someone into an image.

[@BenHorne]

Thanks Kenrick!

[@georgefrench1907]

Just the info I needed. Thanks.

[@BenHorne]

Thanks George! Glad it was helpful!

[@Sc3ptor]

Hi Ben! Thanks so much for this video!! I've been so hesitant making my own prints and this video really convinced me to take that leap. Thank you!!

[@BenHorne]

You're very welcome! I would definitely recommend taking the leap. It is very fulfilling to see the end result on paper, and you'll learn so much in the process.

[@tlhawkins6699]

I have been more intimidated with inkjet printing than darkroom printing. Definitely a challenge for me. Thank you Mr.Horne.

[@BenHorne]

That's the thing about technology. It allows for great consistency, but at the expense of far more complexity.

[@kreygscott]

First! Btw, fantastic video and something much needed for anyone who's interested in printing their work. Note: A photograph isn't finished until you have a print.

[@BenHorne]

Very well said Kreyg! Making that print seems to fulfill the destiny of the photograph.

[@OnMyOm]

This is so helpful, and getting the most out of a printer. My photos are much more subtle and monochromatic so printing gives more clarity. Thanks Ben

[@BenHorne]

Thanks so much Om! There sure is something great about seeing the photos on paper. It gives a greater perspective of the image.

[@chrisbrunerphotography3783]

Nice video Ben, thanks.

[@BenHorne]

Thanks as always for watching Chris!

[@lindahenderson2113]

Thanks, Ben. I need to get back to printing. This video was much needed and I agree that printing your photos is a necessary part of photography! They may not all go on the wall, but it is a good process in self-critique.

[@BenHorne]

Thanks for watching Linda! You're very right that printing is a fantastic method for self critique. Freeing the photo from the computer allows us to see it differently, and it's a great process to learn from.

[@DannyFyffe]

Some good points in there. You print on very nice paper and of course the other side is the ink in the printer. It is a daunting task, but the adage is true that holding a print of your photograph in your hand makes the photography process complete.

[@BenHorne]

It really is true that holding that photo gives a sense of completion to the entire process. It really helps build a heightened sense of satisfaction over the process as a whole.

[@johndoddato2662]

Ben, Great video as always. Funny I was just thinking of scanning that very same image that I made over thirty years ago with my large format camera. I never really liked the print the custom lab made at the time. You have some good points for viewing and determining the balance of the print. One thing I always did in my darkroom to help me analyze the final print was to turn it upside down and view it. Any areas that needed attention will immediately jumps out at you. I still do this today with my digital workflow. I know longer work with large format equipment being in my 70's but I still photograph just as hard. Making a finished print it one of the most important steps in the photographic process. Really enjoy your quality work and videos.

[@BenHorne]

Thanks so much John, and that's a great tip about viewing the photo upside down. That's something I also do from time to time, especially if there is something about an image that is bugging me, but I can't quite figure out what it is. There sure is something very special about seeing a photo on paper isn't there? Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@LarryManiccia]

Good video Ben. You definitely touched on several key things needed to achieve a good print. A few other minor things to keep in mind for those starting to print would be ambient light in the editing environment as well as screen background color that photo is displayed on in Lightroom or Photoshop while editing. Both can have an effect on how bright or dark you edit your image sometimes. I like bright, but not overwhelming ambient light and I use the light gray background in Lightroom when editing. I agree with you printing your work is important and it gives you a deeper connection to it for sure. I love printing my images on my Epson P800. There's nothing like seeing a piece of your own work on your wall.

[@BenHorne]

Very well said Larry! The lighting for the editing environment is definitely very important. My computer monitor is set against a window, though I have some sheer window coverings that minimize the harshness of the light, and allow some nice natural light into the room. It also helps that my home office has a north facing window, so I never get direct sun entering from behind. When I edit at night, often put a small LED behind the monitor so the area behind my monitor has a nice neutral glow. Much like you, I like to have a light gray backdrop for editing the photos, but one it comes time to print, I often switch it to white so I can see how the light and dark tones compare to the white of the paper. This helps me to adjust the brightness/contrast to taste. Thanks as always for watching and commenting Larry!

[@CynthiaS1951]

Oh, wow! Talk about perfect timing with this video! I’ve recently started to do my research for a printer to purchase (I want to dabble in printing some of my images). This video will now become one of my keepers. Thank you!!

[@BenHorne]

Awesome! I think you'll find the process of printing your own work to be very fulfilling. It takes a bit of time getting comfortable with it, but I can honestly say that seeing the photos on paper has made me a better photographer.

[@elmachomen]

Great video Ben! I have to say that printing is one of my weaknesses as an amateur photographer, I've only printed my work through labs, and only recently started to get more into all the intricacies of it (it's quite a world on itself) and I really enjoy it. I've found out on the little time that I've been learning about this side of our craft that it has really helped me in all the other aspects of my photography. I plan on getting a good printer and take control of the whole process myself soon. Keep up the good work and stay safe! I hope that you're enjoying your backpacking trip in Utah!

[@BenHorne]

Thanks Kevin! I think printing is one of those things that people tend to overcomplicate, but once you get the hang of a workflow that works for you, I think you'll really enjoy it. The other thing I would suggest is picking a paper you really like, and sticking with that paper. You can order sample packs to get a feel for the options to get started. I print nearly everything on Hahnemühule Photo Rag Baryta. It isn't cheap, but it sure is a great paper, and I know how the photos will turn out without any surprises.

[@elmachomen]

@@BenHorne Thank you Ben for the reply and the advice, I'll definitely take it into account! :)

[@Canadiansasquatchbrewery]

I definitely need to get to printing my images. I do have a couple that I quite like. Just need to get the images cleaned up a bit and do the print! Great stuff as always Ben! Thanks for sharing!

[@BenHorne]

It's definitely worthwhile to start printing. You learn so much by seeing the images on paper, and it really helps with the editing process. For whatever reason, certain things go unnoticed on the screen, but once you see that image on paper, it will give you a heightened sense of awareness that you can feed back into the image editing process.

[@luciolibanori]

Great video. I would recommend turning the Black Point Compensation on. This setting helps improve the representation of the dark tones, specially when dealing with matte papers. Its mapping method resembles the Perceptual render intent, but instead of moving the hues it emphasizes the dark values, "making room" for the tonal separation.

[@BenHorne]

Hi Lucio! I have experimented a bit with the Black Point Compensation, but found that it made the prints turn out a bit more flat by not letting the dark tones go as dark as they should be. It became a bit of a wildcard in the printing process, so I ended up disabling it so the prints would turn out more like I was expecting. Perhaps the impact of it is more useful on some photos than others.

[@luciolibanori]

Ben Horne Indeed it'a a case based situation. Love your channel. Keep it up.

[@nprisadnikov]

@@BenHorne Do you print on matte papers as well, or mostly Baryta? If you do, do you leave Black Point Compensation off and still do the same levels adjustment in the beginning. I am still starting with my printing attempts and from what I am understanding this could lead to loss of detail in the shadows.

[@jarr1520]

Terrific pointers here....Many Thanks Ben!

[@BenHorne]

Thanks so much for watching John!

[@FabrizioZago]

I really like the Hahnemühle papers, specially FineArt Baryta. Sometimes I choose another type of FineArt paper, like the Photo Rag, depending on the subject of the photo.

[@BenHorne]

I absolutely love Hahnemühle paper. It isn't cheap, but the quality is fantastic.

[@roadtripper2656]

This was an informative video. I knew that my monitor (also iMac) was too bright, but I would have never thought to dial it down that much!. That being said, my prints do invariably turn out dark if I don't let the printers adjust them. So I tried your suggestion recently and the results were a lot better. I rarely print images but during this pandemic, I've started wanting to hang photos and I do see how printing photos can enhance photography skills. Thank you for this video!

[@BenHorne]

I'm so glad to hear the video was helpful!

[@JefferyMattoon]

Great information Ben. Also love your voice over for the F4 boys video trailers 👍

[@pentasonicnaturephotograph6937]

Oh yes, that was instantly recognizable! If Tom goes on practicing with his film camera maybe there will be a film-focused spin-off including Ben in front of the camera?

[@BenHorne]

Thanks so much! Glad you liked the voiceover work. That was a fun little project. :-)

[@BenHorne]

That sure would be a huge project! Shooting film for a video series like that would be interesting though.

[@duringthemeanwhilst]

thanks for sharing your process - really interesting as always :-) I print through LR but follow broadly the same steps before printing. But I've learned a lot about the post printing process and will try to adopt that.

[@StylusDrop]

An excellent an informative video, Ben. Keep up the good work!

[@BenHorne]

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@thevalleywalker]

Excellent video as ever Ben. I don't print much these days but always surprised that people don't mention the Gamut Warning in the process, this would probably have been picked up when you were working through the processing and the saturation problem you mention. Atb Alan

[@BenHorne]

Hi Alan! I do check that from time to time, but I haven't run into too many issues with bumping into that limit. I wonder if that has to do with the fact that my scans are 16 bit and the files aren't being tweaked very much, so I'm not pushing the limits of the color space.

[@skfirojali2429]

Very informative video please share videos like this thank you

[@BenHorne]

Thanks! I definitely have some more videos planned along these lines.

[@tonygreenwoodN10]

Very interesting thank you! Also, due the constant emphasis elsewhere about screen calibration, pleasantly surprised (as a 5k iMac owner) that with the very high quality of images that your photography creates, that you don't worry about screen calibration. I don't print very often and when I do, I use ICC profiles supplied via my print shop here in London, soft-proof in Affinity Photo and so far they've always come out fine, without the need for screen calibration - great - less kit to buy!!!

[@BenHorne]

Thanks for watching Tony! Yup, I've found the 5k iMac screens are fantastic. I have zero surprises when it comes time to print. I'm glad to hear that you've had very accurate results with the print shop you use! It sure is frustrating when things don't turn out quite right.

[@stuartbaines2843]

Valuable tips 👍 Don't print to inkjet currently, mostly send to Lab i know will print my file Accurately. Do use a calibration device, 'belt and braces' 😅

[@BenHorne]

Labs can certainly produce some really beautiful prints. I will say that it's nice to have complete control though. If the print is off by even the smallest amount, it's super easy to make another one without any second thoughts.

[@RandyPollock]

I would just add to what Ben said unless you have a setup like his...you do need color calibration software as most mortal monitors need the corrections. Epson and Canon both make awesome printers, do your research on what you want out of your printer some make better b/w, make sure the max size of your prints can be handled with the printer, make sure borderless prints can be done if that is an issue and see what the associated cost of inks will run you as printing from home is not cheaper than a lab and if you will use off-brand inks at any time in your printers. The reason I print from home is you can control all aspects of the print and you can have that immediate satisfaction of seeing that print come out of the printer. Watch for sales, my 700 dollar Canon Pro 10 was purchased at a time on B&H when it was 250.00 off and came with 150 worth of paper. Lastly, don't just go with one paper...most good paper companies have packs that you can buy that are sample packs so you can see what paper you like best...and lastly not saying PS isn't the best way to print, but QImage Ultimate has been around a very long time in the business of doing only one thing...printing...look at their software.

[@mullysr1]

Ben you don't talk about turning off True Tone for the display. I have the same Mac 5K and have seen recommendations to turn off True Tone. Your thoughts? Great Video!

[@BenHorne]

I didn’t mention it mostly because I have no clue what it is. 😂

[@alanmcconnell7368]

Very informative Ben. Good fine details. I don't do my own prints, but I can see the advantage to doing so. My concern is the cost of the equipment as well as the maintenance. There have also been some well thought out replies from people. So here is a question, would it be a good idea to have a good printer for proof prints (8x10's or so), but then have the professional lab (which do good job) do my big prints?

[@BenHorne]

Thanks for watching and commenting Alan. The thing about printers is that they really need to be used quite a bit, especially the printers that use pigment based inks. From what I understand, the pigments can clot as they age, and when those clots reach the nozzles, bad things can happen. This is especially important on the large wide format printers. I have mine set to do an automated cleaning cycle every few days to keep it happy. The good news is that the printers themselves aren't all that expensive in the long run, and even the ink isn't all that bad if you look at the cost per page-just so long as use it enough to justify it. There are so many variables involved with printing that a print from a home printer will probably never match one from a professional lab. Many labs produce lightjet prints which is an entirely different technology. If on the other hand the lab you're using produce prints on an Epson, and they tell you the profiles they're using and the general settings they use, then a print produced from home with an Epson with the same generation of inks will give very similar results. As an example, my Epson P800 (17x22 max paper size) produces prints that are nearly identical to my P7000 (24" roll paper) so long as I use the same profiles. Here's what I've learned about working with pro labs. It's easy to get a photo that's within about 90% of what you want, but it's VERY difficult to get a print that's 100% spot on. There was always something that bugged me about the pro lab prints... be it sharpness, shadow tone, color cast, etc. With my own printer, I can just print another copy with the necessary tweaks, but with a pro lab, I don't want to be a pest by having the print redone.

[@craigallenphotography]

do you keep the flattened file with any adjustments for printing more copies later? Or do you make a "notepad" type file with the adjustments? I'm wondering about print integrity from print to print if you don't print a whole run at once...or do you print an entire edition at once? Take care and thanks for the great videos.

[@BenHorne]

Hi Craig! After I'm satisfied with my edits on a particular photo, I save the file with the adjustment layers intact. Whenever I need to make another print, all I do is open that file, duplicate it (so I'm not working with the original and risk accidentally saving the resized/flattened file as the original), then flatten and resize it to the needed print size. I print the photos as needed because it's very easy to generate a new print file from the master file, and the results will be exactly the same.

[@rickeycarter]

I print on canon but I have learned to never ever resample for printing. Feed that driver full resolution. I have seen numerous tests where the prints always come out better. Perhaps epson needs the rescaling as everyone seems to talk about fussing around with the pixels per inch.

[@BenHorne]

Are you printing through lightroom or photoshop? It sounds like the process is different between the two. I print through photoshop, and if I feed the full res photo through the print dialogue in photoshop, it would just print a tiny paper-sized section of the middle of the large film scan.

[@rickeycarter]

Ben Horne lightroom but use plugins like canon’s print studio pro or qimage. I never recommend to anyone to print through adobe’s print dialogues. It is too cumbersome and the results are flaky just as you describe. There are much, much better print tools too.

[@negumanezer]

why do you have a white background on your software/op system? my eyes cant take it :s

[@BenHorne]

It’s better to edit your photos on a white background than gray when editing for print. It allows you to better judge both the highlight and shadow toned and how they will be rendered on paper.

[@travel.photos]

The color profile makes a huge difference. I accidentally printed with the wrong profile and the image turned blue.

[@BenHorne]

Yup! It sure makes a huge difference if the wrong one is selected. That's for sure!

[@joshuafagans7534]

This is a good intro to a tricky subject. I will ask, however, is there a particular reason you are not checking the 16 bit option for the printer? If your source image is greater than 8 bit this should improve print quality.

[@BenHorne]

Hi Joshua! Great question! I do check that box when I'm making the prints, but I forgot to do it during the screen capture. That being said, I'm not sure how much of a difference it truly makes for the print itself. It seems like most of the advantage of the 16 bits is during the editing process itself.

[@joshuafagans7534]

@@BenHorne It definitely makes a huge difference when you are adjusting the image within an app like photoshop but theoretically (not sure I've ever tested this myself) it should make a difference when printing from a 14 or 16 bit source. It would be most obvious in a large, smooth gradient. The higher bit depth should smooth the transitions better. It is easy enough to test so I should probably just do that before saying too much.

[@lesforrester5318]

Thought you may have used soft proofing and looked at the rendering intents, just wondering why you haven’t

[@LarryManiccia]

I find the rendering intents in Lightroom to be useful, but I almost never use soft proofing. I find it unnecessary if you are following all the other rules of thumb that Ben mentioned and a few others. Lightroom seems to do a great job rendering images to print with a decent paper profile and good paper.

[@BenHorne]

I really haven't found the soft proofing to be especially useful for me. For me, it all comes down to seeing the image on the actual paper. When it comes to rendering intents, I've found that Relative Colorimetric is what I'm most satisfied with. It matches quite nicely what I see on the monitor, and how I expect the image to look on paper.

[@whargrove87]

What is the color on your artboard background in photoshop? Do you find it helpful to edit against white to resemble paper?

[@BenHorne]

Hi Wes! While I edit the photos, I generally switch between white and a light gray. I find that editing on white gives a better feel for how the image will look on paper.

[@jonathanrhall43]

Hi Ben, Very much looking forward to receiving my copy of your book later this year. I know you favour the H.Muhle Photo Rag Baryta for your final prints, but what is a good paper stock to use for the proofs? Does it help to have a paper stock that is similar to the final paper, do you also proof on the PR baryta or does it not make a difference? Trying to avoid wasting good paper in the learning process, so any advice would be welcome. Thanks! J

[@BenHorne]

Hi Jonathan! Paper choice has a huge impact on the overall print. The best way to proof the print is to use the exact same paper. That's why I like to have a box of letter sized paper handy for proofing, then I will use a bigger sheet of the same paper for the final print. Even within the same paper family, you'll see some pretty big differences in the way the colors and tones appear. This might feel quite expensive at first, but it will actually save you money in the long run so you don't waste a big sheet of the good stuff.

[@archer41eh]

I noticed that you used a paper profile for a P9000 and printed on a P7000. Does that have any effect on the final print?

[@BenHorne]

Hi Shawn! Good eye for noticing that. The Epson 7000 and 9000 are essentially the same printer, except the 9000 can accept larger rolls of paper, so the Hahnemühle ICC profile is intended for both printers, though its names only for one of them. It would be nice if both printers were lister in the name, but I suspect the file size would get too long.

[@franzgisinphotography]

I notice you did not use a D50 (5000K) light source - which I understand is supposed to be the industry standard for viewing prints. While I personally don't own one of these D50 lights, I am still curious to know if you have ever used one, and if so, why you stopped using it.

[@BenHorne]

I haven't used one for viewing, and I'm sure they're great, but I've found that indirect natural light and especially full sunlight work very well for me. If there is an issue with a print, it'll stand out big time in full sun. There's something about the intensity of the light when combined with the full spectrum.

[@franzgisinphotography]

@@BenHorne Good point! Why use an "artificial daylight source" when you have access to the real thing!

[@arkansastraveler7698]

When I my pictures looking the best on my laptop, they print out a little dark by my printing service.

[@CornishMotorcycleDiaries]

I think you'll find that Ben DID talk about that. Basically you have the brightness on your LCD screen turned up too high.

[@BenHorne]

There are several variables at play here because you don't know how they were handled by the printing service (sometimes they will adjust the brightness of the images automatically), but what you describe is often the result of your monitor being too bright when you viewed and edited the photos. That is by far the most common reason why prints turn out dark.

[@joedang3178]

"if I turn my brightness down to a little under half I will have an accurate image to work with" That is bad advice Ben.. especially coming from you. Always calibrate your monitor!

[@jeg569]

Jose Rodriguez says never adjust the brightness on it’s own, it must be done along with the screen calibration software.

[@BenHorne]

I disagree Joe. Not everyone needs to calibrate their monitor. What if a family member came to you and said they wanted to start printing. Would you tell them to go spend $200 on a monitor calibrator, or would you tell them to edit with their screen brightness at a reasonable level, then make a print to see how it turns out? One can purchase a calibration chart for their camera, screen calibrator for their screen, and create custom calibration profiles for each paper they use in their printer. But... what if all they have to do is turn down the brightness of their monitor and use a canned ICC profile for the paper, and their prints are completely accurate without spending hundreds of dollars? Why not try it first, and if you find there is a problem, then pursue other options? I can tell you that there are zero surprises with my prints when it comes to brightness and contrast. Each and every time, they are as expected, and I have never calibrated my monitor. On my previous system, I had a screen calibrator, and honestly it made hardly any difference because the monitor was already very accurate. I can't speak for other monitors, but I can tell you that the latest iMacs are fantastic with the brightness turned down about half way.

[@joedang3178]

@@BenHorne I agree for the average person screen calibration is not going to make a difference! However you don't strike me or your audience as the average person! you are technical with attention to detail. With the thousand of dollars you have spent on your photo gear $200 on monitor calibration is a no-brainer! I've never used iMacs so I cant comment, but I have used many pro-monitors and they are all different.. brightness, screen temp, etc even room ambience makes a difference!

[@drewertonlima]

I think it's important to have alternatives to screen calibrators, since they are expensive. In fact, I don't have a monitor and I edit my photos direct from the notebook. At the time of printing, I use ICC profiles and correct colors, contrast and brightness in the printer software (Print Studio Pro). A couple of tests and it's good to go! As for the screen brightness, it's really important to turn it down, since paper are not back lit as the screen. Kind regards.

[@thomastuorto9929]

@@drewertonlima The whole point of screen calibration is no to waste expensive ink & paper. Their is a good chance that if his screen was monitored , he would of seen the saturation & might not need a second print. Anyway, happy shooting.

[@markjensen663]

I try that closing your eyes trick here at home occasionally but when I open them she still always looks the same.

[@jonathanbarlow2587]

That’s okay to start but there’s waayyyyy more to learn when printing on an inkjet printer. Good quality prints from an inkjet require as many techniques/skills as prints in the wet darkroom and you won’t get those from a 12 minute video.

[@BenHorne]

A Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. This video is meant to introduce people to the essential steps, and they can go from there based on their own specific needs. I will say though that many people make a big deal about how complex it is to produce good inkjet prints, but honestly I haven't found that to be the case. So long as you have a firm understanding of the basics, it's very possible to make prints you're 100% satisfied with without going through a lot of hoops.