fuzzy printing

[crussty]

This a two part question. 1: When I print things with my printer, they are always fuzzy, like my computer thought the image was not clear enough, and I can't get it to print photographs onto photo paper that look like the original. 2: I scanned in an image the other night on 1200 dpi, thinking it would go to the printer and print out also at 1200 dpe, thus, great picture. It too was fuzzy. It looked ok, but was not worth the time and effort it took for the PC to scan and print it.
Does anyone have any ideas as to why and if so, how to fix it so my pitures are more crisp. My scanner and printer details, as well as my pc details are as follows:

Packard Bell 980 Mobo
AMD K6-2 3D @500Mhz
128 Mb RAM
13G Maxtor HD
Agfa Snapscan Touch
Lexmark 3200 printer


Let me know if you need any more info, not a problem.

thanks, crussty

[kayden azagthoth]

Hi crussty,

Is it only pictures that print fuzzy, or does text print fuzzy too? If everything prints fuzzy, your ink cartridges probably need to be cleaned. Most printers have tools within the software that allows you to print a page which cleans the heads (or whatever you call them) on your cartridges.

Also, there should be a 'help' option that comes with your printer software too. Sometimes their troubleshooting section can help. It's helped me in the past.

Hope this helped a little.

Kay

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And all you touch and all you see, is all your life will ever be.

-Pink Floyd

[crussty]

Gee, thanks for the quick reply. It's actually just the pictures. When I printed one of them, it actually printed better at 150 dpi, which just shouldn't be. Very strange.


http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

[This message has been edited by crussty (edited 03-21-2001).]

[bassman]

Hey crussty.
First off let me say, "more dpi does not mean clearer picture ALWAYS." Your best quality will be when all devices work at their best capacity and compatability. Although Lexmark makes a fine product, it is not a high doller "Photo" quality machine.
I am not putting down your choice in equipment by any means, it looks to be a nice machine, just don't expect more then it can do.
As for the scanner, are you sure the glass surface is perfectly clean. Do other scanned images look fuzzy (letters, non photo quality art...?)
Are you using a photo quality cartrage for this operation?
High dpi, if not read perfectly and transferred perfectly will look smudgy, where something around 150 to 300 will look fine. Also paper quality has A LOT to do with final image.
Hope this helps http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

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If a book about Failures doesn't sell, is it a success?

[This message has been edited by bassman (edited 03-21-2001).]

[crussty]

My printer was Just a cheaper printer, compared to some, that could print decent pictures. Now that you mention it, my scanner bed is kind of dirty, but when I try to clean it, I always see the same swirls. It's like it won't come off. Any suggestions?

[Paleo Pete]

The "swirls" you see are probably on the underside of the glass. My Mustek is similar, I was once a professional window cleaner, I can get the top side perfect, but the underside still looks dirty. Nothing you can do about that without taking the scanner apart, which I don't recommend.

As mentioned above, if your printer is not a photo quality model you probably won't get top quality photo printing jobs. The DPI setting only makes a diffence up to the maximum DPI of the printer. If the printer won't print higher than 300DPI, scanning at a higher DPI than that will make no difference at all, it will only take longer to scan and create a larger file.

I'll try to explain that...scanning at 1200 DPI for instance...If the printer can only print at 300 DPI, it can't reproduce all those extra dots. 300 per inch is all it will reproduce, so the other 900 are overkill...

Check your printer settings, and set it for its highest DPI, then scan at the same DPI rate. If the print cartridge is clean, that's the best quality you'll get. As already mentioned, photo quality paper and cartridges will get the best results.

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Computer Information Links (http://www.geocities.com/paleopete/)

[crussty]

Thanks guys, I guess I will have to stop being so cheap and buy a good HP or something. My friend has one and I can't believe the quality of pictures it prints. He makes his own enlargements, etc. and you can't even tell it's from a printer. Thanks again.


crussty http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif

[mjc]

There is also the possiblity that scanning at too high of a resolution could be causing the fuzziness, the printer is trying to combine the four dots (1200dpi) from the scanner into 1 dot (300 dpi) for the printer and not doing a very good job of it. If it is under software control and you want to get rid of jagged edges it's called anti alaising if it just happens by chance then it is just poor print quality......

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.fortunecity.com/skyscraper/highrise/11/index.htm)

Does Bill Gates use WindowsME?

[BigBlue66]

HEY PETE: WHAT EXACTLY IS A "PROFESSIONAL WINDOW CLEANER"????

Does that mean:

1) That you only clean 'professional' windows? Do they have to hold themselves out as 'professional', or can you just tell by looking at them? Do they have to have 'professional' credentials? Do they have to be 'professional' in both fact and appearance? Do they have to wear a coat and tie? Do they have to have some sort of advanced schooling to be considered 'professional'?

Have you ever had windows that claimed they were 'professional', but were really just run-of-the-mill windows? If so, did you clean these windows a different way, as opposed to the cleaning that you regularly give 'professional' windows?

2) That you use 'professional' cleaning products and supplies, as opposed to wadded up newspaper and a water/ammonia solution?

3) That YOU have 'professional' credentials? Do you have to have some sort of advanced schooling for said credentials? Or, does experience alone qualify you to be labeled as 'professional'?

What are some differences between the methods used to clean 'professional' windows and amateur windows? Or, are the methods the same, with the only difference being the stature of the windows?

Are 'professional' windows only installed in 'professional' buildings, or can homeowners have 'professional' windows installed in their personal residences as well? Does installing 'professional' windows in ones home increase the market value by an appreciable amount?

Just curious. http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

BB 66


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