Photo Printer 730PS

Page one of the print driver has options for selecting the media type, setting the orientation, enabling Auto-Optimization, number of copies, enabling the Preview function and optionally adding a visible watermark (Magic coating) over the picture.

Page two lets you calibrate the printer, set a specific skin tone (Yellow, White or Black), enable Windows color management or disable color preferences altogether.

Page three has the Cleaning Tool function and the Advanced Color Setting. See the next frame for color settings - however, I have yet to have ever needed to use it !

The Advanced Color Setting lets you select a printer, set the paper orientation, load or save a color configuration, manually adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, cyan, magenta and yellow, set the scale or adjust for a printer offset.

This is the Preview screen, if you check the "Run Preview" box on the first page of the driver then this screen comes up before each picture is printed. From here you see "visually" exactly how your picture is going to look when printed. You can alter the brightness, contrast or sharpness as well as change the scaling and then re-center the picture.

Most digital cameras create images that use a 4:3 aspect ratio so when printing them at 4x6" you will always be cropping some of the picture to fill the entire print area. Now you know why some cameras have a special (3:2) resolution setting, this yields perfect 4x6" prints with no cropping. The 4:3 ratio does produce perfect 6 x 8" prints though.

Clicking on the "Mirabella" button from the Preview screen will bring up this quick selection window. You are shown 9 variations of your picture, each has a slightly different color or contrast - just pick the one that looks best and that's how your print will come out.  It doesn't get any easier than that.

Application Programs

PhotoDesiree   delivers professional quality results with an easy to use User Interface. It allows you to create personalized calendars, poster and greeting cards. With creative color toning buttons; options for adjusting saturation, contrast, sharpness, brightness, hues. PhotoDesiree gives you studio quality results right at home.

Using PhotoDesiree is as simple as: (1) Select desired image file, (2) layout the image, adjust colors, drag to Print Queue and print.

Full TWAIN support for cameras, scanners or whatever, read from flash card or load and print image files on your hard drive. DPOF direct printing support. Templates for the HiTi 6x8", 5x7", 4x6" photo, 4x2x4 sticker and 4x4 sticker media. You can easily view, organize, print and save your image collections as albums for quick recall and future printing.

This is the 4x2x4 sticker paper. Simply drag-and-drop the desired photos into each of the three template areas. All of these small photos peel off and have a self-adhesive backing to let you stick them wherever you want. Kids love them for school notebooks and such. They're also perfect for ID badges too.

Color Adjustor   lets you adjust the image's color, brightness or contrast.

Special Image Processing contains quick-apply image effects like color embossed, white skin, bronze skin, night, firework, gorgeous, smart blur and soft focus.

Magic Coating lets you imprint a special logo into the protective coating that covers the entire print.

The Index option lets you print out index sheets of ALL images or just selected images in a folder or flash card. You can choose one of three templates; 16-up, 25-up or 36-up.

Steve's Conclusion

I've received numerous emails from new owners of HiTi printers that we've reviewed and I'm happy to report that the response has been totally positive. They're thrilled by the performance and low cost of making their own "jumbo" prints at home from their digital cameras. You can also find even more satisfied users spreading the word on our Discussion Forum about Dye Sub printers. Dye sub printers users quickly discover that their prints now look the same as their camera images. Color-matching is one of the most difficult and misunderstood things in the computer world and the vast majority of us are using uncalibrated monitors. This makes for a problem when you color-correct your images to make them look good on the screen. You soon find out that they don't look the same when printed on your printer. The truth is that most digicams produce properly colored images and you don't really need to mess around with that. What you need is a printer that will make prints right from your memory card and requires no color adjustments.

HiTi has taken a good thing and made it even better with the release of their new 730PS Photo Printer. You can now make 4 x 6", 5 x 7" and 6 x 8" size prints at home whenever you want, with a minimum of fuss and it doesn't even require the use of your computer. You can take your digicam and HiTi printer to parties or events and make prints right there on the spot for family and friends. You can't beat the low cost of just 40¢ for 4 x 6" prints, and they're as permanent as conventional film prints. The prints you make are waterproof, UV fade resistant and stand up well to a lot of handling thanks to the protective overcoat. And you'll be amazed at how vivid and colorful your photos are when printed on a dye sub type printer.

Some but not all of today's digicams offer a 3:2 aspect ratio mode. This is very useful for making "perfect" 4 x 6" size prints that require no cropping. Unfortunately the vast majority of the digicams produce only 4:3 aspect ratio images which match the height and width of your computer screen. HiTi developed the larger format 6 x 8" print size to directly address and solve this problem. You can now print gorgeous 6 x 8" prints and not have to lose (crop) a single bit of your original image. And for those wanting to make a standard film size enlargement there is the intermediate 5 x 7" size paper and ribbon packs. Many of us have 5 x 7" photo frames on our desks and these prints are a perfect match to that size.

The 730PS is a very versatile printer with its multiple paper sizes and computerless capabilities. Speedwise the 730PS is no turtle, it cranks out 4 x 6" prints in about a minute and it doesn't take too much longer than that to make a 6 x 8" print. It can be easily connected to Windows and Mac computers and produces absolutely stunning results from any photo or graphic application. If you want the convenience of making your own photo prints at home I can't imagine a simpler or more cost-effective way of doing it than with a dye sub printer. And if you don't need the larger print sizes then check out HiTi's other 4x6" printers, they're all winners in my book.

For purchase information please visit:

www.hitouchimaging.com/wtbuy.asp