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Adventures in Digital Photography With Linux, part 3: Printing
This series has been moving along rather slowly, but it's summer and there are many important things to do. Like go to the lake and take naps a lot. Nevertheless, the show must go on, so here we are at Part 3. (Here are Part 1 and Part 2.) Linux Photo Printing HellPhoto printing in Linux is seriously lacking. There are no decent photo-printing applications that I have been able to find. I have tried:
PhotoPrintAt first glance this looks like just the ticket- lots of image-quality controls, and all kinds of page sizes supported. But it doesn't work very well. It made margins even when I set all the margins to zero. There is no print preview. The default image quality is bad- grainy and washed-out, and the only way to see your image quality is to make prints. There is no printer dialog- when you hit the print key, that's it. It forgets settings as you move around to different tabs.the GimpPrinting from the Gimp used to be a nightmare of nothing working like it was supposed to. I have version 2.2.13, and it's gotten very good. It should be everything in one- an excellent image editor + printer. But alas, the fatal flaw again is trying to make borderless prints. It just won't do it, no matter how I tweak the settings.DigikamDigikam isn't really meant for printing, though it does have a printing wizard. It's a great application for managing your photo albums, and for managing and converting RAW images, and it's what I use to manage my vast numbers of photos. But for printing- meh.GwenviewAnother very nice photo gallery manager, and again pretty much useless for printing.KritaKrita is the new kid in the Linux image editor family, and it's pretty nice. Not as fully-featured as the Gimp, but it has a nice clean interface and decent documentation. If you're new to digital image editing you might start with Krita; it's easy to learn and you'll learn all the basic tools that are common to good image editors such as layers, color pickers, different brush types, cropping, fills, gradients, and such. But don't try printing photos from it- you'll go nuts trying to size and position them.KonquerorSame story- sizing and positioning are futile.KWordSo as a workaround to using 4x6 paper, I tried inserting images into U.S. letter-sized KWord documents, sizing them just how I wanted on the page, and then cutting them apart. You can set your image dimensions precisely in the Frame/Frameset Properties menu. With a good rotary paper cutter this is a pretty good way to go. Another nice thing is KWord doesn't mess with your image quality, and what you see is what you get. But KWord has one big shortcoming that is common to all KDE applications- dog-slow print preview and printing.OpenOffice WriterSo I tried the same tactic in OpenOffice Writer, and it worked well, with two grievous flaws: there is no print preview, which led to some botched prints, and OO uses its own ridiculously crippled printer dialog with no meaningful options. But it has one big advantage over KWord: it prints quickly.KDE Applications Have the Slowest Print Preview and Printing on EarthA workable setup could include Digikam, the Gimp or Krita, and KWord, and in fact that's what I use right now. I download images directly from my camera into Digikam, and then I delete the stinkers. Dikigam uses tags for organizing photos, which is faster and more efficient than trying to sort them out into directories. I use the Gimp for cropping and prettying-up my images, and it handles RAW images pretty well. This is all fairly efficient; I can bomb through a couple gigabytes' worth of new images quickly, then edit the ones I want to use at my leisure.So the missing piece is only a decent photo printer application. I would be happy with using KWord even though it's a bit of extra work to cut up the pages, but it has one big flaw that drives me nuts: a printer preview can take as long as 40 minutes, and sending the page to the printer takes just as long. This is common to all KDE apps I have tried. Since Open Office and the Gimp don't have this delay, it's safe to say it's a KDE problem. Or perhaps it's just Kubuntu. Funky Drivers and Weirdo Linux PrintingPrinting in Linux is just plain weird. CUPS is the "Common Unix Printing Subsystem", and for the most part it's pretty darned good. So why do the Gimp and Open Office have their own printer dialogues and no print preview? Why do different KDE applications display printer dialogues with slightly different options? What the heck is going on that takes up to 40 minutes for the Kubuntu-ized KDE to print a single page of images, when OO spits it out in well under a minute?It could be that my problems with borderless prints are due to defects in the Linux printer driver for my printer. It's a Canon Pixma IP4200, and it's supposed to print full-bleed at all paper sizes. What I Really Really WantI know that drag-n-drop and WYSIWYG are dirty words to hardcore Linux geeks, but come on- photo editing is a visual task. I would love to have a photo-printing app for Linux that lets me easily scale and size images by dragging the borders with the mouse, plus a separate dialogue for manually entering size and positioning values, because precision mousing is the fast-track to carpal tunnel. And have at least some basic editing abilities, such as saturation, contrast, brightness, cropping, and red-eye fixing. If such an application already exists, my apologies for missing it and do please tell what it is. |
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Comments (25)
What about picasa?
As subject.
Picasa is for Windows and Mac. Linux users, as usual have to sit at the back of the WINE bus if they want to use Picasa. If I had a Mac I would use the excellent iPhoto, and if I really wanted to go nuts I'd fork over the money for Aperture.
Learn how to use a computer or go back to Windows
>I know that drag-n-drop and WYSIWYG
And yet you use them. Pitiful.
Any real Linux users know that the easy way to handle this problem is to open up two Emacs windows. You can use separate Emacs instances or split the frame, depending on your preference. That is, after all, the power of Linux. You could use vi, but who would want to?
Anyway, open your image in binary mode in one window, and type out the appropriate postscript commands to generate a printed page that corresponds to the hex in the image.
What could be easier? Better still, you don't waste your resources on another WYSIWYG crapplication. You can use X for what it was really mean to do: let you overlap Emacs instances.
If you can't manage this simple task, maybe you should go back to Windows or, better yet, an Etch-a-Sketch.
And yet you use them. Pitiful.
Any real Linux users know that the easy way to handle this problem is to open up two Emacs windows. You can use separate Emacs instances or split the frame, depending on your preference. That is, after all, the power of Linux. You could use vi, but who would want to?
Anyway, open your image in binary mode in one window, and type out the appropriate postscript commands to generate a printed page that corresponds to the hex in the image.
What could be easier? Better still, you don't waste your resources on another WYSIWYG crapplication. You can use X for what it was really mean to do: let you overlap Emacs instances.
If you can't manage this simple task, maybe you should go back to Windows or, better yet, an Etch-a-Sketch.
Why am I suddenly reminded of http://humorix.org/articles/2006/06/hurd/ ? :-)
Sander -
Well, that only make sense. I'm still waiting for the next logical extension: EMACS-based HDTV. It'll display an incredible picture, but you'll pull your hair out trying to figure out how to change the channel.
Well, that only make sense. I'm still waiting for the next logical extension: EMACS-based HDTV. It'll display an incredible picture, but you'll pull your hair out trying to figure out how to change the channel.
> You could use vi, but who would want to?
You called? :)
I tried using emacs once. I wore out the control keys on three keyboards before I could complete the one page document I was working on. :)
You called? :)
I tried using emacs once. I wore out the control keys on three keyboards before I could complete the one page document I was working on. :)
jdixon -
Don't tell anyone, but I use vi too. I'm just not smart enough to make Emacs work the way I want to. But, you know, this is kind of a techie board and I didn't want everybody to think I was completely uncool. Mostly, fine. Completely? No.
Don't tell anyone, but I use vi too. I'm just not smart enough to make Emacs work the way I want to. But, you know, this is kind of a techie board and I didn't want everybody to think I was completely uncool. Mostly, fine. Completely? No.
Pah. I bet you alleged vi users are really using vim, because most modern distributions symlink vi to vim. Real geeks use ed.
>Pah. I bet you alleged vi users are really using vim, because most modern distributions symlink vi to vim. Real geeks use ed.
I confess. Since leaving my last contract and becoming a stay-at-home, I have used vim instead of vi.
I do use sed, but not ed.
I do, however, have fond memories of watching Mr. Ed.
Does that count?
I confess. Since leaving my last contract and becoming a stay-at-home, I have used vim instead of vi.
I do use sed, but not ed.
I do, however, have fond memories of watching Mr. Ed.
Does that count?
I'm confident that on jdixon's computer, vi links to elvis.
(Emacs users rely on their pinky fingers to reach the CTL and ALT keys. For those of us with opposable thumbs, vi makes more sense.)
(Emacs users rely on their pinky fingers to reach the CTL and ALT keys. For those of us with opposable thumbs, vi makes more sense.)
ed? blasphemy. That's what cat, | and > are for...
> I'm confident that on jdixon's computer, vi links to elvis.
What else would you expect from Slackware? :)
What else would you expect from Slackware? :)
Photos on a printer
I use GIMP for all my post-processing needs. GIMP may not be Photoshop, but it meets my needs very well. When I finish cropping, adjusting levels, sharpening, etc., I upload them to a photo printing site and order them. A few days later they arrive in my mailbox.
The disadvantages of using your own printer are cost, convenience and quality.
1. Cost: The supplies (paper and ink) will cost a lot more than what you will pay online or even locally.
2. Convenience: Yes, it is somewhat convenient to be able to print your own photo and have it right away. However, photo printing is a slow process and one that you will quickly tire of, especially if you have large quantities.
3. Quality: It depends. Some photo enthusiasts spend a lot of money on high quality photo printers and get good results, at a high price. I have seen pretty poor results from some of the lower priced printers. They may be OK for snapshots, but not serious photography.
IMO, your best bet would be to pick a test image and try printing it on your printer. Then send the same image to several online printers and compare. Most online printers will give you x number of free prints to try them out. I have found that there are wide variations in quality. I won't mention names here, but send me a message if you want to know who I have used and my opinions.
The disadvantages of using your own printer are cost, convenience and quality.
1. Cost: The supplies (paper and ink) will cost a lot more than what you will pay online or even locally.
2. Convenience: Yes, it is somewhat convenient to be able to print your own photo and have it right away. However, photo printing is a slow process and one that you will quickly tire of, especially if you have large quantities.
3. Quality: It depends. Some photo enthusiasts spend a lot of money on high quality photo printers and get good results, at a high price. I have seen pretty poor results from some of the lower priced printers. They may be OK for snapshots, but not serious photography.
IMO, your best bet would be to pick a test image and try printing it on your printer. Then send the same image to several online printers and compare. Most online printers will give you x number of free prints to try them out. I have found that there are wide variations in quality. I won't mention names here, but send me a message if you want to know who I have used and my opinions.
mdl -
Lots depends on your use.
For example,. it's hard to beat the convenience of loading up the printer with 4*6 paper, hooking up your camera, and printing a few shots. No computer in the middle, no nothing.
The GIMP is quite nice for tweaking photos, but is overkill for most people. Heck, it's overkill for me when all I want to do is take out some red eye or crop a shot. There really is room for a simple click me once, click me twice, now your phots will look nice kind of app.
As to quality, high-end Epson printers have delivered great quality for some time thanks to the gimp-print (now Gutenprint) project. Those folks have done seriously great work.
My latest printer isn't even high-end -- a middling Epson with the new Claria dye-based inks, and it also does a great job.
Lots depends on your use.
For example,. it's hard to beat the convenience of loading up the printer with 4*6 paper, hooking up your camera, and printing a few shots. No computer in the middle, no nothing.
The GIMP is quite nice for tweaking photos, but is overkill for most people. Heck, it's overkill for me when all I want to do is take out some red eye or crop a shot. There really is room for a simple click me once, click me twice, now your phots will look nice kind of app.
As to quality, high-end Epson printers have delivered great quality for some time thanks to the gimp-print (now Gutenprint) project. Those folks have done seriously great work.
My latest printer isn't even high-end -- a middling Epson with the new Claria dye-based inks, and it also does a great job.
Both price and quality wise I get better results from an on-line print shop. Borderless never works out right for me with a photo printer (Epson or HP) and the requisite manufacturer drivers (or CUPS native, for that matter).
There's one serious problem with printing your photo's on your inkjet printer - the photo's fade after a very short period of time, which makes them rather useless.
>There's one serious problem with printing your photo's on your inkjet printer - the photo's fade after a very short period of time, which makes them rather useless.
Depends on your printer/paper/ink combination. The high-end Epsons can turn out 200 year life spans under the right conditions. Even the moderately priced Claria ink versions can go for 100.
In real-world conditions, that means photos will look good enough long enough for just about any purpose, especially when you consider that you can keep the digital version lying around.
Depends on your printer/paper/ink combination. The high-end Epsons can turn out 200 year life spans under the right conditions. Even the moderately priced Claria ink versions can go for 100.
In real-world conditions, that means photos will look good enough long enough for just about any purpose, especially when you consider that you can keep the digital version lying around.
Well I've compared inkjet quality prints with Photo prints, and in as little as 6 months you can already see a significant difference. If you didn't have the photographic print, you might not notice, but once you've seen the two and compared then....
What inkjets and what inks.
It matters. They really are not all the same.
BTW -- photo shop prints fade, too. Grab some color shots your parent took when you were a kid.
It matters. They really are not all the same.
BTW -- photo shop prints fade, too. Grab some color shots your parent took when you were a kid.
Quoting:What inkjets and what inks.
Whatever the inks are that come with ink cartages for retail printers, the ones that home computer owners use.
Quoting:It matters. They really are not all the same.
Indeed it does, and indeed they are not
Quoting:BTW -- photo shop prints fade, too. Grab some color shots your parent took when you were a kid.
Indeed they do, but over much greater periods of time.
My Epson photo printer died, so I'm using a commercial source now, too. But before that, we never even hooked the thing up to the PC. I just used an SD card to transfer the pix and printed them from there.
And ... would HPLIP help in this endeavour?
One word (or is it two?) TurboPrint
Honestly, printing has always been a pain in the you-know-what, even on Windows systems. It's only been in the last couple of years that improvement has been made on that front. For printing on Linux, for printers such as the Pixma series (I have an ip3000), I use TurboPrint (http://www.turboprint.info -- or for you Sprechen Sie Deutsch folk, http://www.turboprint.de).
It's reasonable in price (~$40.00) and has wonderful out-of-the-box printing. You can set up multiple profiles for print quality / paper types / color control. It has darn-near professional level printing ink controls.
When using the profiles, you will now have multiple pre-configured printer types that can be used even with the most arcane Linux applications.
It is a GTK application, so it's not all that pretty, but once you have your most used profiles set up, you don't have to look at it much :)
Just my $0.02
-Jeff
It's reasonable in price (~$40.00) and has wonderful out-of-the-box printing. You can set up multiple profiles for print quality / paper types / color control. It has darn-near professional level printing ink controls.
When using the profiles, you will now have multiple pre-configured printer types that can be used even with the most arcane Linux applications.
It is a GTK application, so it's not all that pretty, but once you have your most used profiles set up, you don't have to look at it much :)
Just my $0.02
-Jeff
I use TurboPrint for my Pixma IP4200, and yes it's great. But I can't get it to make borderless prints at any size. Have you been able to do this?
Well, well... Now I have a task to complete. I like tasks :)
Honestly, I can't recall if I've used the borderless paper size with this particular printer and TurboPrint. I have used it in the past with an Epson printer...
I have US-Letter-Borderless, A4-Borderless, 4"x6"-Borderless and 5"x"7-Borderless sizes from which to choose in the xtpconfig app. I'll have to test when I get back from Bristol. (Yes, I'm a NASCAR fan, so sue me)
I'll let you know what I find out.
-Jeff
Honestly, I can't recall if I've used the borderless paper size with this particular printer and TurboPrint. I have used it in the past with an Epson printer...
I have US-Letter-Borderless, A4-Borderless, 4"x6"-Borderless and 5"x"7-Borderless sizes from which to choose in the xtpconfig app. I'll have to test when I get back from Bristol. (Yes, I'm a NASCAR fan, so sue me)
I'll let you know what I find out.
-Jeff
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