Day 12

Printing often feels harder than it should. Early results can look too dark, flat, and disappointing. It is tempting to believe the printer is broken, or your pictures are not good enough; but tweaking a few key things will take your prints to the next level.

Don’t sweat the technical.
 Ignore the gatekeepers. Start printing. Make small test prints to avoid wasting ink and paper. Learn through repetition rather than chasing perfect colour management from day one.

Paper choice is creative, not technical.
 Matte, semigloss, or full gloss all shape the mood of an image. Choose the paper that suits the photograph, not the one someone says is “correct.”

Attention to detail matters.
 Print reveals heavy shadows, blown highlights, dust spots, and lazy edits. It demands refinement and careful edits that raises your standards.

Presentation elevates the work.
 Borders, scale, and framing turn a photograph into a finished piece. Bigger often feels better, but there is value in small prints too; balance and breathing space matter most.

Consistency beats perfection.
 A simple, repeatable workflow improves results faster than obsessing over flawless settings.

Most importantly, printing teaches you to see differently.
 When images are made with the final print in mind, decisions in the field become more deliberate. That positive feedback loop sharpens both vision and craft, and that’s where real progress happens.