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Free or Open Source software for photo printing under Windows 10


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Looking for recommendations for a good, easy to use piece of software that can do some very basic editing (mostly cropping) and, most importantly, photo printing, under Windows 10. Doesn't need to handle RAW, just jpeg.

 

Free or Open Source preferred, please.

 

The goal is to use this to drive a photo booth type setup at village events, with photos being printed on a Canon Selphy dye-sub (which has no software of it's own that I can find). I normally run Linux and print via GIMP/Gutenprint, but my tethering solution (Fujifilm X-acquire) is Windows only, can't get it to run under Wine. Needs to be fairly user friendly and simple, as my wife or some other volunteer/victim will likely be running the printing side of things.

 

Zero cost as I'm not going to be making any money from this.

 

GIMP doesn't play well with windows printing.

 

I have CaptureOne, but it requires an internet connection for verification, which this setup won't have, but I will take a look at it if no other options present themselves.

 

Thanks

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Ta, I'll give Irfanview, Faststone and XNview a try.

 

Mike - ideally I'd like cropping, though I'll be doing my best to frame up correctly in camera. Honestly haven't tried the supplied Windows apps, the last time I used Windows (outside of work) was Windows 98, things have probably come a long way since then!

 

Ideal would be something with ICC profiles and colour management, so what is seen on screen is near enough what comes out of the printer (which is what I have on my normal system).

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I normally run Linux and print via GIMP/Gutenprint

Then GIMP for Windows seems the obvious choice. With little to no learning curve.

 

Not sure why you'd need special software just to print. Nearly every image editor has the option to print, and the least number of colour-managed steps (and possible conversions) between editing and printing the better I would think.

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Paint comes in Windows. Irfanview is free to download. Don't forget to load the additional Plugins to it. They all do a lot but Irfan is great for quick cropping and size changes for downloading images onto the web.

IrfanView - Official Homepage - One of the Most Popular Viewers Worldwide

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Then GIMP for Windows seems the obvious choice. With little to no learning curve.

 

Not sure why you'd need special software just to print. Nearly every image editor has the option to print, and the least number of colour-managed steps (and possible conversions) between editing and printing the better I would think.

I'll take another look at GIMP on Windows, but Gutenprint is absent and my initial exploration revealed that the GIMP print dialogue didn't fit into the box that Windows allocates for printing, so some options were cut off, possibly nothing critical though.

 

Looking at Paint.net too.

 

 

(Likewise, darktable on Windows lacks it's printing module)

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my initial exploration revealed that the GIMP print dialogue didn't fit into the box that Windows allocates for printing

Que?

What Windows print dialogue is that?

Every application should open its own print options window, not have the OS acting as a go between.

 

And exactly what print parameters do you want to tinker with before the file gets sent to the printer driver?

 

Admittedly, early versions of the Win port of GIMP didn't print at the expected size, but that bug was fixed quite a while ago.

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Que?

What Windows print dialogue is that?

Every application should open its own print options window, not have the OS acting as a go between.

 

And exactly what print parameters do you want to tinker with before the file gets sent to the printer driver?

 

Admittedly, early versions of the Win port of GIMP didn't print at the expected size, but that bug was fixed quite a while ago.

Here's a comparison, window with black borders on the left is Windows GIMP, other two windows are Linux GIMP with Gutenprint (sorry, awful phone snap of a screen)IMG_20220721_184129.thumb.jpg.0ecf2945d2dfa1850bc158465d04ff5d.jpg

 

While the colour channel sliders are not as good as an ICC profile, they do allow me to get the Selphy to produce a print that is pretty close to what is shown on the screen. Most of the options are 'set once and forget', no need to tweak them for each individual print.

 

The Windows dialogue looks like it's cut some options off, but actually that is all there is.

 

 

So far XNview and Faststone are looking like the best options. One of the things I absolutely do need is the ability to adjust the page margins, as the Selphy is never quite right in this regard.

 

 

Now, if I can manage to script something to watch the folder and automatically throw the most recent image up on a second screen, that would be really clever...

Edited by steve_gallimore|1
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Here's a comparison, window with black borders on the left is Windows GIMP, other two windows are Linux GIMP with Gutenprint (sorry, awful phone snap of a screen)[ATTACH]1434095[/ATTACH]

 

While the colour channel sliders are not as good as an ICC profile, they do allow me to get the Selphy to produce a print that is pretty close to what is shown on the screen. Most of the options are 'set once and forget', no need to tweak them for each individual print.

 

The Windows dialogue looks like it's cut some options off, but actually that is all there is.

 

 

So far XNview and Faststone are looking like the best options. One of the things I absolutely do need is the ability to adjust the page margins, as the Selphy is never quite right in this regard.

 

 

Now, if I can manage to script something to watch the folder and automatically throw the most recent image up on a second screen, that would be really clever...

Ah, right. You're trying to manually force the printer to change its colour balance to match what's on screen. There should be options in the specific Windows printer driver to allow that. I don't see that as the job of the print dialogue in an image editor. That's the job of colour profiles/management, and the preferences menu of the image editor.

 

It seems that Gutenprint is actually a printer driver, which in Windows is a separate (and sometimes 'invisible') module, usually provided by the printer manufacturer.

 

All of the printers I've used have their own specific driver and dialogue box, some of which allow quite sophisticated control of ink balance, and some of which allow minimal to no control over the printer's colour balance.

 

If you haven't loaded the Selphy-specific Windows driver, or it doesn't allow the control needed, then GIMP can hardly be blamed for that. It simply hands over the image data to whatever printer driver is installed for the printer. Exactly like it hands over to the Gutenprint module in Linux.

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Here's a comparison, window with black borders on the left is Windows GIMP, other two windows are Linux GIMP with Gutenprint

Different preview sizes, no idea if the previews are color managed/soft proof, really intended just for FPO, seems like a big rabbit hole.

Strong (never perfect, impossible) print to proof matching is possible; demands color management throughout the entire process and a lot of work on the user for display calibration designed for this task. This isn't an out of the box experence.

  • Like 1

Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management" (pluralsight.com)

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All good suggestionsto the OP, but I humbly question (again) - based on the OP's context - what's wrong with the native W10 Photos app? It allows users to crop photos, choose a 'style' (WB) and separately adjust color and luminosity. It's quick and easy to use, The only limitation that I can see is that the app uses the Windows 'standard' color management protocol with printers. The app has no options for adjusting the 'print profile', For most users (IMHO) this is not a big problem They''ll make one or two 'test prints' and and make one or two adjustments to color and/or luminosity. They might even re-calibrate their printers.

 

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

What's wrong with Windows Photos? Windows Photo Viewer can print too but then you'd have to open the photo in 'Paint' to crop.

 

IHMO, native W10 apps are often the easiest to get up and running,

 

Mike

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Which Canon Selphy dye-sub?

At the time it was released, there had to have been a print driver. But that doesn't mean many years later there is still a version to download or run. I checked a few of the Selphy's and there was no modern version of Osx (12).

Without a print driver, software to edit images to print on it is pretty moot no?

Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management" (pluralsight.com)

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Cp-1000, still a current model. There is a Windows driver, which appears to work, otherwise I wouldn't have attempted this.

 

The driver is extremely minimal though, no options whatsoever. I get the impression that Canon treat the ability to connect the Selphy to a computer very much as an afterthought, they really intend it to operate as a standalone device, printing from memory cards and USB keys.

 

I like to make things function in ways the manufacturer never intended though. This is also a bit of a test run, if it all works and there is enough custom, the Selphy may get replaced by a bigger dye-sub, Hiti or Fuji for example.

 

Anyway, all the software is now installed on an old laptop, so I can do some testing, I'll report back on what the final configuration is and how well it works.

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Sorry, didn’t read all the suggestions so maybe this is already covered, but considering your use-case I wonder if my usage can be of inspiration:

I photograph with my Nikon Z and wirelessly acquire the image on my smartphone via Nikons SnapBridge App.

Select the image on the smartphone via the SELPHY app and print.

If the image needs more editing than the SELPHY app provides I run the image through the free Snapseed app before printing with the SELPHY app.

I imagine Fuji must have a similar smartphone app.

Niels
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Sorry, didn’t read all the suggestions so maybe this is already covered, but considering your use-case I wonder if my usage can be of inspiration:

I photograph with my Nikon Z and wirelessly acquire the image on my smartphone via Nikons SnapBridge App.

Select the image on the smartphone via the SELPHY app and print.

If the image needs more editing than the SELPHY app provides I run the image through the free Snapseed app before printing with the SELPHY app.

I imagine Fuji must have a similar smartphone app.

They do, and I use it often, but my Selphy doesn't have WiFi. The Fuji app also locks up the camera when running (at least with my older cameras and phone). The big advantage of the wireless tethering is that I can be getting on with lining up and shooting the next client, while my assistant is printing out the previous one.

 

Had a good test this morning, looks like Irfanview has the best set of printing options (I need some control over margins at least) and I can set XAcquire to launch it in fullscreen upon receipt of a new image (which looks impressive, but actually isn't that useful).

 

If it proves popular enough, it'll be replaced by a proper system, with a bigger dye-sub and a commercial license on the software, but for now, it's all very much zero cost and not for profit

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What is a REC.709 profile and why is it useful for video?

 

What is a calibration profile needed for editing photos? What is it?

 

Google is your friend!

Rec. 709 - Wikipedia

As for profiles and calibration, a beginners primer seems desperately needed:

Color Management and Your Display by Andrew Rodney

Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management" (pluralsight.com)

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