The HiTi 640PS Photo Printer

Page 3.

Software

The driving force behind this printer is an application called Photo Desiree. This is a relatively easy application to use and once mastered should produce predictable results each time. Launching the application you are presented with a three panel screen. On the left pane you acquire your images for printing. The first icon opens a folder, the second is a Twain acquire (scanner) the third is the printers memory card and finally the DPOF. The selected prints are stored, click on an image to highlight it and then click the orange arrow in the centre. This now places the image in the right pane. In the sample below I have selected the sticker printing option - see the four icons above the montage. You can change any of the images or print sets of stickers. To the right are several options; fit to page height, to page width, reset image, clear montage, edit image, edit image in external image editor (you can define this) and save your montage. When you have finished this section then click on the bottom orange arrow to add your picture to the print queue, finally click on the printer icon on the right to print.

The editing options are reasonable, with all the usual options such as Brightness, Contrast, Sharpening, Gamma and colour corrections. There are also special effects such as tints, sepia etc. The controls are basic with just a slider to make the adjustments, these settings are hit and miss, I would have liked a scale or numeric value to be included in the interface, this would allow for a repeat apply of settings.

A novelty extra is the inclusion of several frame overlays, a pity some of the text is in Japanese.

One of the real plus points for the printer is in its ability to do multiple ID, Passport size prints. For the high street social photographer this feature alone is worth the asking price. The average passport portrait photograph will cost £3.00, 50 x £3.00 = £150 - £17.00 (for media) this leaves a £133 profit per pack of media. Three packs of paper and the printer is making a profit.

Picture quality is very good but not exceptional, prints lack weight this is due to the ribbons only printing using CMY colours. I printed a variety of images and also compared the images next to Canon and HP printers.

HiTi first print	HiTi corrected print
HP 7960 print	By print No 4 the printer gave great results
Just for good measure	Not a print dot in sight.