If you own a Kodak 6800 or 6850 Photo Printer, you are probably aware of the fact that Kodak discontinued the 4" media kit used to make 4x6 prints. It is now necessary to use the 6" media kit to make 4x6 prints. (Update: Please note that there are two Kodak 6" media kits: the standard 1974096 $0.33/4x6 print; and the less expensive consumer version 1696418, $0.19/4x6 print. The consumer version uses a thinner paper, great for proofs.)
A remarkable feature of the printer though allows you to print single 4x6's with no waste (half the cost of a 6x8)! If you send a 4x6 to the printer, it will spit out a single 4x6 borderless print. If you send another single 4x6 image, the printer will rewind the ribbon (we're using 6x8 ribbon remember) to the unused portion and use that for your second 4x6. Pretty smart! However if you print a single 4x6, then print a 6x8, you will have wasted the unused portion of the ribbon from that first 4x6 and that 4x6 cost you about as much as a 6x8.
This is all fine and dandy, but what about if you want to offer 4x6's and 6x8's (or 5x7's printed on 6x8 paper) in a "production" or high volume environment? The problem is that every time you want to switch from 4x6 to 6x8 you have to go into the properties of the printer driver and make the change. Then do your 4x6 print. Then go to the properties and change it back to 6x8 (or vice versa). A real pain and a real slow down.
Here's a little "hack" to get around this problem. This will work especially well if you are using ExpressDigital Darkroom Software (Core or Pro) but really works with any program you might be using. What you want to do is to install the printer twice in your Windows Printers and Faxes so that you have 2 printers listed (eg "Kodak 6850" and "Kodak 6850 Copy #1"). Rename one of the printers "Kodak 6850 4x6" and one of them "Kodak 6850 6x8". Go into the properties of each and set them so that the "4x6 printer" prints borderless 4x6's and the "6x8 printer" prints 6x8's. Now when you go to print (or when setting up Express Digital Darkroom), send your 4x6's to "Kodak 6850 4x6" and your 6x8's to the "Kodak 6850 6x8". See screen shots below.
Here's how it will look in Windows Printers and Faxes.Here's how it will look in the Darkroom Setup tab (click to enlarge).
There you go...a relatively simple way to get the most (and cheapest) prints from your Kodak 6850 or 6800 printer. As always, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to leave a comment, give us a call or shoot us an email. Good luck and Good printing!
Here's how it will look in the Darkroom Setup tab (click to enlarge).
There you go...a relatively simple way to get the most (and cheapest) prints from your Kodak 6850 or 6800 printer. As always, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to leave a comment, give us a call or shoot us an email. Good luck and Good printing!
