It’s always a good idea to print a “test print” before you print the final masterpiece headed for your album.

Why bother?
First of all, your color may be off. Your computer screen may not be color calibrated to show you the colors as they will come out on your pages. If you print a mini version of your prints to check just the color, you’ll be able to correct any problems before you’ve used up the ink and paper for your final print. So print out a contact sheet like of the photos you want to use just to check the color. You can correct anything that looks off before you print your final. For this test, you don’t need to use your best photo paper, but make sure it is a photo paper and that it’s not plain paper.

Secondly, some problems may not show up on the mini photo on your screen. Maybe your photo was taken in a resolution too low to blow up to the size you’d hoped for. Such a photo would show jagged edges, what we call “pixelated.” You may be able to still use the photo, but this test would tell you to reduce its print size.

Lastly, when creating digital pages, it’s always smart to print a black and white version of your layout before your color final. Especially with a 12x12” layout, you’d hate to waste the paper and ink it took to print that big page only to see that one of your titles is off center, or that you made a typo. Something can look lined-up on the screen, but off on the hard copy. On plain paper, print in draft mode, in black and white, then proof carefully. Mark up your corrections, then fix the problems before you print in color. You’ll save time and money in the long-run.