Several of my neighbors have digital cameras. They love them. But when I ask to see their prints, they say their pictures are either in their computers or on CDs. My fellow family photographers explain that most of the time they simply e-mail pictures to friends or create in-computer slide shows.

As someone who has been making inkjet prints for several years, I try to encourage them to make prints — and not just use the printer to print the kids' homework assignments.

One reason I make inkjet prints is that with a few clicks of a mouse, I get a print in minutes — and it more often looks better than it does on my computer monitor. And making inkjet prints at home puts the creative control in my hands and not in the hands of a mini-lab operator, who, despite best intentions, might have preferences different from mine. Even with a basic imaging program — such as Adobe Photoshop Elements www.adobe.com or Ulead's PhotoImpact 7 www.ulead.com, both under $100 — I can lighten, darken, increase or decrease contrast, remove redeye, or even remove a person from a picture.

Another reason I make inkjet prints is because I want my family to have a traditional photo album — besides having our pictures on CDs. Occasionally, I pick up one of our family photo albums and share experiences with my wife and son. We've never sat around my computer monitor to look at pictures. Here are some thoughts by several industry experts on making inkjet prints.

— Sherri Snelling, Canon USA — "Making high-quality digital photos at home has never been easier, because the quality of digital cameras and printers has come up to the quality you would expect from your local photo lab. Most printers come with a software application that easily lets you crop, resize, rotate and add finishing touches like frames, captions, borders, etc., to your digital image."

— Rowan Lawson, Eastman Kodak Co. — "Inkjet printers let you personalize your pictures giving them your own unique touch. Even at the last minute, you can create all kinds of invitations — for birthdays, baby showers, weddings, luncheons and so on. If you take a picture at a party, you can add a 'Thank you' text message when you get home and have it in the mail the same day."

I'll end this column with a modification of one of my favorite photo expressions, which is, "Cameras don't take pictures, people do." The revised version: "Printers don't make great prints, people do." Take your time and have fun while printing. If your first inkjet print does not come out as you had planned, try, try again.

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