So why aren't we getting picture-perfect prints? The problem stems from a basic weakness of digital photography: there are too many steps from shutter release to snapshot. At each step along the way, the image looks different, so you can waste time fixing problems on your monitor that may not even be apparent on prints. To address this issue, the pros use color-matching systems, such as Apple's ColorSync. Problem is, these systems are far too complex for most users. Plus, they're really designed only to ensure that what you see on the screen is what you get in print, which is not exactly the same thing as getting great-looking photos.

Matchmaking
What the rest of us really need is a way to automatically record more detailed information about the original image and pass it along to the PC and, eventually, the printer. Luckily, two emerging standards will do just that.

The newest one is from the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA). It is called Exif 2.2 or Exif Print. In addition to all the usual data stashed invisibly in the JPEG images you shoot, Exif 2.2 would force manufacturers to also store details aimed at yielding better prints, including data on contrast, saturation, and sharpness. Adobe, Canon, HP, and Kodak have all announced plans to support Exif Print, and compatible cameras are starting to trickle onto the market. Beyond new hardware, you'll also need an updated printer driver in order to make Exif Print work for you.

The problem stems from a basic weakness of digital photography: there are too many steps from shutter release to snapshot.

The main competition for Exif Print is Epson's Print Image Matching (PIM), which has been in place for about a year. Like Exif Print, PIM stores a bunch of information about the original image in the JPEG file. In fact, PIM holds a little more data, since it records the broader range of colors that today's advanced cameras capture. Camera makers can customize both systems so that specific settings for qualities such as color, brightness, and sharpness can be fine-tuned for different exposure modes such as portrait, landscape, and macro (close-up). The PIM standard seems to have good momentum, since Casio, Epson, Kyocera, Minolta, Nikon, Pentax, and Sony sell cameras with PIM. The Epson Stylus Photo 785EPX, which shipped a year ago, was the first printer with PIM, but other Stylus Photo models (780, 820, and 1280) also support it. The list of software is short, but Epson recently announced a free plug-in that adds PIM to Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.

Seeing is believing
For some time, I've been taking photos using the Epson PhotoPC 3100Z, the first camera with PIM, and printing them on an HP photo inkjet, which doesn't support PIM. To see whether PIM would really make a difference, I tried out the PIM-compatible Epson Stylus Photo 820, a six-color inkjet that retails for less than $100. I dumped a bunch of images of my seven-month-old son (believe me, there are lots of these to choose from) into the included Film Factory program, told the software to take care of image correction, and printed borderless 5x7 snapshots on premium, glossy photo paper.

But I just want easy-to-create snapshots that look good, and I suspect that most digital camera owners agree.

The results were significantly better with the PIM products, and not just because of the hardware; it was easier to correct the images using the PIM software. Colors appeared richer and the images were more vibrant. Overall, the pictures looked more like what I'd expect from a traditional film print. I'm sure pros could probably achieve similar results using Photoshop, and no doubt digital photo mavens will continue to do just that. But I just want easy-to-create snapshots that look good, and I suspect that most digital camera owners agree.

It would be nice if all of the players involved would settle on a single, comprehensive print-matching format. But since Canon, Epson, and HP are all fighting to sell you their exorbitantly priced shiny papers and ink tanks, this is likely to happen right around the same time Gillette and Schick start making razors with interchangeable blades. Until then, if you want better photo prints, your best bet is to choose cameras and printers that use the same print-matching system.

What camera works with what?
Camera manufacturers are putting their weight behind two emerging standards: Exif Print and PIM. Here's a selection of popular digital cameras that will work with one of these standards.

	Product name				Standard				More product information
	Canon PowerShot G2				Exif Print				Check latest prices ; specs
	Canon PowerShot S30				Exif Print				Check latest prices ; specs
	Canon PowerShot S330				Exif Print
	Minolta Dimage S404				PIM				Check latest prices ; specs
	Minolta Dimage X				PIM				Check latest prices ; specs
	Nikon Coolpix 2500				PIM				Check latest prices ; specs