Recently, I decided I wanted a given photo from a birthday party to be my Facebook cover photo.  Given, Facebook cover photo dimensions are 851 x 315 pixels, so it just so happened that this photo wasn't going to quite fit for this purpose very well.  Well, I decided that I would take several photos from the birthday party, and assemble them into an 851 x 315 pixel frame, but what to use.
I tired to use my Qimage Ultimate.  The interface is a little buggy in that it paints mysterious lines on the print previews, but they didn't end up on the final image.  I enable Print to file, from which I specified 100 ppi, and then 851 x 315.  At this point, I was able to put all the photos I wanted in a photo, and drag them onto to the layout grid.  I could double-click the layout grid to fine tune the sizes and positions, etc.  After some time of playing around, I was able to get what I wanted.
Give the above, how suited is Qimage Ultimate for this task?  Would publishing software like Publisher, Page Maker, and the like be in any way more qualified. 
Finally, since I got what I needed this time, is there any way to say the layout as a template?  Not a template with the photos in tact, but as a file I can again open in the future to that the place holders are there for me to simply drag photos onto.  Are there any such preset template layouts available for Qimage already for all sorts of purposes like this? 

I have not calibrated the monitor with any specific colorimeter device, however I have set both contrast & brightness levels with a 256-shade-grayscale  image that I downloaded and followed directions for that in setting the adjustments.  Also, I can say that my image in question will look a lot more similar on other monitors than it would on a printout from my printer.

Yes, I am definitely (and I stressed this in my post) making sure that the driver settings for type of paper, etc. are being set in the printer driver. 

The profiles I've used are:
scRGB virtual device model profile
sRGB IEC61966-2.1
Wide Gamut RGB

Of these, the Wide Gamut seemed to do the most justice, but the colors were quite dull. 

I'm setting the profile by way of opening the print properties from within Control Panel.  In Qimage, I simply invoke the setting to let the printer driver manage the printing. 

I’ve just gotten a new HP Officejet Pro 8600 printer and one of the hardest things is getting the colors to be anything like they are on monitor display.  Regardless of what printer profile (I’ve tried several) I use, nothing is right, and further, there are differences in color between prints on regular paper vs. those on Premium HP Photo Papers.  I make sure that all of the settings in the printer driver are set correctly for each type/brand of photo paper I use.  Not only are the colors inconsistent, but the prints are generally darker, to the point that details in a carpet that show up on screen are totally absent in the print! 

I’ve read others’ posts on this topic, but can’t seem to follow the level of instruction.  Generally, what is an optimum printer profile for my printer?  TIA 

Unfortunately, I didn't read reviews before I bought the HP Officejet Pro 8600 because I needed it right then and there and didn't have the time to sift through reviews, but if I take this piece of 'it looks good, but it's probably ****' back, I'm open to recommendations from users in this forum.  Yes, I do have the free hard disc space available. 

I’ve had this printer (HP Officejet Pro 8600) just since Monday, and right off the bat I can’t print photos on photo paper (HP Glossy Premium Plus Photo Paper), while printing onto regular paper is just fine.  I’ve made sure that all of the recommended settings are in effect in the printer driver.  I simply get a message saying that the printer is out of paper when I know I have the photo paper loaded! 
Others have reported this same in HP forums, but it doesn’t seem that there is any answer.  I’m asking others here if they have any experience with the said printer, and if they have any recommendations.  Is this a good all-purpose printer without actually buying a photo printer, and if you are not confident of the as an all-purpose printer that does good printing of photos also, what are some recommendations?  TIA! 

I apologize, if this question is off topic, for this forum, but decided I'd ask, because this forum deals, in some capacity, with the modification/management of digital pictures.  I want pointers, on the best methods, for removing, the time/date stamp, from my digital pictures, and I don't have Adobe Photoshop - I've tried to find information, on the internet, but most of it seems to be written for Photoshop, which I don't have, or have access to, at the moment.

I've tried the Resynthesizer plug-in, for The Gimp, but it doesn't seem to produce acceptable results.  Do I have to 'bite the bullet', and get Photoshop (or Photoshop Elements), or are there other alternatives, that are either better or cheaper?

Thanks for chiming in. 

Darius

Fred, thanks for your reply.  I know that responses will be subjective, but I'm basing these answers on people who (I hope) are in the know, because of the forum I'm posting to.  And I say I want to milk the printer for what it's worth, with respect to doing justice to high quality scans and digital photos (assuming the upper tier of consumer digital cameras).  I'm no expert on knowing what are the best specs, but I could be helped by tips and pointer by people who know and can advise me. 

Also, you say I should just go the way of an "el cheapo" for my printing of documents or simple photos, faxes, etc.  What's wrong with using the Epson R1900 for these tasks as well, because I wish for something that can accommodate all my needs, so that I don't have a bunch of Mickey Mouse gadgets cluttering up my space. 

And correct me if I'm wrong, about an assumption I have regarding Epson inkjet type printers, in general:  I had an Epson (albeit years ago) that I decided to get rid of, because after 6 months or so of printing, I started to get banding in the prints, as there was wear and tear on the print heads.  This did not happen with HP printers, as the print heads were effectively replaced, each time I change the printer cartridge.  You can give your 2 cents on this issue. 

Should I go with another ink jet type printer, as the Epson R1900 has a high retail price of roughly $ 550.00, or is it advantageous to opt for a laser printer?  And finally, although the retail is pricey on this Epson, can I expect to get a better deal, depending on how I purchase, which raises another issue, that of do I have to worry about getting a reject, if I get it cheaper from someone like Best Buy. 

Thanks to all who advise and offer their time and opinions! 

Hi Guys!

I'm simply in the process of laying an old HP 930C printer to rest!  I'm turning to the people of this forum, to recommend a quality replacement.  I'm open to suggestions for models that could be more pricey than was the old printer, if the overall economic advantages outweigh the slight pinch initially.  I'm also interested in user friendliness of the new machine, as well.  I want a printer, that is suited to all different tasks (all purpose), but one that also gives the best possible results in printing my photos.  Is this possible, or is a dedicated photo printer the best solution for getting the most out of photos?  And what are the tradeoffs, in terms of the cost of buying toner (etc.) and how long they will last, when matched against the goal of high quality printing?

If any of you have questions, that you feel need answered, because I was too vague in my original question, please feel free to ask.

Thanks very much for all of your help and advice!

Darius