Digital Photo Tips by Duane Brovan

(Article also posted in the Ridge Rider News)

Tip #19: Photo Lab Prints

There are two ways a person can have their digital photos printed out, by their personal printer (i.e. Epson, HP, Canon, etc.) or by a Photo Lab. I have written about personal printers so this article will be about using Photo Labs. These labs can save you time and money. All you do is send the desired photos to them either on-line or by CD (in person). They do the rest. Sending your photos on-line is simple and easy you then get your prints in the mail. Some of the On-line Labs that I have used are “Ofoto.com” and “Dotphoto.com”. If you use a Photo Lab close to where you live you can send your photos on-line and pick them up at the Photo Lab. These can be useful especially in the beginning for they can give you pointers on how to make your photos better. Be sure the person giving you advice knows what they are talking about. At this time I am aware of only one Photo Lab in the Redding area and that is “Crown Camera”. They are very knowledgeable and helpful. There are many other places in the area, but I am not sure of their photographic and printing knowledge. These labs can adjust the color and contrast of you photo and for some people it might be easier to let the lab do the adjusting then themselves (definitely worth a try).

You will want to size your photos before sending them to the lab if possible. Most digital cameras shoot in a size that will print 4”x6”, 8”x12” or 12”x18” without cropping (cropping is where they cut off part of your photo to make it fit the print size). Having 5”x7” and 8”x10” sized prints printed will cause your photo to be cropped to fit the print or they will have blank sides to keep their proportion (multiples of “12x18”). This is because the printer reduced the overall size of the photo to fit the print size.

Use Photo Labs that have a 100% satisfaction guarantee that way if you don’t like what they did to your photo, you can return it and they will reprint the photo for you. If you want your prints to last a long time you will want them printed on Archival Paper. This could cost a little more but 10 years from now when you look at your photo, and it is still clear and bright, you will be glad you spent the extra money. If you wish to have many prints of one photo printed, I would suggest that you first get one test print from the Lab so you are sure you want lots of that photo.

It is hard to calculate which method of printing is least expense home printing or photo lab printing. And both have their pros and cons. Try both methods and decide for yourself. Maybe the answer is using both? For more information on the digital photo process go to web link: www.duanebrovan.com/digitaltips or go to www.GoShingletown.com and click on the Free Digital Tips Icon. Duane Brovan is available for digital photo consultations and tutoring: Call 474-4041 Email: Duane@DuaneBrovan.com

Any questions or if Duane Brovan can be of service to you contact him either by phone at (530) 474-4041 or email Duane@DuaneBrovan.com. Thanks and Happy Selling!