Digital Photo Printing - Do it Yourself or Use a Handy Service
Whether doing it yourself or using a commercial service, digital photo
printing is easier and more cost effective than film ever could be. State of the
art photo printers are inexpensive, fast, and high quality. Photo printing
services save money by only printing the shots you want.
Printing digital camera pictures is so convenient that you'll never even have to
leave your home. Saving gas, eliminating the hassle of extra shopping trips, and
printing only the photos we want are some of the advantages of digital
picture printing services.
Printing your own photos at home is easy and cost effective. Technology
improvements and more production have lowered printer prices making them
affordable for any budget.
Today's Photo Printers - Higher Quality at Budget Prices
The two types of true photo printers are: 1) thermal dye transfer (usually
called dye sublimation), and 2) photo ink jet. They differ as follows:
Thermal Dye - These printers transfer dry pigments from a ribbon,
usually 3 colors plus a protective clear coat. Primarily designed for snapshots,
some will print up to 8" X 10" enlargements. Many
are portable, some even battery operated. A thermal dye printer's 300 X 300 dpi
resolution will match an ink jet's 1200 X 4800, and the print's clear coat makes
it look and feel more like a conventional photograph.
Photo Ink Jet - Differences from traditional ink jet printers include;
faster printing, inks formulated specifically for photos, and more nozzles
applying the ink. Prints are very high quality and generally cost less than
thermal dye transfer prints. Photo ink jet printers print photos up to 13" X
19", and can also serve as an all-purpose printer for your computer.
Photo Printing Services - Fast, Inexpensive, and Only the Prints You Want
Online digital photo printing services offer much more than just snapshot
prints. We can get digital photo enlargements printed and have custom photo
greeting and post cards made (they'll even mail them for you!). Favorite photos
can be printed on coffee mugs, mouse pads and keepsakes; or have them bound in
custom photo albums. Assemble pictures in an online album and they will email
your friends and family with a link - for free.
For more information see our Digital
Photo Processing page.
Get the Best Digital Photo Prints
Keep a couple of basics in mind before a photo outing to get stunning digital
prints.
Resolution - Think about how you're likely to use the photo before
taking the shot. Large prints need high resolution while snapshots will look
fine at lower resolution and use less memory. Some general guidelines are:
- Wallet sized - at least 320 X 240 pixels
- 4" X 6" prints - at least 640 X 480 pixels
- Enlargements to 8" X 10" - at least 1536 X 1024 pixels
- 16" X 20" up to poster sized enlargements - at least 1600 X 1200 pixels
Aspect Ratio - Most digital cameras have a fixed aspect ratio of
1:1.33. To fill the paper, most printing services default to what's called zoom and trim, meaning part of the image is lost when printed. Turning zoom and trim off will print the entire photo, but leave white bands at
two of the edges.Extra space at the top and bottom or sides when composing a shot will ensure the
print includes all desired elements after trimming. The following are standard aspect ratios:
- Wallet sized, 4" X 6" prints, and 20" X 30" posters have a ratio of 1:1.5
- 5" X 7" prints have an aspect ratio of 1:1.4
- 8" X 10" and 16" X 20" enlargement ratios are 1:1.25
If the standard aspect ratio's larger number is more than 1.33,
you'll lose a little of the photo's smaller dimension with zoom and trim. If
it's smaller than 1.33 you'll lose some of the picture's larger dimension.
A-Z Digital Cameras is the place
for unbiased information and the
best online merchants for
digital cameras,
accessories and photo processing. We invite you to browse dozens of articles by
clicking the links in the Site Menu at the right and on our
Related Articles
pages. Be sure to bookmark this site for
future reference.
|
