Online Digital Photo Processing: Convenience at Bargain Prices
Digital photography makes it easier than ever to take great photos. But until
recently, getting top quality prints was another story. Fortunately traditional
film processing companies have embraced digital photo processing,
making it fast, easy and inexpensive to get the prints you want delivered to
your door.
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.
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.
Tips for Better Digital Photography Developing
Sometimes called digital photo developing, this is really a misnomer.
Digital pictures need no developing; it's done automatically in the camera. Nevertheless a
few simple tricks will help produce stunning photo prints.
Resolution - Think about how you're likely to use the photo before
taking the shot. You can shoot all pictures at high resolution, but it takes a
lot of memory. If you know they'll only be used for small snapshots, set the
resolution lower so you can take more pictures. 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 - While adjustable
on some cameras, most
digital cameras have a fixed aspect ratio of
1:1.33 (the picture's width is 1.33 times the height). 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
one or more of the edges. Leaving extra space at the top,
bottom and/or sides when composing your shot will ensure your final
prints include everything you want in the photo. 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
Just remember 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.
Unlike film photography, with digital you can easily sort through and print
only the pictures you want, saving money in the process. Try one or more of the
online photo printing services and add more enjoyment and convenience to your
photography.
Also see: Photo Printers
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