Digi-prints.com

[406]

I took a lot of pics at the weekend of the family and corrected them in PSCS2 as they needed lightening and colour correcting. I sent them to digi-prints for printing. Got them back yesterday and they were all too dark. Spoke to a nice young lady there who gave me the following advice. After adjusting / correcting in PS, save the prints as PNG's. Close them down and re open them. Save again as jpegs and all will be fine. Seems the problem is that their software auto corrects images and makes adjustments it thinks are correct. I must say this tho, other pics I have had done by them have all turned out superbly.

Dave

[simpo two]

Dang, the last thing we need is some numpty auto-correcting machine playing about with our images!

They should give you an option, eg Numpty/Pro

[joust]

Why bother? Use pixaco.co.uk - it takes the correct profile and prints as seen, and is 6p per print for 6x4" at the mo.

J

[406]

joust said:

Why bother? Use pixaco.co.uk - it takes the correct profile and prints as seen, and is 6p per print for 6x4" at the mo. J

Ah yes, but do they do a next day service? also they dont do as many sizes as digi-print. think I will stick with them


Dave

406

[simpo two]

How are your Pixaco shares doing Joust?

[_dobbo_]

406 said:

joust said: Why bother? Use pixaco.co.uk - it takes the correct profile and prints as seen, and is 6p per print for 6x4" at the mo. J Ah yes, but do they do a next day service? also they dont do as many sizes as digi-print. think I will stick with them

What use is a next day service if you have to spend an extra day saving all the files, re-opening, then saving them all again?

Just kidding. Although I must say her explanation makes no sense to me. A file saved as a jpeg undergoes the same process no matter what you start with - I'm not sure I understand how saving as a png then resaving will help.

[joust]

406 said:

Ah yes, but do they do a next day service?

Next day but one.

406 said:

also they dont do as many sizes as digi-print. think I will stick with them

Your choice, but....

digi-prints.com sizes
5" x 4" (12 x 10 cm) 5p
6" x 4" (15 x 10 cm) 9p
5" x 7" (12 x 17 cm) 17p
6" x 8" (15 x 20 cm) 80p
6" x 9" (15 x 22 cm) 90p
10" x 8" (25 x 20 cm) £1.00
8" x 12" (20 x 30 cm) £1.30
10" x 12" (25 x 31 cm) £2.00
10" x 15" (25 x 38 cm) £3.00
12" x 18" (31 x 46 cm) £5.00

pixaco.co.uk "standard" sizes
5x3.5"
6x3.5"
6.3x3.5"
6x4"
7x4"
6x4.5"
7x5"
7.5x5"
12x8"
18x12"
24x16"
30x20"

Not quite sure how that's "less" range of sizes....

[406]

_dobbo_ said:

I'm not sure I understand how saving as a png then resaving will help.

According to the lady, saving the file as a png and then as a jpeg, removes certain information that is embedded in the file. Their machine / software is not able to alter the print i.e. Auto Level it as certain information has been cleared so you will get the pics printed as you intended them to be. Not auto levelled

[joust]

simpo two said:

How are your Pixaco shares doing Joust?

Unfortunatly I don't have any. However, I have printed off thousands of pictures, both for work and home, and never ever had a "duff" one.

J

[joust]

406 said:

According to the lady, saving the file as a png and then as a jpeg, removes certain information that is embedded in the file. Their machine / software is not able to alter the print i.e. Auto Level it as certain information has been cleared so you will get the pics printed as you intended them to be. Not auto levelled

And you want to continue to use them when they don't even understand embeded profiles from PS!

[406]

Ok, I have just tried. I took a "Dark" photo and lightened it in PS. Saved it as a PNG and then as a Jpeg. Did auto level in photo shop and it darkened the pic again Closed it without saving. opened it in PSP and tried auto leveling it, and it did nothing. She was right

[joust]

Yes, but it doesn't make their service 'right'

[406]

joust said:

Yes, but it doesn't make their service 'right'

True but if it works! Some people think Canon are great, some know Nikon are. Doesnt make them right either - well except the Nikon people.

[_dobbo_]

406 said:

Ok, I have just tried. I took a "Dark" photo and lightened it in PS. Saved it as a PNG and then as a Jpeg. Did auto level in photo shop and it darkened the pic again Closed it without saving. opened it in PSP and tried auto leveling it, and it did nothing. She was right

But that still begs the question why is processing being done on your images when they are being printed?

I hope you didn't have to pay for the prints that they messed up first time round?

[406]

_dobbo_ said:

I hope you didn't have to pay for the prints that they messed up first time round?

No, they are doing them for free and giving me my money back - Result

[pmanson]

I'm with 406!

I've used digi-prints a lot without any problems.

The service is excellent!

[Bee_Jay]

Photobox do next day and don't piss about with your pictures. They use the Massive Fuji systems that understand colour profiles - I have had no problems.

[joust]

Bee_Jay said:

Photobox do next day and don't piss about with your pictures. They use the Massive Fuji systems that understand colour profiles - I have had no problems.

The same ones Pixaco use

[superlightr]

in my innocence (im not just cute and cuddly) i had hoped to print my own with a good quality colour printer???

[Bee_Jay]

superlightr said:

in my innocence (im not just cute and cuddly) i had hoped to print my own with a good quality colour printer???

In which case, get yourself an Epson R1800 and a copy of QImage for printing and you're all set.

Make sure you download the profiles for the paper you are using from Epson or whoever makes the printer, and profile your monitor (either manually using Adobe Gamma) of with a Colorvision Spyder/EyeOne or the like.