Help Please: Printing Digital Pictures
Discussion
Hi all <br/> <br/>This is my first post on this forum so go easy on me please. 
<br/> <br/>My mum has just returned from Kenya where she got some excellent photos with my 7MP (3072x2304) digital camera. <br/> <br/>She now wants to print them at normal 7" x 5" size and I have a couple of questions: <br/> <br/>1. Can anyone recommend a good service? I don't trust the equipment at Boots and the like to give best quality. <br/> <br/>2. Are there services where I can upload my digital files rather than taking them in physically? <br/> <br/>3. If yes to Q2, should I scale the images down as they may be too large? If so, what resolution should I scale down too? <br/> <br/>4. My mum would liek to print some of these photos at A3 size - I believe 7MP should be OK for this but where should I get them printed, is there anything I should look out for, etc.? <br/> <br/>I've included some of the photos at 800x600 as a thanks in advance - I'm sure they're not experienced professional standard but they look good to me, particularly given the difficulty of photographing wild animals! 
<br/> <br/>Regards. <br/> <br/>roadie. <br/> <br/>PS: I do have a colour laser printer but I think it is cheaper and better to print professionally?
>> Edited by roadsweeper on Wednesday 11th January 11:58
<br/> <br/>My mum has just returned from Kenya where she got some excellent photos with my 7MP (3072x2304) digital camera. <br/> <br/>She now wants to print them at normal 7" x 5" size and I have a couple of questions: <br/> <br/>1. Can anyone recommend a good service? I don't trust the equipment at Boots and the like to give best quality. <br/> <br/>2. Are there services where I can upload my digital files rather than taking them in physically? <br/> <br/>3. If yes to Q2, should I scale the images down as they may be too large? If so, what resolution should I scale down too? <br/> <br/>4. My mum would liek to print some of these photos at A3 size - I believe 7MP should be OK for this but where should I get them printed, is there anything I should look out for, etc.? <br/> <br/>I've included some of the photos at 800x600 as a thanks in advance - I'm sure they're not experienced professional standard but they look good to me, particularly given the difficulty of photographing wild animals! <br/> <br/>Regards. <br/> <br/>roadie. <br/> <br/>PS: I do have a colour laser printer but I think it is cheaper and better to print professionally? >> Edited by roadsweeper on Wednesday 11th January 11:58
They are lovley shots, I personally use BonusPrints online system, you have to download a small program but it is a very easy process. Last ones I did was Ordered on a Saturday afternoon, 4pm, delivered Monday morning. Good quality.
Or their is Photobox.co.uk, you usually get a few prints free when you sign up, I have heard picture quality is great aswell.
No need to down size picture size as I find the more pixels the better quality the out put is.
Hope that helps.
Or their is Photobox.co.uk, you usually get a few prints free when you sign up, I have heard picture quality is great aswell.
No need to down size picture size as I find the more pixels the better quality the out put is.
Hope that helps.
Another vote for Photobox - 1st class results, and you can do it all online too.
Tip for resizing is for best results you should resize to the size of the print at the resolution that the printer uses. In the case of Photobox, they use two types of printer depending on print size, and both have slightly different dpi settings, so for a 5x7 print you would resize to 5x7 @ 300dpi (=1500x2100 pixels) and for an A3 print you'd resize to 42cm x 29.7cm @ 254dpi (=4200x2970 pixels).
They give some info on this here
If you want 2 different size prints from one image, I'd resize to the largest, and then let their software down-res it for the smaller print.
>> Edited by ehasler on Tuesday 1st November 19:00
Tip for resizing is for best results you should resize to the size of the print at the resolution that the printer uses. In the case of Photobox, they use two types of printer depending on print size, and both have slightly different dpi settings, so for a 5x7 print you would resize to 5x7 @ 300dpi (=1500x2100 pixels) and for an A3 print you'd resize to 42cm x 29.7cm @ 254dpi (=4200x2970 pixels).
They give some info on this here
If you want 2 different size prints from one image, I'd resize to the largest, and then let their software down-res it for the smaller print.
>> Edited by ehasler on Tuesday 1st November 19:00
Another photobox vote - not just for the quality and price but also the service. You will probably get the prints back the next day, and there is also someone at the end of a phone line who can help (so if you noticed a spelling mistake on an invite after you submitted it, you can get it changed before the 75 copies that you ordered are run off - not that I know anyone that could do such a thing 
).
Rich
). Rich
I use Digi-Prints quite a lot - www.digi-prints.co.uk. Terrific service and next day delivery too. Prices are excellent. you can also upload your 7mp pics also
HTH
Dave
406
HTH
Dave
406
I'm a former digi-prints user and they are good.
Also be aware that some photobox sizes aren't exactly the ratio they say, I've been caught out on a couple that I had borders on. Only by a few pixels but enough to make a difference.
Best to go into edit the picture and shoose default rectangle, it then gives you old and new sizes.
Also be aware that some photobox sizes aren't exactly the ratio they say, I've been caught out on a couple that I had borders on. Only by a few pixels but enough to make a difference.
Best to go into edit the picture and shoose default rectangle, it then gives you old and new sizes.
www.pixaco.co.uk
Half the price of everyone else, and in the 3000+ prints I have had from them, none have been a duff.
J
Half the price of everyone else, and in the 3000+ prints I have had from them, none have been a duff.
J
Thanks to everyone for the advice - it is much appreciated.
I am uploading my photos to PhotoBox as I write. The 160MB of photos is going to take a while over my 2Mb/s down, 200Kb/s up connection though!
Well, the camera is the Canon Digital Ixus 700 (called the PowerShot SD500 in the USA) - review here. It's about the size of a packet of cigarettes and comes with a 3x optical zoom - from looking at the image she didn't use the digital zoom so must have been close. Mum thinks she was 10 to 15 yards away from the lioness
when she took the picture, which sounds about right.
I am uploading my photos to PhotoBox as I write. The 160MB of photos is going to take a while over my 2Mb/s down, 200Kb/s up connection though!
HankScorpio said:
Nice pics there too, how close was she to that lioness...?!?!?
Well, the camera is the Canon Digital Ixus 700 (called the PowerShot SD500 in the USA) - review here. It's about the size of a packet of cigarettes and comes with a 3x optical zoom - from looking at the image she didn't use the digital zoom so must have been close. Mum thinks she was 10 to 15 yards away from the lioness
when she took the picture, which sounds about right.
roadsweeper said:
Good to see the pix, too - any more?
There are quite a few more good ones actually but I'm wary of chesing off 56k guys. Is it the 'done thing' to post a few larger image with no warning in the topic title?
If you want to, just post a link to the large picture with a warning for 56k people
Another thing to look out for is cropping.
Print out a couple of test prints at the lab/online shop from your camera.
Then compare with what you see on screen. Notice where the edges disappear.
I printed a couple of 7x5's for a competition in a rush (Deadline was 5pm - I was in at 4:45pm with prints)
the prints were cropped and did not look as good.
R
Print out a couple of test prints at the lab/online shop from your camera.
Then compare with what you see on screen. Notice where the edges disappear.
I printed a couple of 7x5's for a competition in a rush (Deadline was 5pm - I was in at 4:45pm with prints)
the prints were cropped and did not look as good.
R
The Photobox service was awesome. I ordered at 3pm on Wednesday and they arrived on Thursday morning. Quality was excellent and I got 65 7" x 5" glossy prints for £14.50 including P&P. Overall, I am extremely impressed so thanks for the recommendations - I will be using them again.
Thanks again.
>> Edited by roadsweeper on Wednesday 11th January 12:01
Thanks again.
>> Edited by roadsweeper on Wednesday 11th January 12:01
I normally develop my photos locally.
Always intended to use an online service, but I've now decided to switch for two reasons:
1.Better quality -consistent prints.
2. **I might share this with you in a couple of days- I may be wrong with company concerned. **.
As I've got 120+ prints , I'm trying to optimise them first.
Q: When photoshop saves a JPEG - what quality/method do you use before uploading ?
I normally use quality:10 and baseline
Always intended to use an online service, but I've now decided to switch for two reasons:
1.Better quality -consistent prints.
2. **I might share this with you in a couple of days- I may be wrong with company concerned. **.
As I've got 120+ prints , I'm trying to optimise them first.
Q: When photoshop saves a JPEG - what quality/method do you use before uploading ?
I normally use quality:10 and baseline
Depending upon how large the files are and how large the prints, I'd go for the highest possible quality.
Make sure you've got the print size and resolution right then check the file size. you only want to allow the "JPEG-ing" of what you've then got to use the absolute minimum of compression.
Anybody else see it differently?
Make sure you've got the print size and resolution right then check the file size. you only want to allow the "JPEG-ing" of what you've then got to use the absolute minimum of compression.
Anybody else see it differently?
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