Digital Photo Processing

[kevin_english1]

Hello-

 

This is my first post to this message board. I have been reading

these posts for a few weeks now, and have gained some very valuable

tips - I recently acquired a 10D as my first DSLR, and have been

loving it (my lens kit includes a 50mm 1.8 (Mark I), a 24-85 USM, and

a 70-200 F4L).

 

I know this isnt 100% related to Canon EOS (apologies!), but I was

wondering what online (or otherwise) service you folks use for prints

after touching up, etc, in Photoshop? I am under the (false?)

impression that these services provide much higher-quality prints

than a consumer photo printer would. I have already tried Ofoto.com,

and they seem OK. Do you folks have an opinion of who is the best?

 

Thanks in advance,

Kevin

[sergey_oboguev]

Good ink-jet printer (e.g. Epson 2200/1280) provides about as high image quality as decent print labs.

 

If you want to print via lab anyway, best thing is to explore first what reputable labs are available locally, this will save you mailing troubles.

 

If there are none, check for example these two:

 

http://www.whcc.com

 

http://www.westcoastimaging.com

 

Also, lots of places carry Fuji Frontier and many of them (though not all) will accept digital input. Quality may vary depending on how thoroughly the machine is maintained, and whether custom profile is available or can be made (check http://www.drycreekphoto.com).

[elizabeth_uribe]

I have another question related to this: I have some digital photos that were printed from an ink-jet and the color seems to fade in just a couple months after printing,the quality of the color is not the same... Do you think it is a matter of quality paper? or just the inks?

[witolda_maruszewska]

Regarding photos printed from an inkjet - there's a lot of variables in determining what lasts and what doesn't. Here's some info based on my own experiences:

 

1) Some papers are better at not fading than others. Cheap generic papers seem to be less colour-fast in the long term than others; a good rule of thumb is to either get the recommended paper for your printer or look for third-party papers (Ilford, Kodak etc) that specifically mention ink compatability with particular printers.

 

2) Generic inks don't seem to last as well as those made by the manufacturer for your printer. The printer manufacturer's inks may be more expensive, but they are better in the long run.

 

3) Fading and colour casts on inkjet prints can occur as a result of storage method i.e. photo albums. I've found that Jessops slip-in albums (which I use for my portfolio) have made my prints fade slightly and go yellow, perhaps as a result from contact with the plastic sleeves.

 

4) Prints that I've mounted using acid-free board mounts backed by acid-free art paper and held together with acid-free adhesive and then framed and put on my wall look absolutely fine. Of course, they are well away from a window so there's no direct light on them.

 

In my experience, the best photo papers are made by Canon, Epson and Ilford; I use them on a Canon S900 printer running on the recommended Canon inks.

 

Hope this helps.

[andrew robertson]

Sergey, to my eyes, a proper Lightjet print blows away an inkjet any day of the week.

Epson inkets especially, to me, reproduce purples and yellows in a sickly manner.

Lightjet also gives much MUCH better resolution, and it's a real photographic print on

real photographic paper. Inkjet manufacturers claim archival quality, but have been

wrong WRONG in the past. Whereas the archival nature of photo paper is well known

and proven by time, inkjet manufacturers shine a really bright light on a print for

some time, and then claim archival quality. It's a well known fact that light is just one

of MANY factors that contribute to the breakdown of inkjet prints, and the

manufacturers flaunt all other variables.

 

I know of pros who have had to reprint 'archival' inkjet prints a year or two after

selling them for hundreds of customers.

 

We'll see in 20 years if any of the so-called archival inkjet prints which hang in

galleries all over the world right now are preserved. Until then, when dealing with

inkjet output, one should always insert a 'projected' or 'claimed' right before the word

'archival'.

[rick_helmke]

If you want to do your own you can pick up dozens of inkjet printers in the $100 neighborhood and they will print super prints once you get a little practice. I'm looking at an Epson 740i and a Canon i475D on my desk and both are great. My 2200 is better and makes bigger prints.

 

If you don't want to do your own I can recommend most places using Frontier machines. I've seen several and all have been good. You can also FTP files to places such as Capitol Filmworks and MPIX. We've gotten excellent quality up to 16x20 from MPIX and gotten them next day if we wanted them.

 

Rick H.

[photobyalan.com]

Witolda,

 

You mean you don't have acid-free walls?

 

Sorry, couldn't help myself ;)

 

Anyway...Kevin, I've had pretty good luck with www.shutterfly.com. They do a good job and the service is generally very good. They don't use topof-the-line photo papers, however, and you need to have all your contrast and color adjustments done right before you send the files, because they don't do any of it. They just print what you send, exactly as you send.

[hans_eckelman]

If you want a good, inexpensive way to get real prints, I suggest Costco. The Costco by me has 4x6 prints for .19, 8x12 for 2.00 and 12x18 for 3.00. The prints from the 10D are, IMHO, amazing. You don't have to worry about inks fading or changing since what you get back is just like a photo taken with film. When you add all the costs, you just can't beat Costco. I understand Sam's Club has the same or close to it pricing.

[john_odonnell1]

I second the Costco suggestion. I have an Epson SP 960 which does a great job on

prints, but after seeing the prints from Costco (and the price) I'm sold. My local

Costco uses a Noritsu printer, for which I downloaded a profile from

drycreekphoto.com. I do all my stuff in Photoshop and then convert to the Noritsu

profile. I just take a CD to the local store, enter the files, tell them they're already

profiled and to make no adjustments. The colors come out looking just like they do

on my screen. Previous to this I used Ofoto and the prints looked pretty crummy.

[gene f.]

I also think Costco quality/price ration is the best. <B>However</B> take a look at http://www.drycreekphoto.com/, find the color profile of your closest Costco location here:

http://www.drycreekphoto.com/Frontier/FrontierDatabase.htm

<P>

<LI>Install new color profile (follow instructions shown on the site above),

<LI>do all your manipulations necessary, <LI>

resize images in PhotoShop at 300dpi for your picture size (4"x6" == 1200x1800 pixels), <LI>CONVERT your image to the new profile, <LI> sharpen images (read on this subject - do It properluy!), <Li>then convert to highest quality JPG file, <Li>write everything on CD and bring to Costco (the one you downloaded profiles for). <LI>At Costco ask to print <B>with no adjustments</B>. <LI>Enojy!

[arthur_byrnes]

I have to recomend Wal-Mart. They will print jpegs from your cd at 20-30 cents each for 4x6.

 

When you price the paper and ink cartridges, this is cheaper than doing them on a home printer,

 

I have used them several times and the quality is good.