Photo Printing Tip

Options for Printing Your Digital Photos.

1. Print your photos at home on your own printer.


2. Take your camera memory card or photo CD to a local store to get your photos printed at the photo center.


3. Using your camera memory card, print your own photos at a photo kiosk.


4. Upload your photos to an online photo printing servicer and pick up your photos locally or have them mailed to you.

1. Print Your Photos at Home

• The first consideration is if your printer is good enough to make quality photo prints. Even though you may have a quality printer, the printed colors may not match what is on your screen.



• You may want to edit and/or crop your photos before printing.



• You will need good quality photo paper. I have had good luck with both Kodak and HP glossy photo paper. Colors can vary somewhat depending on the quality and manufacturer of the photo paper used.



• If you are using 8.5" x 11" paper, you will need some software to arrange multiple photos per page unless you are only printing 8" x 10" photos.



• Before printing, select the right settings on your printer for the paper you will be using.



• You will encounter some waste whenever an ink cartridge runs out or from ink smudges on your photo.



• Lastly, I have seen some reports that indicate a 4" x 6" photo printed at home runs about 50 to 65 cents each. On new printers, printer manufacturers are now limiting consumers to their expensive proprietary ink cartridges.



• Read this New York Times article, Why Do-It-Yourself Photo Printing Doesn't Add Up.

2. Print Photos at Your Local Store

• There is evidence that a growing number of consumers are turning to their local stores to have their photos printed. I believe this is due to the cost and the hassle of printing at home.



• Even though you decide to have your photos printed at the local store, you still should copy your photos to your computer and edit them. After editing, burn the images to a CD and bring this to the store. This gives you a backup copy that you should have anyway, and it protects your photos in the event of damage or loss.



• The disadvantage of this method is that you are making two trips to the store unless you were going there anyway for shopping.

3. Print Photos at a Photo Kiosk

• This is more of a do-it-yourself approach. Some kiosks will let you do some editing and then place an order for printing. Other kiosks will allow you to do some editing and then print the photos yourself. Both approaches are more expensive than placing an online order for 1 hour service.



• The disadvantage is that you may have to wait while someone else is using the kiosk, you may feel pressured to hurry if others are in line behind you, and lastly, there is no privacy.

4. Upload Your Photos to an Online Photo Servicer

• If you have a computer with Internet access, online photo printing servicers seem to be the best and least expensive method to get your photos printed. At home, you select and upload the photos you want printed, indicate the number and photo size, and whether you want them mailed to you or picked up at a local participating store.



• Some online servicers offer free online photo albums for you to store your photo images so that family and friends can view them online and order prints if they choose to do so.



• Most online servicers offer personalized photo products such as clothing items, photo coffee mugs, and photo greeting cards.



• Online servicers have teamed up with stores such as; Wal-Mart, Walgreens, and Target. This team approach provides the consumer the convenience of ordering at home and picking up at the local store and avoiding shipping costs. One-hour photo service is also available for a somewhat higher photo printing charge.