Printing Digital Photos
The maze. In recent years there has arisen a bewildering variety of ways in which you can print your digital photos. In order to make sense of this maze of possibilities we attempted to develop a workable overview of the situation existing in the UK at present. First we listed the five main printing methods which are available to the public and then we traced routes to these from the main source of image files which is a digital camera. The results of this activity are summarised in the box diagram below and presented here for the benefit of visitors to our Web site.
Please note that we are only presenting the printing options here and we make no attempt to explain how to use the various methods in detail. For that you must consult the printer manuals or local experts such as photo shop staff. This page is printable and the diagram boxes are clickable.
Using the diagram.
The simplest option, especially for the beginner, is to remove the card from the camera and take it to a photographic shop such as Boots or Jessops. This is shown in the diagram by tracing the arrows down the right hand side and following the second branch towards the centre as far as it goes. It is the simplest option because it bypasses the use of all computing and printing equipment if the shop's behind-the-counter service is used. Even if the shop's DIY kiosk printer is used, help is at hand, at least when the shop is not too busy. In addition to printing, the shop will usually offer to copy your image files to a CD for permanent storage thereby enabling you to delete the files from your card without loss. This facility is shown in the diagram by an upwards arrow from the shop to the disk symbol.
Using a compact disk (CD). The CD has two uses; one is to transport image files from a computer to a shop (see the downward arrows from the computer and disk symbol) and the other use is permanent storage of your image files for later use, possibly in a computer (see the upward arrow from the disk). This storage of image files corresponds to saving your negatives from a film camera. Since the shops will always accept a CD instead of a camera card, the CD still has its uses even if you never use a computer or home printer.
Using a card reader (see the upper right side of the diagram). Connecting a camera directly to a computer can be a clumsy, inconvenient and battery-draining operation. A card reader is a small inexpensive accessory which avoids this situation. Although not shown in the diagram, it can be used in reverse thereby enabling the computer to write image files onto the card. The card can then be used to transport image files from one computer to another or to a shop. This form of transport is similar to using a CD but it is much more convenient and compact. Nowadays, an increasing number of computers and computer printers have built-in card readers.
Using a photos-only printer. These are small specialised machines with built-in card readers (see lower right side of diagram). They are intended for home use with or without a computer attached. These neat and convenient printers are becoming cheaper and increasingly popular so they might eventually put the shop kiosk machines out of business.
The cheapest option. Although printing in photographic shops is not expensive if you order 50 or more prints, probably the cheapest method is the use of an Internet photo printing firm (see the left side of the diagram). Unfortunately this is not the simplest method because it involves the use of a computer to send your image files across the Internet.
Using a computer for inkjet printing. As outlined above, a computer is used for taking images from a camera and for reading and writing CD's. It can, of course, also be used for printing your photos (see the lower cable on the left side of the computer symbol in the diagram). At present this is not a cheap option because photo printing paper and ink cartridges are expensive. Also it is not an easy option unless your printer has a specialised built-in photo printing facility.
Using a computer for editing photos. Probably the main use of a computer is for sizing, cropping, titling, enhancing and cataloguing your photos. This involves the use of photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop, Coral Paint Shop Pro or one of several others. A limited amount of such editing can be carried out with a shop kiosk printing machine but a computer is much better suited to this type of work.
Laser printing. If you want to print onto various sorts of plain paper or medium thickness card then laser printing is the best option (see lower inside right of the diagram). A good example of this is the production of post cards. Photo paper is not thick enough for this and most photo papers cannot be printed on both sides (as is necessary for post cards). One of the things that makes this an expensive option is that post cards have to be cut out of larger card sizes and edge-trimmed which is a labour intensive operation. Another difficulty with laser printing is that it can be difficult to achieve the colour rendering accuracy which is so easy with inkjet printing.
The final product. Apart from subject matter, the quality of your printed photos will be influenced by the size, thickness and surface of the paper used for their production. Shop kiosk printers usually offer two or three different sizes but no control over paper thickness and surface finish (gloss, satin or matt). Home inkjet printing and shop laser printing are the options which allow most control over paper quality.