Issue 3

In the last issue of Kelly’s Kamera Korner, I explained resolution and why it is important.  Resolution is most important if you choose to print your photos.  Any camera will give you enough resolution to view on a computer monitor, but most people want to print their best photos for scrapbooks, family, and friends.  Let’s look at factors to consider when printing your photos.

As discussed last time, your best bet is to shoot the photo at the highest resolution your camera offers, that way you won’t have to worry when it comes time to print.  If you already have digital photos you want to print, you should check to see if they have adequate resolution to print at the size you want.  There are generally two options for printing photos: printing at home on your printer, or professional photo processing.  For printing at home, you should have at least 200 PPI (pixels per inch) and preferably 300.  For professional processing, 300 PPI is typically the minimum.   (See last issue for a review of PPI.)  The general rule for prints is as follows.  (Try your photos to see what works for you.)

If you are printing at home, the basic requirement is a color printer.  Most color inkjet printers these days can adequately print photos, while some printers are specifically made for printing photos.  There are also printers that are compact and portable to print 4x6” photos, and some even print directly from your media card and do not require a computer.  Your choice of paper may be even more important than your printer.  Using photo paper, which comes in many varieties of glossy or matte, will give better results than regular printer paper.  It is also important to use the proper printer settings for the paper you are using.  Many printers specifically let you choose photo paper, and maybe even different types of photo paper.  If your printer does not, use the “Best” or “High” quality setting, which gives you greater DPI, or dots-per-inch, which is the amount of ink on paper.  (Do not confuse this with PPI, which refers to image quality, not printer capability.)  The main pro of printing at home is the convenience of having a printed photo immediately after taking it.  Cons include longevity of the ink and cost (which could actually be more than many of the less-expensive professional processors.)

If you choose to let the professionals do it, photo processing can be found in many local places, such as Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Walgreens, and countless other locations.  You can usually take in photos on your media card or a CD.  There is also an endless array of websites (Shutterfly, KodakGallery, SnapFish, Webshots, etc.) that allow you to upload photos, share them with friends and family, and have anyone order prints. You can even combine the convenience of uploading photos from home and picking up in a store, with chains such as Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, and Walgreens, as well as local shops like Picture Perfect.  (Many of these places have cheaper pricing than you can do it yourself—and with better quality.)  Most of the photo websites will also let you know if a photo you have uploaded does not meet the minimum resolution requirements.  If you choose to go beyond standard prints, you can also order other items such as calendars, books, T-shirts, and mugs.

One other thing to note when printing photos yourself or taking them to be printed: aspect ratio.  This is the ratio of the horizontal dimension to the vertical dimension of your photo.  Most digital cameras are 4:3, with many of the new digital SLRs at 3:2.  You need to consider this when printing your photo.  If you try to print a 4:3 photo at 6x4”, the top and bottom will be cropped, whereas the 3:2 will print as is.  A 3:2 ratio photo printed at 10x8” will lose the left and right sides.  You may want to crop your photos to the proper ratio before taking them to be printed, so you choose how they are cropped, otherwise cropping will occur automatically.  Also keep in mind, if you crop a photo to capture a smaller portion of the whole, check the final resolution to make sure it is still big enough to print.