Photo Prints

Photo prints can take a great vacation shot or family photo and turn it into a series of wallet-ready images to be handed out to friends and relatives. They can represent you before you get a chance to meet that dream of a prospective employer. Whatever you use professional photo prints for, they will stand out in quality and can be the difference between a regular photo project and a masterpiece.

Professional photo print terminology can be confusing to a new consumer, and even those who consider themselves photography experts benefit from a refresher on how to find the best ones. The digital era has changed the way we reproduce our precious moments, with traditional local labs and darkrooms offering online versions of their services. When confronted with a host of options, the best thing to do is break them down by category so you can find the exact print you desire.

Film vs. Digital Media

Since most of us no longer routinely use film cameras, digital photo labs are all the rage. Many of the printing outlets and stores in pharmacies or malls have convenient kiosks where you can simply insert a memory card, disk or CD containing your images for an automatic professional photo print. Online printers have the advantage of allowing you to simply upload the files from your computer in a similar fashion. Both of these options allow for the resizing of your photos and any custom editing you want to take care of.

Sizing

While most photo labs offer a range of standard sizes such as 8x10" and 4x6", there is really no limit to how big or small your photo can be reproduced. The caveat to keep in mind when dealing with custom sizes, however, is that if you do find a printer that will print at a special size, you may have to pay an extra fee. If you are craft minded and have a ruler handy, this problem can be avoided by simply ordering a size slightly larger than what you need and trimming off the extra white space. There are print services that will create entire posters or even put your photos onto canvas stretched across frames for great wall art.

Quality and Paper Treatment

The most complicated issue concerns the descriptions of paper quality. You can find professional photo print services to create photos on regular matte paper with no gloss, or numerous different high sheen options. Typically, paper or media classified as glossy simply has a regular sheen, whereas satin is a bit smoother, with more of a soft, translucent quality. There are also metal print mediums that directly infuse your image onto aluminum sheets.