An easy, affordable way to get prints from your digital camera
If you have a digtal camera, you are probably looking for an easy, inexpensive way to get prints, like you used to get from your film camera. Come in and try our state of the art digital kiosks and you will be instantly hooked. Pop your memory card out of your camera, plug it into the kiosk and in seconds you will be previewing, selecting, cropping, editing and ordering your prints.
Some customers like to set aside an hour to preview and order their prints. Some like to be in and out in two minutes leaving the memory card with us to print, as though they were dropping off a roll of film. You can do it either way. You can even burn your images to a CD with your order, creating basically electronic negatives of your memories.
Professional Printing vs. Home Printing
You have taken some digital photos, and you will probably want to print the best ones out so that you can show them to your family and friends. But why use F-Stop Cameras printing process when you can print them for free at home? We have broken down the pros and cons of each option below, including a look at the price of what it really could be costing you at home.
When is Inkjet Right?
There is no denying that having a colour inkjet printer connected to your home computer is a real convenience. In just a few minutes, most desktop printers can crank out decent colour prints for illustrated school reports, neighbourhood newsletters, and eye catching flyers. They can even make great photo composites when you are putting together layout ideas for your company's next brochure. But what happens when you come back from your summer holiday and want to print out 50 or so photos (the equalivent of 2 rolls of film). Using the figures below for an average inkjet, it would probaby take you the better part of an hour (without the time needed to cut them up), probably exhaust a printer cartridge, and end up costing you near $70.
Using an inkjet printer makes the most sense when:
- you need one or a few prints in a hurry,
- photo quality isn't a high priority, and
- print life and durability aren't critical.
But when you want quality...
There are several advantages to photographic printing - the most important being the quality and longevity. The following are just a few of the reason we think photo prints are clear winners:
Durability: All things considered, real photo prints are pretty tough. They stand up to fingerprints without smudging, they are reasonable waterproof, and they last a good, long time. While some of the newer (and more expensive) photo-quality inkjet printers are doing better on the longevity front than their predecessors, the majority of consumer models are still quick to fade and bleed ink at the slightest exposure to moisture. So unless your printer uses the latest secially formulated inks (very expensive), its prints are likely to fade in just a few months or even sooner if they are exposed to sunlight.
Appearance: As inkjet printers use a process of layering colours to achieve the end result they almost always struggle to achieve true colour. The major printer manufacturers have all implemented colour management systems, but do you have the time and technical expertise to be fiddling around with something that will always fall short of your expectations. The combination of smooth glossy finish, smooth colour gradations and the sense of depth the colours have. still make true photo prints the obvious standouts in side-by-side comparisons. Why should you spend hours tweaking software to get hte yellows out of your skin tines when you can have professional processing lab do it for you? Bottom line: If you want the ulimate "photographic" look for your digital images, there is really no substitute for photographic prints.
Convenience: If you just need a print or two in a hurry, your inkjet printer is the way to go. But if your time is more important, and you want the kind of service you used to get with your film camera then odering prints through F-Stop Cameras is the hands-down winner. You can select the photos you want to print and make an online order in the time that suits you, and then not have to worry again about paper jams, clogged nozzles, and cartridge refills.
Price: Well it seems to be free when you print at home, but just think about how much your printer cost, your paper, the time for your printer to print, and refill for your printer cartridges (keep it it in mind that cartridges usually last between 25-55 4x6 photos).
Who should you choose?
Like every area of the business market out there, competition is heavy within the digital market - sales and printing. F-Stop Cameras takes pride in serving you the customer, with the highest level of concern for you and your memories. While printing your digital images, we colour correct and adjust brightness for each individual photo. This assures you that your photos are the best they possibly can be. Through our knowledgable staff, we will help advise you in other methods of taking pictures, or adjustments in your camera settings so that you can be confident that your memories whether holidays, reunions, or just hanging out, are the very best. Nothing would be more disappointing than printing your "once in a life time" photos and finding out that your resolution is too low.
Just think - your eyes mean everything to you. They see the all of the lasting images that will you have for a lifetime. You would not trust a bargain on eye laser surgery, so why would you trust a bargain on your photographic memories?
Sending Digital Prints Online
To send us your image files for printing, Drop into the store for your free copy of our Prints Online Software.
The software will allow you to choose F-Stop Cameras as your photo lab, and will place an icon on your desktop for future print ordering. Follow the instructions below to upload images from your computer and select the size of prints. Then you will be advised of the total cost of your order. Your prints will be either sent to you via Xpresspost or you can pick them up at our location.
Using 35mm film?
We can develop your film and then record the images onto a CD. This can be done at the same time your prints are made. Later, if you require additional prints or enlargements, you can then send us these digital files from the CD electronically using the above software.
