| There are lots of options available for getting | | | | frames for your photos.The downside: you do |
| your digital photos printed, but which method is | | | | pay a shipping charge, so you may want to wait |
| the best and most economical choice for you? | | | | and order a number of photos or photo products |
| Let's look at some of the options and the pros | | | | at one time to make it more economical. Print |
| and cons of each.PRINTING YOUR DIGITAL | | | | costs for 4x6 inch photos range from about 19 |
| PHOTOS AT HOMEConvenience and instant | | | | cents to 29 cents, depending on the |
| gratification are two popular reasons for printing | | | | company.Wal-Mart.com's prints are inexpensive |
| your digital photos at home. Depending on your | | | | and the bonus is you can upload your photos to |
| printer, you can print directly from your camera | | | | their website and then pick them up at your local |
| or from your memory card in most cases. Or if | | | | store and avoid shipping charges. Photo stores like |
| you want to touch up your photos first you can | | | | or are also good options because you can either |
| copy them to your computer, use your photo | | | | upload your photos to their website and pick |
| editing software (I like Photoshop Elements 3.0) to | | | | them up at a local store in as little as an hour, or |
| enhance your images, and then print right from | | | | you can drop off your memory card at the store |
| your graphics program. You don't have to make | | | | and pick up your prints later.PRINT YOUR |
| an extra stop to drop off your photo memory | | | | PHOTOS AT THE DRUGSTOREDigital printing is |
| card at the photofinisher or drugstore and then | | | | now available at drugstore chains such as |
| return to pick up your prints, and you save the | | | | Walgreens and Longs. You can bring in your |
| shipping fees the online photo services | | | | memory stick and use their photo kiosk to crop |
| charge.However, printing your photos on your | | | | and edit your images and then print them. The |
| home printer may be more expensive than you | | | | cost is about the same as an online printing |
| realized. The per-print price can approach $1 per | | | | service, but you have to stand there at the kiosk |
| picture when you factor in the cost of buying a | | | | and edit/upload your photos. Not something I |
| photo printer, high quality photo paper and lots of | | | | really want to do, nor do I want to wait in line |
| color ink cartridges. If you print a lot of photos | | | | while someone else finishes their photo order. The |
| you'll go through ink cartridges and paper rather | | | | good news is these drugstores also offer online |
| quickly, which gets expensive, especially if you | | | | photo services so you can upload your photos to |
| make mistakes and have to reprint. If you use | | | | their website and you can pick up your prints at |
| inexpensive or off-brand paper, you will likely find | | | | their store usually the next day.The other option |
| that your photos may start to fade or discolor | | | | is you can drop off your memory card or CD at |
| within a few months. According to industry | | | | the drugstore's photo department and pick up |
| experts, if you print at home, use the same | | | | your prints anywhere from an hour later to a day |
| brand name paper as your printer manufacturer | | | | later, depending on the service selected, just like |
| (i.e. if you have a Canon printer, use Canon photo | | | | the "old days" of 35mm film. The print cost is |
| paper). Your prints will be better quality and last | | | | about the same as full service online photo |
| longer.USING AN ONLINE DIGITAL | | | | finishers (less the shipping fee). There are |
| PHOTOFINISHEROnline digital photofinishers like | | | | frequent sales, so the per-print cost can be |
| Ofoto and the new PhotoWorks make the | | | | relatively low if you hit a sale, but you don't have |
| process of printing your photos very easy. You | | | | the option of cropping or enhancing your images |
| can edit your photos either using your own photo | | | | unless you edit your photos then burn them to a |
| editing software or download free software from | | | | CD first.My suggestion is to experiment with |
| the online line printing service to crop, fix red-eye, | | | | several methods and find the best one that |
| and add special effects or borders to your | | | | works for you. Whatever you do, don't just let all |
| images. Then simply select the images you want | | | | those digital photos pile up in your memory card |
| to print, click to upload to the photo site, and you | | | | or on your computer, get them printed so you |
| will receive your order, printed on high quality | | | | can show them off. Of course you can also share |
| photo paper, in your mailbox in approx. 2-5 days. | | | | them online with family and friends, but that's |
| In addition to prints you can order customized | | | | another article.Valerie Goettsch publishes the digital |
| photo calendars, photo cards, photo books, mugs, | | | | photography website featuring reviews of photo |
| and other photo items. With some online services, | | | | editing and album software and digital photo |
| like Shutterfly, you can even try out and order | | | | printing services. |