On-Line Print Shops from 3dRender.com

On-Line Photo Printing Services

New on-line services raise the bar on digital output.
By Jeremy Birn

Back in 1999, I remember paying $15 per print at a local service bureau to get high-quality prints of my 3D renderings. Cheaper ink-jet and dye sublimation prints were available, but those were subject to fading in bright sun, and didn't have the crispness and color fidelity of a color photograph.

Hoping to capitalize on the consumer digital camera craze, new web-based businesses are cropping up that make real photographic prints (developed on real photo paper with a silver halide chemical process) from any digital file you upload or e-mail. The prices generally start at below 50 cents a print, with some services now offering the first prints for free in order to lock in new customers.

The first service I tried was PrintRoom.com. I uploaded a 3D rendering that I had sized to 8x10 at 300DPI, as well as several pictures I had taken with my Nikon Coolpix 950 Digital Camera. All arrived in the mail within four days, printed on Kodak paper. The picture quality was excellent, even the 8x10 prints from my Nikon 950 pictures were crisp, colorful, and showed no signs of blurring or pixelation. I've also heard very favorable feedback about the picture quality from Ofoto.com. Many of these services are using similar film recording and processing equipment.

Images are printed by these services directly in RGB, with no need for color separation to CMYK colors (as are used by some kinds of color printing.) Color accuracy from PC screen grabs and digital camera pictures is preserved with this system.

You do not need to set a DPI for the files as you would for a printer. Images are sized to the size of photo print that you choose, such as 8x10. The web sites have their own recommendations for pixel-resolutions that work best at different print sizes, generally 1024x768 or lower should be limited to 4x6 prints, 1280x1024 can be a 5x7, or 1600x1200 makes a good 8x10. Higher resolutions make better prints, even at smaller sizes.

If you are looking for a quick & free way to show-off your artwork on the web, many of these services also let you maintain an on-line "photo album" of images you upload. If you have any kind of digital images to display, services like PhotoPoint.com can be one of the fastest ways to create a portfolio website, whether or not you order any prints from them. Back to Main Index.

AmazingMail.com	Snail-mails real photo-postcards printed from any digital picture, using whatever address and message text you type. This is fun - the first card is sent free.
EZPrints.com	Panoramic prints sold by the foot, in addition to standard 4x6 through 11x14 digital photo prints. Downloadable PC Software assists in uploading files and ordering prints.
Kodak Photonet	Kodak will download and print pictures from any web address you specify, or take files that you upload from your hard drive; Kodak can even scan and upload your photographs for you when they develop your film. Pictures are stored in on-line albums from which you or invited guests can order reprints.
Ofoto.com	Free prints offered for new customers, although membership and personal information are required before you can order prints. Print quality is graded very high. Pictures are stored in on-line albums from which you or invited guests can order reprints. To share photo albums, the site encourages users to submit other people's e-mail addresses. Upload digital files via a form, use free upload assistant software, or send in your film for free developing & printing.
PhotoAccess.com	Free prints offered for new customers. Free software connects directly to digital camera or uploads existing files. Prints on Kodak paper from 3.5x5 through 11x14. Pictures are stored in on-line albums from which you or invited guests can order reprints.
PhotoPoint.com	Pictures can be sent via e-mail. Free on-line albums at this site are popular and full-featured; your visitors can send you feedback and critiques, you get a hit count.
PrintRoom.com	Easy to use, makes real photos from uploaded files. Membership & album creation is not required before ordering prints. Pictures can be stored in on-line albums, which can be either public or password protected, at your option.
ShutterFly.com	Free prints for new customers. Text messages can be added to the back of prints. Pictures can be stored in on-line albums from which you or invited guests can order reprints. Follow this link to a comparison article: Ofoto vs. Shutterfly.
SnapFish.com	Free film developing & scanning, free prints for new customers, and now even free single-use cameras to take the pictures! There is a small shipping charge, even for the free prints. Pictures can be stored in on-line albums (they call a "shoebox"), and the site targets photographers who still use film, in addition to digital camera owners.
TopFotoServices.com	"The UK's first truly affordable on-line photographic printing service." (The other companies in this list are US-based.)
Zing.com	This popular photo community is only listed last because of the alphabetical order. Pictures can be directly uploaded for printing or assembled in on-line albums.