On printing

What do you do with your photos after you take them?

Digital photography is wonderful, in that you can share photos online with many people simultaneously.  You can post your photos to Facebook or Twitter, or perhaps you have a Flickr or Photobucket account.  E-mailing attachments may seem quaintly old-fashioned, but it also does the job.

There is something magical, though, to the printed photo.  Looking at a print, be it in an album or a frame, is a tactile experience that can’t be reproduced online.  Printing is also a good way – and perhaps the only way – to share photos with people who aren’t computer-literate.  (My grandmother falls into that category).

Printing your photo at home

Photo printers are cheap and plentiful, and most will do a good job printing a basic 4x6 photo for your album.  When printing on your home printer, here are some items you should pay special attention to:

• The paper you choose.  A quick trip to an office supply store will reveal many different types and sizes of inkjet photo paper you can choose.  It usually comes in packs of 4x6 or letter size.  Choose dedicated inkjet photo paper; the store brand will likely be fine and you can save some coin on the purchase.  I choose letter size and trim my photos to fit; this gives me more flexibility in printing my images.  If you only want 4x6, buy the smaller paper and save both money and resources.
• Printer settings – your paper.  Your printer settings will have options such as “glossy photo paper,” “matte photo paper,” and “plain paper.”  Your printer lays down ink differently on glossy than on matte or plain paper; selecting the correct paper will deliver a better final result.
• Your print settings.  You should see options to print as draft, good quality, and high quality (sometimes more) when you set up your print job.  I always print at the highest quality; why bother making excellent photos if you’re not going to show them off at their best?

Printing your photos at a store

Unless it’s a one-off job, I prefer to print my photos at an online store.  It saves me time and money, in that printer ink is expensive and printing at home can be time-consuming.  You can upload photos to several services and have them mailed to you at home; alternatively, many places will let you upload photos, then you can go to a nearby store to pick up the images. 

• Snapfish – online service.  Mail to home.
• Ritz Camera – camera store chain.  Can pick up at local store or have mailed to you at home.
• CVS/Walgreens/Wal Mart – Pharmacy and big box store chains.  Can pick up at local store or have mailed to you at home.

My strong personal preference is for Ritz Camera.  Their printing is uniformly good and I enjoy the convenience of picking up prints an hour after they’re uploaded. 

Photo albums and photo books

Once you have your prints, you can put them in a photo album to keep them clean and safe.  This is the time-honored way of keeping most photos.  If you pick an album, try to purchase one with acid-free paper; it will last longer and won’t discolor your prints.  Albums sometimes have pockets to slip your photos into; these are fine.  Scrapbooks are an artsy way to display your work, and give you another creative outlet.

The printing services above also let you make photo books.  These are bound prints with your photos printed on the paper directly.  They’re durable, and when you take care to select your photos and layouts carefully, are attractive and unique.

Framing and displaying

You can also frame your prints and display them in your home.  My personal preference is to have a frame with a matte; this keeps your photo from touching the glass and protects it from damage.  The matte also sets off your photo, giving the resulting presentation a more finished look.  If framing and displaying several photos together, matching frames and mattes make for a nicely coordinated look – a decorator’s touch.

I choose plain frames and light-colored mattes for most of my photos.  Simpler frames are attractive, less expensive, and less distracting to the eye.  IKEA is a wonderful source for inexpensive frames and mattes.  Your local art store will likely have a wide and varied collection to choose from as well.

A carefully-selected, matted and framed photo also makes a lovely gift to a special person.  If you’re sharing your photo and want to add an artistic touch, you can sign the matte with a light pencil or pen for a “signature” piece of work.

The photo at the start of the entry cost less than $20 to print, matte, and frame.  It was a unique and wonderful keepsake for a good friend, and a memento of a fun afternoon in the sun.

Conclusion

Even though your photos may be digital, don’t overlook the satisfaction that can come from seeing your photos printed.  It’s the ultimate in portability and, when printed professionally, should stand the test of time.