You Want Prints!
Let's Get Started Printing Digital Pictures

Learning to use your new digital camera is difficult enough. Do you HAVE to learn to print them too?

No. Not right away. In fact, I think it's probably a bad idea for most digital photo beginners to even think about printing ... at least, at first.

REASON #1 Unless you already have a photo-quality printer at home or in your office - and are familiar with how it works and which kind of paper works best - you're going to get frustrated, because your early digital photo efforts probably won't come out looking like you thought they would.

There's also the question of learning at least the basics of a software program - either the one than comes with the camera or printer or one you may have bought, such as Adobe Photoshop Elements (My Favorite!) - so that you can setup and resize your pictures before you print.

REASON #2 Printing at home will probably COST YOU A LOT MORE than using either an online service or a local lab.

A recent article I read pegs the cost of doing a 4x6 inch print at home at around $. 60. And that doesn't include the initial cost of the printer itself! Online and local lab printing, on the other hand, will cost you as little as $ .19 for a 4x6, and probably no more than $ .30.

I've been printing digital pictures for a very long time. And, yes, I do most of my own printing - especially the fine art prints that I sell. But unless you're willing and able - both financially and time-wise (mastering digital printing takes a LOT of time!) - to master an imaging software program like Photoshop ... well, let's just say that most of the people I know would rather spend their time doing other things.