Did you know amateur photographers will shoot roughly 23 billion digital pictures this year? Yet, less than half of those images will be printed. If you are guilty of letting your pictures sit in your digital camera for months without printing you obviously are not alone. However, with all of the printing options available to digital photographers getting your shots from your camera to your album has never been so easy.
In my last blog I reviewed ways you could print your pictures from the comfort of your own home. If you don’t feel like printing your own pictures, or you simply don’t want to invest in a printer, there a number of other options that allow you to get your photos out of your camera and into your hands.
In-Store Printing
In-store printing works the same way for digital pictures as it does for photos shot on film. You simply bring in your memory card to your local film developer or retail store (Walgreens, Wal-Mart, even some supermarkets with photo departments), just as you would bring film. In some cases photo shop employees will print your pictures and return your card to you. In other cases stores will offer you the use of a photo kiosk, such as the Kodak Picture Maker. The large freestanding machines are in practically every Wal-Mart in the United States. You insert your memory card into the machine and then you are given options to crop your images, add special effects, or eliminate red-eye or other blemishes. The machine also makes 8×10 prints, photo greeting cards or stickers all within minutes. I’ve seen the Kodak Picture Maker in supermarkets, camera stores, drug stores, airports, amusement parks; they are even starting to pop up in some hotel lobbies. Another option is to take your memory card or CD to Kinko’s. Occasionally, they offer great rates on photo printing.
Online Printing
If you don’t have the time or desire to mess with printers, paper and ink you could consider online printing services. These services allow you to upload your pictures and the company prints them out and mails them to you. Some of the most popular online printing services include Snapfish, Ofoto, and Shutterfly.com. All three can get you prints for as little as 15 cents apiece. They also offer other photo options including coffee mugs featuring your child’s smiling mug, photo cards, and various photo albums. At ofoto, you can get a 20-page hardbound book of your photos for as little as $30. Also, by using these services, you can share your digital pictures (the companies create digital photo albums for you) with family and friends around the world who have access to the Internet, and they can order prints, too.
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