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How to Determine the Best Photo Online Service

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By Anthony S. Policastro
User-Submitted Article
(2 Ratings)
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Photo By Anthony S. Policastro

With the digital camera revolution, a plethora of online digital print services popped up offering an easy way to print those countless photos that seem to endlessly accumulate in your camera. Basically, all the services do the same thing, but somewhat differently and with a little effort you can determine which service is best for you.

From Quick Guide: Photo Sharing 101
Difficulty: Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Digital camera
  • Computer
  • Internet connection
  1. Step 1

    Search the Internet for several online print services. Some of the major services are Shutterfly, Snapfish, Yahoo Photo and Kodak EasyShare, while others have brick and mortal locations such as Ritz/Wolf Camera, CVS drug stores, WalMart, Target and Publix Pharmacies.

  2. Step 2

    Choose one service, join and upload a few photos as a trial. Many offer free prints just for joining. Pick photos that have a range of scenes and exposures. Choose a scenic, an indoor flash photo, a photo taken in bright sunlight, one taken in low light and a close up with lots of intricate detail.

  3. Step 3

    Note the time it takes to upload your photos. Some services are significantly faster than others. This is critical if you are using dial up to access the Internet.

  4. Step 4

    Start with the lowest price per print service. Order one set of prints and have them mailed to your house and order a second set and choose to pick up the photos at one of their locations if offered. It will help you determine how you want your prints delivered and which method is quicker and most convenient for you.

  5. Step 5

    Examine the quality of each set of prints. Kodak prints the photos in its own labs and then delivers them to a store for pick up. Other services email your prints to the store and the store processes your prints.

  6. Step 6

    Look for clear details in your prints, edges out of focus and proper exposure and color balance.

  7. Step 7

    Repeat steps 2 through 5 for as many services as you choose and determine which one is best for you.

  8. Step 8

    Look at the photo editing tools and features of each service. Some offer elaborate editing tools with special effects, while others have basic exposure, color control and cropping tools only. This is important if you don’t have a photo editing program on your computer or the desire to buy and learn how to use one.

  9. Step 9

    Browse the site to see how to organize and share your photos to determine your preferences for these features.

Tips & Warnings
  • Compare the shipping and handling costs of each online photo service. It usually doesn’t pay to order a few prints because the shipping and handling adds to the cost of each print. For just a few photos it is best to use your local camera store or drug store to process your prints.
  • Never delete your photos from your computer after you upload them to a site. Some sites will not allow you to retrieve your photos with the original resolution unless you pay a fee. What you see on the site is a low resolution version of your original. Use a photo archival service to store your digital photos.
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