PMA Editorial Bank
Digital Photo Imaging
Do it Yourself. . . or Have Your Photo Lab Help
Today, an inexpensive desktop computer offers more processing power than a whole room of computers just 20 years ago. That means photos can be combined quite easily with computers to make better prints than ever or to send images across country and even the world in a few moments. You don’t have to be a computer expert – because image processing programs are easy to use, as well as inexpensive to purchase. However – and this is a big however – your photo lab can be a great help in easing your transition into digital by providing scanning and printing services for you. But that’s not all your lab has to offer. It can give you expert advice on many aspects of photo digital imaging and answer many of your questions, some of which we have listed and answered here.


What kind of computer do I need to get into digital imaging?
There has been a lot of mis- and even dis-information about what one needs in a computer in order to work with photos. You’ll hear that you have to have this or that brand, or this type of computer processor chip, or you have to spend many thousands of dollars. None of this is true. Here are the critical requirements of a computer that will be used for digital imaging.

Random Access Memory (RAM). You need to have at least 64 MB (megabytes) when working with photo files. Anything less than that can work for smaller images, but it will also make you more susceptible to crashes and will definitely slow the computer down. 128 MB is better, and if you plan on doing large prints, you’ll need even more than that.

Large hard drive. Hard drive prices have plummeted in recent years, a real boon to photographers as photos use up disk space in a hurry. You’ll need at least 2 GB (gigabytes), and more is much better. Fast modem. Most computers come with a 56K modem today, and you’ll need it if you plan on using the Internet to send photos. (Sure, a 24 modem works – but data is sent and received at a slower speed.)

Large monitor. If you are very serious about digital imaging, go for at least a 17-inch color monitor. The software you use will have an interface that will often take up much of the screen area – leaving less than the full screen for the image area. You need a large monitor so you can see the photos better on your screen.

Removable storage. You will need to take photos off the computer to take them to a photo lab and to store backups of important images safely. Zip drives are ubiquitous and give you 100-250 MB of removable storage (depending on the drive model). CD-RW drives are also great for photographers as they allow you to store over 600 MB of photo files quite cheaply on either CD-R or CD-RW disks. These disks are easily read by nearly any computer and are very durable.

Processor. Any processor made in the last couple of years, for either Windows or Mac computers, will work fine as long as you have enough RAM and hard drive space. Faster processors (measured in megahertz such as 300, 400 or 500) will make faster work of your photos, but if you have time, they are not a necessity.


How can I get photos into my computer?
There are three basic ways to get an image into the computer:

Scanning. If you shoot slides or prints, you can use a scanner to capture the image digitally. This gives a very high quality digital image for the money. For under $1000 you can actually buy a scanner and point-and-shoot film camera that will give a higher resolution and a sharper picture than any digital camera available today for under $10,000. Scanners come in two types: flatbed (good for prints, but not usually for film as the resolution is too low) and film scanners (good for both slides and negatives – don’t be misled by wrong information that says these are for slides only).

Digital Cameras. Digital cameras are convenient, fast and fun. Digital cameras let you take a picture, look at it immediately to see that it is okay (on a built-in monitor) and then download it to your computer. Two-megapixel cameras give images that can look nearly identical to a standard photo print at 4x6 and even 5x7 inches in size. Once you have the camera and memory cards, there are no film processing costs.

Photo disks and Photo CD and Picture Disks. These are storage devices made from scans of your film image done at a photo lab. They are inexpensive ways of getting high-resolution images into a computer as almost every computer has a CD-ROM drive that will read them. Plus, you don’t need to buy any new equipment. They are, however, only as good as the person doing the scans, so you may see a difference in results from lab to lab.


Do I need a $600 digital imaging or design/publishing program to get good results with my photos?
Absolutely not. Some digital photography pros would have you think that this is so. Don’t believe them. There are excellent programs for under $100, some well under, that will do a superb job in helping the average photographer get a better print from his or her photos. The same goes for software that will help you design newsletters, brochures, flyers and such. High-end imaging and design/publishing programs have high-end capabilities needed by graphics professionals and certain types of special digital photography. However, these capabilities can be more confusing than useful to the average photographer.


What are the advantages of different storage devices?
Photo files take up computer file space in a hurry. Plus, you will want to keep back-up copies for safety, remove files to take to another location, and even keep certain files stored separately. There are several storage devices important to photographers:

Hard drives. Hard drives offer a lot of storage for the money. You can buy very large hard drives (multiple gigabytes) quite cheaply. Most computers have the space and wiring to allow for another hard drive. They are not hard to install, however, they do require you to open the computer case, which not everyone is comfortable doing. You can have most electronics stores install them for you. Hard drives give you fast, convenient, high levels of storage, but they are not removable.

Removable disks. Zip and SuperDisk drives now offer 100-250 MB of easy to use, convenient storage that can be removed and taken to another computer or a photo lab. Almost all labs will accept Zips. The SuperDisk drive will also read floppies and can replace the floppy drive in your computer. Both can be used as storage and back up while you are working on key images. Other magnetic media offer higher capacities and are not as popular (besides being more expensive).

CDs. CD’s are inexpensive storage media with capacities of 660 MB. They are more permanent than magnetic media (Zips, hard drives, etc.) and are expected to last 30-50 years (unlike magnetic media which will fade in 8-10 years). They are easily read by most computers. They are less flexible than magnetic media (you can’t read an image from one, work on it, then record it back onto the same disk). CD-R disks are writable CD’s, meaning you can write data to them once and that is all. CD-RW disks are rewritable, meaning you can write data to them, erase the data, and write again. CD-R drives handle only CD-R disks, while CD-RW drives can do both.

What do dpi and ppi mean?
Dpi and ppi are standard ways of measuring how the data in an image file is organized. They tell you the resolution of scanners, printers and photo files (this is entirely different than the optical resolution of a photo based on the film and lens). Dpi means dots per inch and refers to the number of dots (or pixels) of a photo that fit into an inch. Ppi refers to the number of pixels per inch – the two terms are often used interchangeably. Dpi is more common. Both dpi and ppi can change to fit different needs (different printing devices need different dpi’s) – scanners can be set to different resolutions and photo files can have their resolution changed for different purposes. If you compare two photos of equal size but at different dpi, the one with more dots in an inch will allow more detail to be displayed (it will have a higher resolution). Dpi affects the way a photo is captured by a scanner and how it looks when printed out.


Does it matter how a photo is filed?
Absolutely. If you use the wrong file, you may find the photo is difficult to open in certain programs or it can’t be opened by another computer (including by your lab). The best thing to do is save your photos in one of three formats:

TIFF (Tagged Image File Format). This is one of the most universally used formats available. If you save it as a TIFF file, your photo can be opened by nearly any program that can use a photograph and on both Mac and Windows platforms. Mac computers will recognize any TIFF file. Windows must have the .tif extension on the name. You can’t go wrong with TIFF as it maintains the highest image quality possible for any application.

JPEG. This is a loss compression format, meaning that it makes files smaller by throwing out data. It is, however, a smart format in that it compresses everything differently by looking at the unique data in any given photo file. This is also a nearly universal format in that it can be opened by nearly any program that can use a photograph and on both Mac and Windows platforms. Mac computers will recognize any JPEG file. Windows must have the .jpg extension on the name. Use it sparingly, though, when you need photos to truly be smaller. High levels of compression or repeated filing back and forth to JPEG (as you uncompress and then recompress, you throw out data) can degrade your image.

Native file. This is the file to which your image processing software naturally saves an image. It is limited in that it can only be opened by someone with that particular software. However, it is a good working format as it usually allows you to do some special things to your photo that can later be readjusted when you want to work some more on the image. It is of little value once you are done and need to bring that file elsewhere. At that point you simply change the file to TIFF or JPEG. You can always change your file name by resaving the image. In most programs that means using Save As under the file menu, although a few require you to use Export in the same menu.


Can a photo lab scan a print or slide for me?
More and more labs are offering this service. There are several advantages to this: you don’t have to own a scanner, you don’t need to spend time learning how to get the most from a scanner, and you can usually get large files needed for large prints. This is a good way to get started with digital imaging. Labs can scan prints, slides and negatives to CDs, Zip disks and even floppies (although labs will vary as to which of these they can do). Floppies are rarely useful because the image size has to be rather small in order to fit in the limited space of a floppy (only 1.4 MB). Such scans are a craft, however, and you will find varying results from lab to lab. Try a different lab if the results you get from one are disappointing.


How can I get the best prints from my inkjet printer?
Practice. There is a little more to it than that, but in spite of all the advertising hype about photo realistic prints, making the best prints is not a science, but rather a craft. You get better as you make a print, evaluate it, make adjustments and try again. Here are some tips on getting better prints from a photo quality inkjet printer:

Be sure the dpi (resolution) of your image file is correct. All inkjet printers today are optimized for an image at 200-300 dpi at the printed size. The printer resolution is how the dots of ink are laid down on the paper by the printer and has nothing to do with the dpi of the actual image file. Image dpi higher or lower than 200-300 dpi (the actual number will vary depending on the printer, the paper used and your personal preference) will produce worse images from the printer. A high dpi for printer resolution can help make the image more photo-realistic to a degree, but this also depends on the pattern of how the inkjet puts the ink down.

Paper, paper, paper. You must use the right paper, a paper optimized for photos. There are many choices available now, from glossy to mat to canvas surfaces, but the paper must be white enough and coated properly for inkjet inks.

Set the driver carefully. When you go to print, check on the printer’s properties. You must choose the proper image quality (usually best) and the right paper. You may have to experiment with a couple of sheets of paper to get the right setting if your particular paper isn’t listed. Select "color management" (such as ICM) if your printer driver has it.

Test. Try a print, evaluate it, make adjustments to the photo and print again.


Can a photo lab print from my digital file?
If you have the right file, absolutely. There are some distinct advantages to a lab print, too. Labs are set up to make good prints time-after-time, day-after-day. They can give you prints on traditional photo papers. These papers are more permanent than inkjet prints and will last as long as any color print. You can get larger prints more easily from a photo lab. Some of the newest digital printers do superb prints for sizes 11x14, 16x20, 20x30 and even larger. Prints from a photo lab have more traditional heft and texture to them, which some people prefer. You can have multiple copies printed fairly fast (inkjets print out images one-at-a-time, slowly). The right file will be determined by the lab, so always check with them. Usually, it will be a TIFF or JPEG file, with enough data to drive the size of print you need. This will depend on the type of digital printer the lab is using. They may ask for a file size (e.g., 20 MB) or a photo size (8x10-inches at 300 dpi). It is also a good idea to send along a small inkjet proof print if you can so the lab knows what you expect the image to look like.


How can I get a picture into a newsletter?
Digital cameras, scanners or photo disks (Photo CD or Picture Disks) all work fine as a source for your photos. You will need a design or publishing program (software that is made to integrate photos and text together) for best results. You can use a word-processing program, but most of them tend to be harder to use for newsletters and similar things than design/publishing programs. Here are the steps: Select your photo and get it into digital form onto your hard drive (scan it, use a digital camera file or take it from a disk). Open it in an image-processing program to make sure the picture is the right size. You’ll want to have a photo file that gives you approximately the size you expect to use, for example, 4x5-inches, at 300 dpi (a safe setting that works with all inkjet printers). You can resize your image later if you decide to make it bigger or smaller in the actual newsletter. Be sure you resize larger photos down if you use them smaller or you will bog down your computer with excess data to deal with. You’ll need to get a bigger photo (rescan or a different file) if you decide to make a picture larger. If you just make a photo in your newsletter bigger without the right size file to support it, it will never look its best.

Save your photo in the right type of file. All design/publishing programs will recognize and import TIFF or JPEG files. Open your design/publishing program. Use the tool that allows you to draw in a photo box to mark a place for your photo. Import the photo into the box. Sometimes you can double click on the photo box or it will be in the menu. Find your file and bring it in. Size it carefully in your newsletter and note the size. Be sure that final size is close to the size of the image as it came from the image processing program. Don’t make your photos too small. A big mistake in many newsletters is that too many photos are crammed on a page. That makes them hard to read and understand for the reader. A thin black line for a border can make lighter photos stand out better on the page and often gives a picture a classy look.


What are the steps for e-mailing a photo?
Sending photos via e-mail can be a great way to communicate. Here’s how to do it:

Make a copy. To e-mail a picture, you may need to make some changes in the way a picture is stored and sized. The first step in the process is to make a copy of your picture and save it under a different name. That way, your original photo remains untouched as you modify your copy.

File format. Digital images can be saved in several different file formats – each best suited for a specific purpose. When saving a scanned or digital picture as an attachment to an e-mail, be sure to save your picture as a JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) file. This file format, which compresses an image, speeds up the time it takes to open a file. Another time-saver is sending a JPEG image at a low or medium setting; high and maximum settings take more time to send.

Picture and pixel size. Large pictures take longer to transmit and download than small pictures. So do pictures with lots of pixels per inch (ppi). If you want a picture to open up rather quickly on a computer monitor, do two things: one, choose a relatively small picture size (5x7 inches); two, select a ppi of 72. If the picture is only going to be used as a screen image, there is no advantage in using a higher ppi – because that’s the resolution of a computer monitor. If you intend your picture to be printed at the other end, then you would want to save it at a higher ppi. The only time you would want to use a higher ppi (say, 300 ppi) and a high or maximum JPEG setting is when the person receiving your digital pictures wants to make a high-quality print – or perhaps use it in a newspaper, newsletter or magazine. Ask before you click "send." Trying to open up a photo file can drive someone who is not familiar with receiving e-mail photos nuts! To avoid this frustration, ask your e-mail pal if it's OK to send a photo file as an attachment to a document. If you do, he may offer some advice of his own on how to send the file in a way that is best for both of you. Now that your picture is saved and you have asked if it’s OK to send a photo via e-mail, follow these steps:

1) Connect to your Internet service and open your e-mail program.

2) Write your text message.

3) Now you have to attach the photo file to the e-mail message. Some e-mail programs are starting to allow you to put the photo into the message, but usually you’ll want to keep the image file separate anyway. To attach, click on the icon or menu item that allows attachments. A window will open asking you to attach a photo. Find it under its file name and click on it to attach it to your e-mail.

4) Now click send and sit back as the computer prepares and ships your message and photo off. Depending on the speed of your connection to the Internet, this can take a few minutes. The bigger the photo file is, the longer this will take, hence the need to keep photo files small. While you can attach multiple images, keep them to a minimum. The longer the time your computer spends sending the files off (and more files will increase this time) the more possibilities of problems. Plus, multiple attachments can make it hard for the recipient on the other end to deal with the download times that many images can demand. You are better sending fewer images along with several e-mail messages.

If you have a higher speed Internet connection (such as DSL or cable), your connect speeds are faster. This implies that you can send larger photo files. Don’t do it unless you are sure the recipient at the other end can accept the file through their Internet connection.  


Can a photo lab help me with e-mailing a photo?
This depends entirely on the lab’s connection to the Internet. Some labs offer higher than normal speed Internet connections, which can be a great benefit if you need to send a larger photo to someone quickly. They can take your file and send it away much faster than you could. Any lab with an Internet connection can send your files, as long as you can get the files to them.  


Why can’t I open an e-mailed photo?
While photos usually do get across the Internet pretty well, there are several reasons that a photo can’t be opened.

You don’t have the right program for opening image files. Some Internet browsers will allow you to open images directly as they download. Otherwise, you’ll need at least a simple processing program (you don’t need Photoshop for this).

The file was corrupted during its journey across the Internet. Static on the phone lines, power fluctuations, any number of things can affect the digital file in transit.

Too large a file. Most new computers will not have this problem, but an older machine might not have enough memory to open a larger file.

Long download times. This in itself will not affect a file, but the longer the file takes to download, the more likely it is to be corrupted by something happening in your computer, such as a screen saver turning on. Large files and slow modems or Internet connections can also keep download times long.

Exchange problems between Internet systems. AOL and CompuServe used to be real challenges if you needed to send a photo to other Internet service providers systems. The photo file attachment couldn’t be opened. That has been cleared up, but the problem still occasionally surfaces.  


I have never used a digital camera. How can I get the best images from it?
A digital camera is really just the same as a regular camera in many aspects – lens, camera body and light sensitive "film" (the sensor). Most of the techniques that make better traditional film-based photos also help with digital cameras, such as getting close to your subject, being careful of overly bright or dark backgrounds to your subject, holding the camera still during exposure (using support when appropriate), watching out for flare when shooting toward the sun and so on.
     There are also some special things to consider with most consumer-level digital cameras because of some unique features of the cameras and because of limitations to the technology. Most digital cameras include an LCD monitor that allows you to preview and review your photos. This monitor can literally change the way you photograph.
      First, it can be a great way to improve your shots, because you can check out your photos as you go so that you can be sure to get the shot. If you see that the composition isn’t quite right, that the exposure is off or that somebody has an unflattering expression, just delete the picture and take another one.
     Second, you can edit as you go, giving you a final group of shots with no bad pictures! That’s a real different way of photographing than when you shoot with traditional film and wonder if the pictures will turn out. With a digital camera, you know.
     As to limitations, realize that digital cameras don’t have the area resolution of film and cannot capture detail in the same way. Area resolution refers to the total number of pixels in an image, an indicator of the amount of data available for defining the elements of your photo. As digital cameras increase in the number of pixels – for example, a megapixel or more – the camera will give better-and-better looking prints at regular print sizes like 4x6 or 5x7, simply because there is more data available to define the detail in a print. This holds true, however, only if you keep most of the image area (retaining most of the original pixels). If you only want a part of the picture and decide to crop out the unwanted areas, the area resolution will drop (because pixels are gone), and the image quality of the print will degrade considerably. To avoid this problem, use the zoom or move in to your subject so you fill up the frame with the parts of the subject you really want.
     Related to this is how you use the image quality settings of the camera. Unfortunately, some marketers have promoted both the high resolution of a camera and its high storage capability at the same time. These two features are mutually exclusive. High resolution, high quality images take up a lot of storage space and will result in low numbers of images. For best prints, always use the highest quality settings of a camera. That also guarantees you will get the most of what the camera is capable of (and what you paid for). Reluctantly change to lower quality settings only if you need to capture more images than your storage card will handle at the higher-quality settings or if you will be using the pictures in low-resolution applications such as the web.
     Another digital camera limitation is the tonal range or range of brightness a camera can capture from the world. Consumer-level digital cameras do not have the tonal range capabilities of film. Dark areas turn black and bright areas turn white much faster than you might expect. So you need to be careful of subjects with extreme contrast, even avoiding them with some cameras. Be especially cautious of photographing your subject with a very bright or very dark background.  


How do I get photos from my digital camera to the computer?
There are several ways of doing this:

Download the images directly from the camera to the computer with a serial cable. This is fairly easy to do, but very slow.

Use a camera with a floppy disk. Very convenient because most computers have a floppy drive, but extremely limiting because of resolution. These cameras will not give you top quality digital images – the resolution is too low. They can’t go higher, because the images then won’t fit on a floppy.

Download the images through a USB port. If your camera can use the USB connection, this is an extremely easy and convenient way to download images.

Use a card reader. Most digital cameras use a memory card to store images. You can take this card out and put it into an inexpensive card reader attached to your computer. This is a fast and easy way to get photos into the computer. The reader acts like a drive on your computer.

Use a floppy adapter. Smart Media memory cards can be used with a floppy adapter in the floppy drive. Convenient, but as slow as a floppy drive usually is.

Use a PC card adapter. If you have a laptop, you can get a PC card adapter that will fit in your PC card slot. They are available for all memory cards and just act like another drive on your laptop.  


Can a photo lab make prints from my digital camera?
This is definitely a wave of the future. While not common yet, many labs are now installing computers that interact with traditional printing machines so that they can make regular 4x6-inch prints (and larger) in quantity. They simply add a card reader to read the digital camera’s memory card. This means you can drop off your card (just like dropping off film), and pick up your prints and memory card. This will make digital cameras as convenient as a typical point-and-shoot film camera. You’ll have the ability to have quality, quick prints made by the lab and then more custom prints made from your computer later.  

And there you have it. An introduction to, and an overview of, the exciting and challenging field of digital photography. As with any creative activity, you will get out of it what you put into it. By its very nature, its possibilities are almost endless. The final image is limited only by your imagination and your knowledge of the tools that are available to you. As you take your first steps into the digital world, keep in mind that your friendly, professional photo lab is a good place to look for help in the many aspects of storing, copying, printing or sending your pictures over the internet. They’re ready to be of service; even if it’s just to answer questions. Stop in. They’ll be glad to see you.