[Courses][gimp] Optional Lesson 3.5: printing images

[Carol Spears]

On Fri, Feb 11, 2005 at 07:33:14PM -0800, Akkana Peck wrote:
> 
> The printing kiosks in drugstores and camera stores make very good
> prints.  They don't accept XCF format, so save a full-sized copy
> of your image as a jpg or png.  Put it on some transportable medium:
> a floppy, a CD, or a flash memory camera card (most of the printing
> kiosks can take all of the popular flash memory formats) and take
> it to the store where the kiosk is.  Good copy stores (like Kinko's)
> also have color copiers and printers which can do a good job with
> digital art, and that's often the best option if you want to make
> a lot of copies (for example, if you make holiday cards to send
> to all your friends).
> 
i have been to at least one kiosk that does not recognize png.  also,
these automatic photoprinting machines will expand your image to fit the
usual negative or digital print size and then chop off one half an inch
from this.  they are very good about refusing to make a print if the
original is too small.

here is an example using the images i get off from my camera:
1600 pixels x 1200 pixels.  the print becomes 1600 x 1067 pixels of the
original.  if you make it that size to begin with, the machine will
enlarge it and chop it.  the people that are running these machines
often do not know very much about it.  

another issue i have had with the kiosk is that they do automatic color
correction.  this is terrible if you are not printing photographs and
terrible if you were happy with your adjustments.  avoid this by using
the kiosks that load to a machine where humans handle it and tell them
to turn the automatic color adjustment off.  i was successful here in
california communicating this at the photo counter.  at least the prints
are relatively inexpensive, so allow yourself some extras and the chance
to get it right.  dont yell at the people at the counter -- it is not
their fault they dont know about the equipment.

and about kinkos.  it has been a few years, however, they have a print
machine called "Firey" that makes really lovely prints.  i had problems
occasionally getting the clerk to acknowledge its existance as well.
they were in every kinkos i frequented in Michigan.  and if you work
with the clerk, you can find some glossy paper that might make your
print all the more better.  i was disappointed with the prints from
their usual color computer printing after having seen what firey could
do and they were more expensive.

i suggest that if you take the challenge to get a good print for your
valentine that you also tell your valentine that art is worth waiting
for (if your first prints are disappointing).

enjoy this, it is very educational.  after a while, you will know more
than the people working the counters and you will also know this.

happy valentines day,
carol