However you take your pictures, it's best long-term to print out the most important ones. Prashphutita Greco went in search of the range of current options.
A while ago AP’s technical writer Peter Burian covered various home printing options (including wide-format printers). But it’s been over three years since AP looked at kiosk, mini-lab and online printing options, and there have been a lot of advances in this area. Even if you have your own inkjet printer, sometimes the promotional offers from various stores - physical and online - can be too hard to pass up! Consider offers such as: 6x8in sizes at 68 cents, 8x10in at 99 cents, and 8x12in at $2. Or how about 20x30in poster prints at $12 each? For the sizes up to 8x12in, your material costs (inks and paper) might well be more than these prices and if you mess it up you’ll spend more again to make it good. Also, there’s the ‘wear and tear’ factor, aside from the need to eventually replace your unit’s print head. If you’re running a business there’s the capital investment to consider, especially for a large printer.
Judging by the increasing proliferation of kiosks, this in-demand item is growing in popularity.
Major players in this field include Fuji, HP (Hewlett-Packard), Kodak, and Noritsu (which also builds the “boxes” for Fuji). Officeworks chose Kodak (dry) systems for its national rollout. To me, these provide the characteristic Kodak palette, which generally works well for skin tones. Stores with existing units add more, and/or upgrade the hardware, and advances in technology continue providing more and better features, options, and image quality. In such a fast-changing, highly competitive industry, no manufacturer will survive long if they introduce a bad unit. For this reason, they can delay releasing a product until they feel the bugs are ironed out. Let’s look at the possibilities in more detail...
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: Basics tips for shooting wildflower photos; Foto Biennale 2011; How a tripod helps produce quality images; Creative light painting using artificial light sources; Locations: Mansfield & District, Vic; Tips on getting maximum benefit from photo software programs; Olympus E-PL3.