printing problems! please help...

[algamag]

I have a canon sd100 (3.2 megapixel) and the when I download the prints to my computer, they look great--even when I zoom in... I wanted to get some prints made and so I took them to motophoto today, after deleting all the prints from my SD card and then uploading all the prints that I wanted to have printed.. The biggest problem was that when I got the prints back, they look very pixely, very digitalized.. Could it be a problem with uploading the prints back onto my SD card? Would it make any difference if I saved them onto a CD and then brought them in? I am using Canon Zoom Browser software..

The other problem was that all the vertical prints that I took were cropped, printed in a horizontal layout, so that the middle of the print was there, but instead of the top and bottom being there, it is just black on both sides of the print.. The technician said that it was something to do with my card and the way i had formatted the pictures, so i couldn't get them refunded..

This is the second time i have had these two problems.. what am I doing wrong? All these mistakes are getting expensive!

Thanks for the help!

[speaklightly]

First of ditch that Canon Zoom Browser. It is the pits and does virtually nothing. Even free software, such as Picture It Express 7.0 that you can get free when you purchase the properly marked packages of Avery Photo Paper is much, much better.

Then download full resolution images to a CD, not to a SD chip. CD's are cheap, around 30 cents each. And that is still the best solution. Be sure that all of the digital photos on your digital photos CD are in the correct orientation, because all the prints will be made on auto pilot by a machine that does not think.

Yes, you have much more control when you print at home. The at home cost is about 15 cents per print and you can do it anytime that is convenient, you never have to get in your car, and YOU control the quality.

Sarah Joyce

[jaykinghorn]

It sounds to me like the first thing to do is find a new lab. Take your images to a lab that is willing to answer questions and help you get the best print. It's in their best interest to make you happy.

Secondly, you didn't mention what size prints you were making or how the images were stored to the card. If you were using the Highest quality JPEG setting you should be able to get very good 5x7 prints and acceptable 8x10 prints. Larger than that, the image quality will likely suffer unless you interpolate the image.
Best regards,

Jay Kinghorn
RGB Imaging