Digital photo print services review (part 1)
[Home] -- [review part 2 - June 2004]

Introduction -- Test photos -- Cost -- Ease of use -- Delivery time -- Image quality -- Compare scans -- Cropping -- Final results

Test photos

Four jpg files were sent to each online digital printing service. The files were created by a 2 megapixel Canon Digital Ixus v2 camera with settings for maximum resolution, maximum quality (1600x1200 pixels). Two of the images were cropped in Paint Shop Pro to a 3:2 aspect ratio for printing at 6x4", the aspect ratio of other two was not changed - to test the cropping facilities of the online print services. One image was converted to monochrome by reducing the saturation to 0% in Paint Shop Pro (although it should be noted that most, if not all, of the print services do not claim to be able to print black and white images without colour casts). The "Building" file was rotated slightly to make the building stand straight. Apart from the monochrome image none of the photos were edited for colour, brightness, contrast, etc. The original files are reduced to 320 pixels wide/high below to fit a browser window and to economise on bandwidth.

"Bath", original size: 1440x960 pixels (3:2 aspect ratio)

"Park", original size: 1600x1200 pixels

"Building", original size: 1161x1620 pixels

"Black & white", original size: 1068x1602 pixels
(2:3 aspect ratio)

--> Cost

 

Bonusprint -- Boots -- Canon i850 inkjet -- Colab -- Digi-prints -- Peak Imaging -- Photobox -- Photodeal -- Pixum

© David Griffin, November 2003