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 20 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 28.8 K 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.

Do I need a $600 digital imaging or design/publishing software program to get good results with my photos?
Absolutely not. 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. These capabilities can be more confusing than useful, however, 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 peace of mind, 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 drives 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. Other popular media for taking images from one place to another include flash media, like keychain USB drives, and portable hard drives.
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 may 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. It is a good working format, however, 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?
Most 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, 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).

How can I get a picture into a newsletter?
Digital cameras, scanners or photo CDs 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 copy 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.

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