Jessops Diamond Laser service

I have not ventured into shop printing of digital files yet. What I would like to know is what size of file should I give the shop/lab. Is biggest best? I am aware that for home printing the file size should be matched to the printer resolution, and not simply the largest available.
When I asked in Jessops about this, they didn't know what I was talking about.

Be very careful when you send /give digital files to Jessops (or Boots) for printing as they print to a paper size that is appropriate for 35mm 2 by 3 ratio and not the typical digital image ratio of 4 by 3. The prints made onto the 2 by 3 ratio paper are cropped top and bottom in landscape mode to get the width to fit the paper - often losing the key information in the picture.

I reccomend that you try

www.photoobox.co.uk

who print to 4 by 3 ratio paper and also do a print to fit process - ie they make the image fit the paper so that you do not lose any information.

Photobox use the Fuji Frontier printers with the Crystal paper and they provide excellent results.

I have had more than a thousand prints made by Photobox

I am not associated with Photobox apart from being a satisfied customer

Derek

<< >>

Don't even assume that they'll give you the 3:2 ratio, either. I've had some stuff back that was cropped, inexplicably (source is a 3:2 ratio digital SLR).

Of course, if you choose 5"x7" prints, say, then of course that's not a 3:2 ratio either, so you'll get cropping anyway.

Jessops seem fine for digital prints, though I suspect they downsize their files to approximately 200dpi based upon the prints I've had back. Haven't been able to confirm or refute this though.

John

I was thinking of the diamond laser service relating to 35mm print film, but its interesting to know about this digital stuff too.

Haroon

A lot of analog negative printing is done via a digital process - it is "scanned" into the system from the negative, reversed, colour mask removed and viewed on a monitor, corrections can be applied eg colour cast and brightness and then sent to the print queue where the image is exposed using red, gree and blue laser light on to the paper and then through the chemicals, paper cutter and into the little envelope.

No doubt others will correct me in my basic mis understanding of the process.

Top Cat - Photobox state on their web site that they do not compress down the files prior to printing. So FTP the images to Photobox and get them back in the next day or so - no need to struggle down through the crowds to the local shop.

Derek

<< >>

Derek, whats going on here?

My post gets hijacked, i've politely hinted for it to get back on topic, But no Yes what you've explained might be the case. But your explanation of what happens to the photo is not a reply to my post (the quality of the end prints) is it? To how it might get there, yes, but thats not the question. Its more like an way of trying to justify the hi-jacking - yes both involve digital processes, but really? And then you carry on hi-jacking my post with your reply to topcat, incredible

So, if we can get back to my post about jessops diamond laser service regarding 35 mm it would be so nice

If you want to discuss digital files, ratios and photobox - please start another topic, it is the usual board/net ettiquete to do so. Hope none thinks im being rude here. , thats not the intention.

Thanks

[This message was edited by Haroon on TUESDAY 10 February 2004 at 02:47.]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Haroon:
Derek, whats going on here?

, it is the usual board/net ettiquete to do so.
[This message was edited by Haroon on TUESDAY 10 February 2004 at 02:47.]

---

Well you must have been reading a different forum to me matey.

Haroon - you do not own the thread - if any one owns it is is Naim - so calm down and take another pill otherwise you will explode and that could be very messy

Looking at the Jessops web site - I would think that mine and Top Cats comments might be more relevant than you think they comment that the same equipment is used.

Anyway why don't you splash the cash and get some prints done and then you can tell us all about the quality and turnround etc etc


Since you enjoy shouting about forum manners I suggest that you are more definitive in both the title and the the first post of any thread that is seeking any information - it would save people wasting their time on on stuff that they are not interested in.

Derek

<< >>

quote:

---

Originally posted by Derek Wright:
Haroon - you do not own the thread - if any one owns it is is Naim - so calm down and take another pill otherwise you will explode and that could be very messy

---

I really cant believe your utter cheek! Im at a total loss here, really am. see my last post its got in it! Yours doesnt so why dont you take your own advise and take a pill I know i dont own the forum, didnt say i did, nor was i shouting about forum ettiquete, just so that you know if you want to indicate shouting in your post you type in block capitals .

I can accept that people might have taken a wider meaning to my post thats why i posted a second message - politely saying whilst the information given was interesting not really what i was after. I not believe that iam at all out of order in saying that.

quote:

---

Looking at the Jessops web site - I would think that mine and Top Cats comments might be more relevant than you think they comment that the same equipment is used.

---

Err your missing the point again - so what if they use the same process? I was asking about the end result. Also how jessops scan the print can affect the end quality, so the same process may have different results for the different ways in which the image was initially captured. After my request regarding 35mm info, you just described that the 35mm prints were digitised and went thru the same process - but did not give info on the end quality and then carried on with a reply to topcat, even after my polite reply to get it back on topic.

the only thing you say of relevance is:

quote:

---

Photobox use the Fuji Frontier printers with the Crystal paper and they provide excellent results.

---

but do jessops use fuji frontiers like I asked in my original post? no you dont answer that.

quote:

---

Anyway why don't you splash the cash and get some prints done and then you can tell us all about the quality and turnround etc etc

---

Maybe i will, but i was just asking the opinions of the people who have used the service, nowt wrong with that, it's a discussion forum. Not one of the replies given has given an indication of the quality of the end prints, and here iam having to justify getting my thread back on topic - good greef man, have you lost it.

Rockingdoc my post was "what do you think of it? And is it the same as the much recommended Fuji Frontiers?" And you posted "...What I would like to know is what size of file should I give the shop/lab. Is biggest best? ..." It doesnt answer my question does it. And my second post makes it clear im on about 35mm service. So your the one reading a different forum . You know intially i wasnt bothered about the going off topic, it happens sometimes that life, but when someone has politely asked for it to get back on topic i would like to think that we are all decent enough to respect that. But Derek did not, but even still i kept my posts in humour, unlike Derek here.

I repeat again im not trying to be rude here about this all, just wanted it all to get back on topic. Naim are doing a great in providing us with this service to us all and we should not bring that down by sillyness and try to respect peoples topics - thats all im asking.