How to Prepare Your Photos for Professional Printing

People love viewing their pictures on the screen, but what brings them joy and happiness is holding them physically. You will only be satisfied with having a picture in your gallery if you get a good-quality picture to hang up on the wall. However, your vision often fails to take shape in reality. Several reasons are responsible for this, and the major one is the lack of preparation of the image for the printing process. A trusted photo lab film studio can take up all such tasks with all the equipment and technology necessary to prepare an image.

Image Preparation: How Do Photo Labs Do It?

Most labs follow a few basic methods to ensure you have the best quality images. Here’s a glimpse of all these steps:

  • Often, one’s computer does not display the actual color or tone of the image because its display and color settings are not adjusted. Most people need to remember this and calibrate their monitors at regular intervals. However, doing it once a month will keep your monitor display in excellent condition, leaving you with a view of the images in their natural color.
  • It is essential to save the images to stay within the scope of the printing colors of a printer. Although many save images on sources that enhance their picture, doing so prevents the printer from producing good-quality photos. To get good quality photos one should keep this in mind.
  • Prefer 8-bit or 15-bit images as per the scope of your computer. Although some may facilitate more colors than others, one should assess the strength of the printer and what size files would be easy to transfer.
  • It would help if you also chose the correct dpi. DPI refers to the black dots on an image; more of it relates to the quality being great.
  • If you have specific preferences, you can open the image, resize it, and send the updated file for printing. However, it is better to send full-size photos.
  • Consider cropping the images to get the perfect picture and aspect ratio. It will prevent your picture from being thoughtlessly cropped by a film development lab.
  • After you crop the image as per your requirement, you must sharpen it. The amount of sharpening an image requires depends solely upon the number of details present therein. You must also select a trustworthy app or source for the same.
  • When all the above steps are completed successfully, you can also catch a glimpse of your end product through soft proofing. This will allow you to make all the necessary changes later.

Access Excellent Images with Professional Printing

Creating an image one would possess and cherish for a long time is complex and burdensome. This is because any carelessness with any one of the steps can damage the image. You may end up with a completely different end product than what you viewed on the display. However, adhering to the steps above can end up with wall-worthy pictures.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Bot: My name is GEL-Bot! Nice to meet you. How can I help you today? Here are some types of questions you can ask me:

Do you return negatives to me? Can you develop single-use disposable cameras? How should I prepare my package?

FAQContact Us

CHAT

0
Your Order
Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop

How do I drop off my film?

1. Place your film order on gelatinlabs.com – select ‘Return Shipping’ at checkout’ to get negatives returned (and prints, if you ordered them).

2. Envelopes for your order are provided over the counter. Write your name and order number, and load film rolls inside.

3. Hand over your envelope to a Knickerbocker team member.

Your film will head to Gelatin Labs every Monday and Thursday!

How do I drop-off my film?

1. Place your film order on gelatinlabs.com – select ‘Ship Negatives’ to get negatives returned (and prints, if you ordered them).

2. Our box is located near the exit of the coffee shop. Take an envelope (or your own ziploc), bag up your film, and write your order number. Your film will head to Gelatin Labs!

How do I drop-off my film?

1. At the front entrance, buzz in to be let inside.

2. The Gelatin drop-off box is directly across from the front desk. Place your order via the QR code on the box. Select ‘Ship Negatives’ to get negatives (and prints, if you ordered them) returned.

3. Take an envelope (or your own ziploc) from the front desk, bag up your film, and write your order number. Your film will head to Gelatin Labs!

Turnarounds

At Gelatin Labs, quality is our main priority for every order. Our team keeps film moving through the lab as efficiently as possible, but estimates are not guaranteed. 

Current FLEXIBLE TURNAROUND Estimates:

Order size and options chosen affect turnaround time.

Small orders (3 rolls or less) with fewer options (up to Pro Level scans) take less time. Larger orders (4 rolls or more) with more options (including SuperPro scans) will take longer.

For same to next business day, guaranteed timelines, use our Fast Pass ⚡️ service.

Print With Gelatin Labs

Fill out the form below and our team will get back to you via email with a link for you to upload your images.
Print Form

Please choose your print size(s):

Finish Preference

It’s Time To Get Printing!

Whatever type of work you create, the Gelatin Labs Print Upload will render beautiful, archival prints that will enable you to bring your art off of your screen and into the realm of physical existence. The process is simple: select your print size, upload your images, and pick from three distinct finishes!

8x10 inch

Body text for more information. Body text for more information.

4x6 inch

Body text for more information. Body text for more information.

Start Your Film Order

Welcome to Gelatin Labs, your trusted partner for all your film photography needs! We recognize that each photographer has their unique preferences, which is why we are excited to introduce two remarkable options to cater to your individual needs: Simplified and Customized.

Simplified

DEVELOP + SCAN • PRINT

  • Streamlined options for quick checkout
  • Choose the look & feel of your images
  • Less options for an uncomplicated experience

Customized

DEVELOP • SCAN • PRINT

  • Expanded customization for film types, options, services
  • Upgrade to SuperPro hi-res scans
  • More options for the more advanced user

Contact Sheet