The perfect service for everyday snapshots

• Our most economical service allows users to print their files 'as-shot' by their digital camera, or 'as-prepared' in Photoshop. Files submitted for Hobby Prints are sent directly to print without procedures that would affect color or exposure.
• Because Hobby Prints are made without lab corrections, they provide a true representation of the quality of the camera files and any editing that may have been performed in Photoshop. This benefits professionals who've prepared their files just as they want, and hobbyists who want to see the results straight out of their digital camera.

Recommended for:

• Everyday snapshots and files that are ready to print as-is.
• An initial set of prints from a volume of files, like vacation pictures or a series of product shots.
• Files that have been corrected in Photoshop and are ready to print 'as-is'.
• Small, preliminary prints to check color before ordering enlargements.

Service Options

• Glossy or Lustre finish is available on all print sizes.
• 3/16" White Borders available on prints up to 8x12".
• Dry Mounting on White Foam Core or Black Gatorfoam. See Price List.
• Rush Service. See Price List.

Tips for Best Quality

• Know Your Color Space. Files in the wrong color space won't print as well as they could. It's an easy mistake to make, and avoid. Click Here
• Preview images on a calibrated monitor (prints won't match an un-calibrated monitor). Learn why, and how to match things up. Click Here
• Run a few small prints as tests before printing a large order. You'll see how your files print and allow you to make any necessary adjustments before placing a larger order.

Did a Professional Photographer Shoot Your Pictures?

• If a professional photographer shot the files you're about to print, don't assume the files have been color corrected, are in the right color space, or otherwise ready for printing.
  • Most photographers charge an additional fee for this "post-processing" service or leave it up the color lab as is done when printing film. On larger shoots that may involve many dozens or hundreds of files, it makes little sense to correct every image until favorites have been selected for printing.
• If unsure about the status of your files it's best to order ProPrints (where we check the files for color space and overall color and expsoure, or order only a small sampling of Hobby Prints as a test before printing a larger order.

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Our most popular print service. If it's going into an album, make it ProPrint.

• For Images of higher importance than everyday snapshots, ProPrints are individually inspected and adjusted to achieve proper color and exposure.

ProPrints are recommended for printing...

• People Photography: Portraits, Weddings, Senior Photos, Reunions, Candids, Events.
• Images that will be placed in albums, gifted, framed, displayed, sold.
• Scenic Photography: Landscape, Travel, Under Water, Astronomy.
• Commercial Photography: Product, Architectural, Legal, Scientific.

Also recommended for...

• Files from those who are unable to preview their images on a calibrated monitor.
• Images that might be too dark, too light or off-color.
• Professionally shot images that were not post-processed for color and exposure.
• Images in an unknown or incorrect color space.

Service options

• Glossy or Luster finish available on all print sizes.
• Borders available on prints up to 8x12".
• Dry Mounting on White Foam Core or Black Gatorfoam. See Price List.
• Rush Service: Next day on prints 10x15 and smaller. See Price List.

Expert Retouching is available on ProPrints

• Our highly skilled retouchers can correct almost any imperfection, minor to major.
  • Blemishes, Eye Glass Glare, Braces, Red-Eye, Stray hairs.
  • Whiten Teeth/Eyes, Remove Tattoo's, Body Sculpting, Sharpen or Soft-Focus, etc.
• When retouching is desired, simply request in the "Special Instructions" box during checkout.
•  Retouching services are $89/hour, $8.50 minimum. Added to order after completion (not during checkout). Request an estimate and we'll advise before proceeding.
• We highly recommend ordering a CD of the retouched file(s) we create during checkout. This will allow for future printing at lower cost.

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Our Most Highly Regarded Service by both Pros and Hobbyists

• A print that will be displayed should be perfect. We bridge the gap between common enlargements and exceptional prints through the use of advanced imaging techniques that insure precise color, accurate skin tones, maximum tonal range, neutral whites/blacks/grays, proper saturation, and maximum sharpness and detail.
• In short... images made into Display Prints are designed to be visually stunning.
• Only two of our staff members are certified to produce our Display prints.
  • Together, they possess over fifty years of professional lab experience
  • They participated in the editing two professional level Photoshop books, "Canyon Conundrum" and "Professional Photoshop 5" by Author Dan Margulies.
  • Their deep understanding of both color and technique have resulted in numerous awards for clients who've entered Display Prints into competition.
• DigiGraphics' Display Prints are found in countless homes, offices and institutions across the region including hospitals, government offices, restaurants, galleries and many more. When an image is worth framing and hanging, it's worth our Display Print service.

Display Prints are for everyone, not just pros

• You don't need to be a pro to use our Display Print service, just someone who wants professional results. We make Display Prints from a wide variety of images and image quality, but the goal is always the same: elevate quality as high as possible. If an image is going to be framed and displayed, it should provide visual satisfaction for years to come.
• Some images start with serious technical imperfections that can be significantly improved or eliminated. Let us take a look, if potential for serious improvement exists we'll tell you so. If not, we'll be honest about it. Our goal is to produce work that satisfies you, us, and everyone who will eventually view the work.

Display Prints are recommended when printing:

• Your best, most important, valuable, memorable images.
• Images that will be displayed, sold or entered into competition.
• Images that must be highly accurate and visually pleasing.
• Poor quality images (light, dark, flat, off-color...) in need of substantial improvement.

Display Prints Include:

• Precision numerical settings for color, skin tone, contrast.
• White, black, and gray tones set to neutral.
• Appropriate sharpening and color saturation levels.
• Maximum detail in highlight and shadow areas.
• Soft-Edge Dodging and Burning to lighten/darken local areas within an image.
• Minor Retouching to remove sensor dust, small imperfections, minor blemishes.
• Straighten horizon lines and/or dominant vertical references.
• Conversion to Black and White or Sepia Tone upon request.

Service Options

• Glossy or Luster finish available on all print sizes.
• Borders of any width and color are available on all Display Print print sizes.
• Dry Mounting on White Foam Core or Black Gatorfoam. See Price List.
• Rush Service: See Price List.
• We highly recommend ordering a CD of the file(s) we create during checkout. This will allow for future printing at much lower cost.

Optional Display Print Services

• Some images benefit even more from these optional techniques...
• Hard-Edge local corrections. Imposing a correction along a hard line such as darkening the sky above a mountain ridge, or softening the background behind a portrait.
• Background replacement. Dropping out or replacing a background such as removing the backdrop behind a product shot, or replacing the New Jersey skyline behind Aunt Zelda with the Rocky Mountains.
• Significant retouching or image manipulation. Clear up a challenging complexion, remove a fence post, power line, contrail. Switch a head, blend two images together such as the foreground from one with the background from another, assemble a panorama, etc.
• Creative Presentations: Float the image on a larger print creating a wide border, add a black Keyline, drop shadow, or text. Use wide borders of any size or color instead of a matte when framing. The possibilities are endless.
•  Optional service are $89/hour, $8.50 minimum. Added to order after completion (not during checkout). Request an estimate and we'll advise before proceeding.

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What it is and why it's important

Every color in a digital file is represented by a number. One number says "red", another says "green". Color Space tells us 'How Red' or 'How Green'.

Identical numbers mean different things in different Color Spaces. Red in one space is different from red in another. Color Space tells us how saturated a red rose should be and how close we can get to that red when printed. Color Space information is used to translate color from a source to a destination, like camera to print - a process that 'maps' color from the source to closest match in the destination. 

For the best print quality, digital picture files need to be in a known color space. The most common color space used in consumer-level digital cameras, scanners, monitors and printers is called "sRGB", meaning "Standard Red Green Blue".

Two of our services, Hobby Prints and ProPrints, rely on images being in sRGB Color Space to print at the highest level of quality. Images in other Color Spaces will print, but not as well as they could. (Images submitted for Display Prints may be in any Color Space because files are individually opened, inspected and corrected for Color Space and numerous other issues as part of that service). 

Many digital cameras allow users to record images in a variety of different Color Spaces, which can cause problems for the unwary. While there are good reasons for using other color spaces, their use requires a working knowledge of Color Space and Color Management that extends beyond what we can address here.

Therefore, the safest choice in Color Space for all but experienced professionals is sRGB because files shot in sRGB will almost always print predictably.

Why isn't Color Space addressed on other online printing sites?

The vast majority of consumer-level digital photography occurs in sRGB Color Space by default and without the user's knowledge. In other words, an assumption is made about Color Space that is mostly correct, most of the time. High volume online photofinishers don't bother people with technical mumbo-jumbo that may affect the quality of only a small portion of the prints they make.

Professional Labs like DigiGraphics receive a much wider variety of files in many different Color Spaces. Our job is to insure that the quality of our work is not compromised either by us, or by clients who may submit files that won't print as well as they could because of issues like Color Space.

We want to extract every last bit of goodness out of an image file. In some cases that means helping clients understand that there are certain things they can do to insure quality printing before files are sent to us.

In the days of film, the film type told us about its 'Color Space' and by extension, how to print it properly. Digital photography brings numerous options and variables into the equation, some of which require the active participation of clients to insure quality results. Managing Color Space is one of them.

How to identify the Color Space of a file? 

Color Space is part of a 'tag' containing information about a digital image file. When a file is opened in an image editing program like Photoshop, Color Space information is accessible. Photoshop users are therefore able to verify Color Space and accurately convert to a different Color Space when necessary.

What if you don't use Photoshop? The simple answer is to be certain that your digital camera is set to use sRGB. If you're using a consumer-level digital camera that does not provide a menu option for color space, it's safe to assume it uses sRGB... so you're good to go.

What if someone else shot the image? If you don't use Photoshop and the image was not shot with your digital camera (which you just set to sRGB!), the only way to know for sure is to have the file(s) checked. You may send 1-12 files to us and request a Basic File Check using the "Upload Files" Page on our main website. The fee for a Basic File Check is $7.50 for up to 12 files submitted at one time. http://www.digi-graphics.com/pmain/order_upload.html.

What if you used a scanner to create a file? Most current model scanners allow you to choose Color Space just as you would with a digital camera. Choose sRGB if an option. If Color Space is not not an option it's safe to assume the scanner uses sRGB. 

Other Options Include ordering a few small prints as a test, If they look good to you, you're probably safe to place a larger order. 

Intermediate and Advanced Users

Intermediate and advanced users may choose to capture images in an 'extended' Color Space such as 'Adobe98', converting files to the appropriate Color Space before ordering prints.

The conversion is important...: When ordering prints 10x15" and smaller, files must be submitted in sRGB Color Space.

Files submitted for prints 11x14" and larger may be in any RGB color space, such as sRGB or Adobe98, but MUST be tagged for predictable results.

For Display Prints, we Check Color Space for you...

When using our Display Print service, we check Color Space and make any necessary adjustments for you. Simply place your order and we'll take it from there. Files submitted for Hobby Prints and ProPrints are not checked or converted if in the wrong color space, so care should be taken when submitting files for these automated and semi-automated services.

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Why prints may not match your monitor

You love the way your images look on your monitor and decide to have them printed. Maybe you've spent time working on them in Photoshop, tweaking until they knock your socks off. You decide to use DigiGraphics because you want the best possible results, and order Hobby Prints so be sure that no other adjustments are made to your creative masterpiece, then....

You get your prints and they don't look anything like what you saw on the monitor. So what went wrong?

Unless your monitor is calibrated, it's unlikely that prints will match. This applies to all monitors regardless of brand, quality or cost. Calibration involves the use of equipment and software that is separate from the monitor, adjusting the monitor so that it displays color according to an international standard. The standard (called "ICC" for International Color Consortium) is adhered to by all professional businesses involved with color reproduction: Color Labs, Print Shops, Graphic Designers, Professional Photographers, etc.

If you are not using a calibrated monitor, we highly recommend ordering ProPrints or Display Prints which are corrected overall color and exposure (brightness). ProPrints and Display Prints are likely to provide a closer match than uncorrected Hobby Prints.

If you prefer to be in complete creative control of your images - as you are when using our Hobby Print service, you'll need to calibrate your monitor so that it conforms to ICC standards. For detailed information on this subject see the following article on our website: Display Calibration.

"Dark" Prints... the most common issue

The most common issue is prints that are darker than seen on an un-calibrated monitor. This is simply because modern LCD monitors are tremendously bright to begin with - far brighter than images will appear in print. This was less of an issue with older CRT monitors, where maximum brightness was far lower than today's LCD's.

While calibration forces color to be displayed according to a standard, a standard for brightness doesn't really exist. Finding the right brightness takes a little experimentation because it's affected by variables such as the brightness of the light used to illuminate the prints. 

The good news is that by simply decreasing the brightness of your monitor to match the approximate brightness of the prints may be good enough - even without calibrating the monitor. It's an effective first step in getting the two to match up when a bright monitor is the major issue.

An absolute match isn't possible

It's important to understand that no matter how much care and technology is thrown at it, it's not possible to achieve an exact match between a monitor and print. The images will always be different in appearance because they are reproduced in completely different ways.

This is true with film as well. A slide or transparency viewed on a light table never truly matches a print of the same image, no matter how good the print. The materials used and methods of viewing are vastly different between the two.

After adjusting things to be as close as possible, we must mentally compensate when viewing an image on-screen in order to predict what the result will be in print. And lastly, we learn to judge the quality of a printed image on it's own rather than by the differences we see between it and the monitor. If, without comparison against a monitor, the image is without fault and stands on its own, the result is very likely a success.

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For those who may enjoy preparing their own fully corrected, print-ready files or creative artwork but need a jump start on technique, we offer 1-on-1 Tutoring Sessions in both Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.

It is a great way to learn practical skills that can be put to immediate use; skills that not only put you in the creative driver's seat but can save a significant amount on the cost of lab work. See 'Educational Services' in our main website (www.digi-graphics.com) to learn more.

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This website is managed by LifePics in Boulder, Colorado. LifePics provides labs like DigiGraphics with the ability to offer online ordering of their products. DigiGraphics pays a monthly fee for this service and a percent of each sale to LifePics.

DigiGraphics controls content such as this page and product pricing, but the rest of the site is controlled by LifePics including functionality for uploading images, organizing and storing images in albums, sharing, ordering, the shopping cart and nearly everything else.

If you use "Live Help" on the top banner of this site, you will be helped by someone at LifePics, not DigiGraphics. They are able to help with the use of this site and with any problems you might encounter using your online account.

LifePics is not able to help with questions about our products, services, turnaround times, etc. Please call us directly for assistance with those things. 970.482.8595 or 800.728.8596.

There are certain things within this site that we would structure differently if we were in control, but instead we pass along comments and issues to LifePics for consideration. As a result of suggestions from us and thousands of other labs serviced by LifePics, this site is continually evolving.

We hope your experience is a positive one and that you'll take a minute to let us know if something isn't working as it should!

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Last Content Update by DigiGraphics: 8-5-2010