Four questions about post processing and printing

[FlipsidE]

Hey all,

I'm fairly new to both photography and to these message boards, and I have a few questions about post processing and printing.

1) Copyright - What exactly are the laws surrounding copyrights on photos? Can I copyright any picture that I take with my own personal equipment?

2) Borders - I've noticed quite a few nice borders on the Share Photos message board. It almost looks like a computerized matte. How are these borders done? Which programs will do them best?

3) Picture print size - Try as I might, I can't seem to find a good shot resolution (with my Rebel 300D) that will convert to standard picture size (5x7, 6x8, 8x10, etc). All of them end up at rather odd sizes when printed (mainly the 6.67x10 comes to mind). How can I make it so that my pictures will print nicely for an 8x10 frame? Does it require cropping for all images? Or can programs like photoshop compensate somehow?

4) Photo Printers - which ones out there are considered to be the best for probably $200 or less? Can anyone link me to a good one for about that price range?

Thanks in advance

FlipsidE

[tommykjensen]

1: You have copyright on all photos You shoot.

2: I'll get back to this one.

3: Yes You will need to crop the photos to fit the exact print size

[tommykjensen]

2: Have a look here: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=41499&highlight=frame

[FlipsidE]

^^

THANKS!!!

FlipsidE

[Jesper]

3: The width-to-height ratio of the images straight out of your camera is not the same as the width-to-height ratio of the standard print formats. That means you're never going to fit the images without cropping (you can't fit a square peg into a round hole).

4: I don't know how much printers cost at where you live, but $200 doesn't sound like a lot of money. The Epson R800 seems to be a very good printer. There's also the Epson R300, which is cheaper, but I don't know if it's just as good.

Keep in mind that printing photos yourself is not a cheap hobby. Photo printing paper is expensive and ink is even more expensive. Having your prints done by an (online) printing service will most likely be cheaper. The disadvantage ofcourse is that you have less control over the printing process and that you don't get the print until they've mailed it to you.

[fdi]

I know exactly what you mean. I have a great picture of my car in the mountains but if you print it at 8x10 the bumpers get cropped. I was thrilled once I got my 2200 since I could print at 8x12 or the full 13x19, which crops very little of the image. Unfortunately, I could not find any frames. I had a few custom framed but got real tired of spending $100+ for that. That was when I decided to create Frame Destination, Inc and sell frames for photography in sizes like 8x12, 10x15 and 13x19. More recently, I started selling mats cut for 13x19 that allow you to buy standard 18x24 frames for those who do not want or need gallery style like mine.

Mark Rogers
www.framedestination.com
www.pbase.com/lila161

[tofuboy]

In the large image size setting on the drebel, the aspect ratio is perfect for 4x6, 8x12, 20x30, or any other size with a 1:1.5 ratio. Any other sizes you will have to crop. If you get your prints done from an online vendor, they probably have an auto-crop which would crop an equal amount from the opposite sides to get the right aspect ratio. You could probably achieve similar results with a js script in photoshop... however such a procedure isn't necessarily the best thing for those well thoughtout compositions.

If I am getting prints done, I will crop the image the way I want it to make sure it includes everything I want... sometimes that isn't possible for shots taken up close.

I can't offer any advice on printers... I have a $100 Epson C84, which is good for printing pictures to show, but doesn't produce anything I would bother framing. I save all pictures I want to frame to be printed from an online vendor.

As for borders... a computerized one won't look as good as the real thing. Mats keep the photo from touching the glass in the picture frame as well, something a computerized one can't do.

[FlipsidE]

As far as printers go, I'm not necessarily lookin for prints to sell or to put in my portfolio. Those will be sent to a professional printer. What I'm looking for is something that's a little better than my $20 Lexmark Z13 (which actually does quite a good job for the cost) so that I can make prints for my family and friends.

FlipsidE

[ejwebb]

Most photo printers these days will do what you want, although the longer you are into digital photography the more discerning you will become regarding your prints.

Printing is a personal decision but most would agree that the best photo prints are made by Canon or Epson printers and some very good ones are in the price range you mention, like the Canon i960 for around $160 or the Epson R200 for around $100. Canon also has the new PIXMA line of printers with a few in this price range but I don't know much about them - there may be some reviews out on them now. If it were me I would look into Canon or Epson with at least 6 color inks.

Keep in mind that the true cost in printing photos is not in the printer itself but the ink and paper. It is best to use the manufacturers ink and paper for the best results, although some third-party papers produce excellent prints. Although I don't know exactly how much ink is used, I estimate an 8X10 on Canon Photo Paper Pro costs around $1.50. As with everything else, I would do some research on printers in this forum (search for Canon and Epson printers), on Google and in some of the digital photography review sites before you dive in.

Good luck!

[fdi]

The R800 is an excellent printer. It is even better than the 2200 and supposedly has a "gloss optimizer" cartridge to fix the problem 2200 has with glossy paper. It also takes both the matte black and regular black cartridges at the same time so you no longer have to swap them when you change paper. The only downside is that it does not appear to do B/W any better than the 2200.

Good review here:
http://www.photo-i.co.uk/Reviews/interactive/Epson%20R800/page_1.htm

Mark Rogers
www.framedestination.com
www.pbase.com/lila161

[rccarredneck]

1: You have copyright on all photos You shoot.

2: I'll get back to this one.

3: Yes You will need to crop the photos to fit the exact print size


you got a web site about copyright laws on photos...i am trying to support my statement on my copyright laws of my photos...any help would be appreciated...