Digital Prints

Im taking an introductory photo class and we are allowed one digital print out of 8 for the portfolio (the rest being film enlargements)
I called ritz but they didnt even less of a clue than me ("You don't need to worry about dots per inch")
Im just concerned that the printing process with have some sort of software that will manipulate the image, sharpness, contrast etc
and if the resolution is not the exact for the printing, then it will have to resize (which I would rather do)

Can anyone tell me how to print full, 8x10 or similar sized digital, b and white picture and what resolution I need for the file (and I need this by wednesday, so sending out is out of the question)

You don't need to worry about dots per inch, they're absolutely correct. Pixels per inch though you should worry about. Most labs want 300ppi, so for an 8x10 it has to be 2400x3000 pixels, and have the image sized correctly in photoshop.

Thanks, but they didnt even mention ppi either.
Is there a good local lab?
Also I am trying to photoshop a studio portrait onto a background but I am getting an outline caused by the lights. Is there a good way to blend this into the background?

Is there a way to get an effect similar to burning or dodging? ie regional brightening or darkening to produce detail which is very well blended

For me, yes. For you, I don't have a clue?

Show us?

This isn't as good as using two different exposures, but an Adjustment Layer & Layer Mask is easily reversible. Give it a try:
Airport runway shoot

Adjustment layer basics

Ill show you a few if you promise not to make fun
Some of you will remember when I posted here first in december trying to figure out how to operate my camera
well Ive been using studio lights for a few weeks and photoshop for a day

and Its my first time using a digital camera this year

I shot with a white background which makes it harder (his idea)

Its easy to edit a sized image but the resolution I need is practically pixel for pixel

This is with the contrasting "border" removed
I was hoping to "dodge" the hair, but I fear there is little detail to start with

There is detail on his forehead, but I tried messing with levels to make the sweat stand out

You've lost me. Is that what you want to do? Or separate the hair from the bkg?
What does the original look like?

On your issue with, Ritz, you do need to supply them with jpegs correctly formatted for the size you want them to print. If you don't then their system (as well as most others) will crop it in some way. I use my local Ritz and have never had an issue with them adjusting the images -- you can tell them not to do anything. I also have used Walgreens -- others find Costco a good cource although my personal experience has been less than satisfactory. For my best work, I send it to White House Custom Color (www.whcc.com). Good luck, Dennis

PhotosGuy wrote in post #3155080
You've lost me. Is that what you want to do? Or separate the hair from the bkg?
What does the original look like?

i mean both

with film, you can lighten an area and still have it print to the same tone of black because it has been fully overexposed (the print), but areas less exposed on the print (yet still fully overexposed) (more exposed on the negative) would become seperated and yield texture

i checked the file, and it looks like the hair has no detail
I know from experience it would have been there with film, so I think digital cannot differentiate between as many levels of light as film

It's true that digital has less latitude than most films, so you have to help it out a bit. Shoot RAW, & kick in a bit of light to help it out sometimes.

Why I love RAW - '53 Ford Sunliner

Well I got the prints back, and I don't quite know what to say
They stand out a lot next to my other pictures
my photoshop was pretty hamfisted, especially on the hamfists, but I learned a little about masking

I just grabbed an interesting photo from my heap of "trash"
at least it was good for something

Not terrible? If you soften the mask edges about 3 pixels, it should be a lot better. It probably won't look all that much better this way, but you could try duping the layer, recall the selection, then Select > Feather selection (something like that), & see what it looks like. You'll probably have to clean up some of the edges.