How are photos printed, seriously ??

[kirbinster]

I was asked a question the other day by a friend and honestly could not answer. When you have your digital images printed, how is it done. I assume they are not using photographic paper and developer like when I was a kid, but I really had no clue. I assume they don't just use an inkjet printer like at home. So, how are pictures printed these days?

[Skoropada]

I know that there are some people that upgrade their automated chemical minilabs (those that used to develop pictures in 1 hour) by placing a light source that will imprint the digital picture on traditional photo paper.

But probably there's also another method.

[ravncat]

Definitely depends on the lab, I think a majority are ( or were ) dye sublimation process

[inkista]

Assuming you mean Walmart 4x6 prints, this might shed some light:

Minilab - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[OsmosisStudios]

Depends on what kind of system the lab is using. Most places now use what is essentially a giant, high quality home printer. I believe they're laser jets with CMYK inks and normal paper. This is becoming increasingly popular because the units are smaller, a million times easier to maintain, easier to run and, most importantly, cheaper to run.

Some labs (the one I work at, for instance) still use a full-on chemical wet lab printer which is about the size of a Smart car. It uses photographic, light sensitive paper in interchangeable light-tight magazines. The paper is cut to length and exposed using a very powerful laser system that has, last I checked, something like 16 lasers in it. It's then sent through a full chemical processing just like you would if you were doing it by hand, the only exception being that it's entirely automated. THe downside here is the size (the printer is huge), cost (paper and chemicals are more expensive, machine takes more power) and useability/maintenance (they're a BEAR to fix if anything goes wrong. Trust me, I've taken ours apart a few times)

The newer system prints arent, IMO, as good. The black's arent as accurate, the colours fade faster and can bleed if not done properly.

[Photologyst]

Digital Printing - Short Run Printing - Digital Printers, Companies, & Services - ThePrintGuide.com


Lightjet vs Inkjet comparison review

Everything that you ever wanted to know, and more: AlternativePhotography.com: Alternative Photographic Processes and techniques

[kirbinster]

Does anyone know what process is used by Adorama and Mpix?

[Murtasma]

A team of highly trained monkeys sit in shackles with tiny tiny paint brushes in their hands. Owners of print shops would whip any monkey that tried to deviate from the original digital image displayed on a small LCD screen in front of them. After long hours of painting myspace style images, or pictures of babies and children they would be sent home. Once the monkey returned home they were often verbally abused by their monkey partner for the long work hours and terrible pay. This often made many monkeys very depressed and they began to doubt their lifestyle.

Some monkeys used this depression and turned it to good. With a new found lust for lust these monkey printers would soon shack with with street peddlers. They would learn the tools of the trade like sharking hands. dancing to musical boxes and making funny faces for money.

This is how the modern day street monkey began.

Due to technology monkeys are no longer used to produce prints very often but you can still find the occasional print shop employ these artisans of the brush. They are mostly used in china today to paint lead on childrens toys.

This was written on the Internet so that makes the above statement 100% true.

[kirbinster]

Thanks Murtasma, that is how I thought it was done - but someone told me that process did not work for digital

[Murtasma]

Their tiny monkey hands have no trouble mimicking pixels.