photos dont look right

[esmapo]

hi
i was just wondering if anyone can help me. Today I printed off the first photos off my d40 and i was very dissapointed. They looked like they were printed out pictures not photos. I went to a department store to print them out. Have I done something wrong? They were jpeg files. If anyone has had this happen or knows why they dont look right i would be very interested to find out what went wrong.

[cbweyland]

Originally Posted by esmapo

hi
i was just wondering if anyone can help me. Today I printed off the first photos off my d40 and i was very dissapointed. They looked like they were printed out pictures not photos. I went to a department store to print them out. Have I done something wrong? They were jpeg files. If anyone has had this happen or knows why they dont look right i would be very interested to find out what went wrong.

Maybe you should start by posting one or two here so we could see them.

Please also clarify what you mean by that "they looked like they were printed out pictures not photos" - it's not exactly clear what you mean. What exactly is wrong with them? Its difficult to help without having more precise information.

[esmapo]

oh ok im sorry. I could post them but you wouldnt see it unless looking at it. I guess the picture looks fuzzy like when you photocopy something and its not a clear replica. Its just not a clear picture I took two images and both are the same. They just dont look as crisp and clear as they do on the screen.

[cbweyland]

Originally Posted by esmapo

oh ok im sorry. I could post them but you wouldnt see it unless looking at it. I guess the picture looks fuzzy like when you photocopy something and its not a clear replica. Its just not a clear picture I took two images and both are the same. They just dont look as crisp and clear as they do on the screen.

And that's after you took them to a store to have them printed?

What file format did you send to the store? jpg? tiff? raw? What resolution were the pictures?

[oldwolf]

Originally Posted by esmapo

They were jpeg files

they originally stated that they're jpg files.

maybe the file size or resolution is too low and when you print them they're trying to enlarge your file fill up whatever print size you wanted.

you might also look at telling them to turn off color correction because that could also mess up what your pictures look like as well.

[esmapo]

yeah thats how i got them after processing. They were jpg files. Im sorry im new to all this not sure how to tell the resolution the dimensions according to the the files is 3008X2000 is this what you wanted?

[esmapo]

ok thanks very much for your help. Next time i will make sure that the res is higher and that they dont auto correct them

Thanks heaps

[cbweyland]

Originally Posted by esmapo

yeah thats how i got them after processing. They were jpg files. Im sorry im new to all this not sure how to tell the resolution the dimensions according to the the files is 3008X2000 is this what you wanted?

If they were 3000x2000 the resolution should definitely not be the problem (unless you had them printed as an oversized poster.)

As the other poster said be careful about any color or contrast enhancement or sharpening or other effects they might offer.

It could be a store you hadn't tried before and that just generally isn't very good. It could be they just messed up your pictures this once. Bring your pictures and ask them what went wrong!

[OsmosisStudios]

It depends on what they were printed on. many drugs stores/supermarkets/department stores are getting away from the traditional wet lab system and going to a dry lab. Its super convenient and tons cheaper to run: it's also not as good quality. Ask them if their printer uses INK or CHEMICALS.