How to Use a Digital JPG File to Make a Permanent Print

Frank Phillips, August 2008

When you have received the JPG file of the photo you want to print, you have three options: print on your home printer, upload to a printing service and pick up locally, or transfer the digital file to a memory card or USB drive and take it to your local photofinisher for printing.  Each one has its advantages and disadvantages.

Print on your printer at home:
If you are already skilled at photo editing and home-printing, this may be your best bet.  Just open the photo in your favorite photo editing software, make the edits you want (cropping, etc.), and then print on your home photo printer.  The advantages of this method are that you have total control over the output, and you can get "immediate" prints.  The disadvantage of this method is that you must have experience and skill at producing prints at home.  This is not for everyone, and I do not recommend it unless you are already a serious photographer.

Transfer the file to a memory card or USB drive and take to your local photofinisher:
This is the method that I highly recommend because local photofinishers (such as Wolf Camera in Homewood) can usually produce prints for you in about an hour at a very reasonable price, and the kiosks they have available make it very easy to get the exact picture you want (using their cropping and editing tools).  See my example of photo cropping below.  The advantage of this method is that you can get almost-immediate extremely high-quality prints in very short order at a reasonable cost.  The disadvantage is that you have to drive to the photofinisher...twice.

Upload to a printing service and pick up locally:
This method is very similar to the local method above, but instead of copying the file to a memory card or USB drive, you simply upload the file to a photofinisher (like Wolf) and order the print online, then go pick it up - or pay a little extra and have it mailed to you.  They typically offer the same editing tools you have in-store, so you get the same control over the final print.  The advantage of this method is that you don't have to leave your home - especially if you have them mailed to you - but you have to wait a little longer in most cases.

Example: How to Make a Good Shot Better

When I shoot sports, I try to frame the photo with a little extra "buffer" room around the edges so that you will have the ability to crop (and do a "rotated" crop) the photo to your liking for a print.  The photos below show the original framing of my shot, the middle photos show how the original might be cropped to be more print-friendly, and the bottom photos show what the final print would look like.  Regardless of the printing method you choose (see above), if you apply a creative eye to the original photo, you can get the print to look exactly how you want it.  The reason I recommend copying the file(s) to a memory card or USB drive and taking it to Wolf in Homewood is because they have a number of kiosks there (and people too) to make this process very easy for you.