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Printing Options For Your Passport Photos.
When you need your passport photos in a hurry, there are a number of different printing options to choose from. Deciding on the best option for you is obviously dependent upon your immediate need, and how long you are prepared to wait for development. Passport photo software (such as that provided by CamToPrint) has realized a new way for people across the globe to print professional quality images for all passport photo requirements, without leaving the comfort of their own home.
Store and Pharmacy Development Services
Your local pharmacy or camera store, was once the only place you could turn to when you needed professional quality passport photos. Often, the photos would be taken “in-house”, and the negatives sent by courier to a laboratory.
Store and Pharmacy Development Services
Advantages:
Opting for store development services, you can be pretty assured you will receive professional quality photographs that meet the standards set out by passport and driving licence agencies; trained personnel can also be relied upon to take pictures that meet passport photo requirements.
Disadvantages:
Opting for a store service may seem like the best way of obtaining professional quality, yet it can also be a lengthy process. Processing can take from 1-24 hours. In-store processing is still extremely costly, and you can expect to pay in excess of $15 for your prints, however there is also the added inconvenience and cost of driving down to the store to pick them up afterwards.
Photo Booths
Photo booths are still a common sight within train stations, airports and shopping malls. A bit like vending machines, they provide an instant solution for those who need passport photos in a hurry, yet with often negative results.
Advantages:
Photo booths generally take as little as 10-15 minutes from taking your photo, to delivering the proofs, and because they are conveniently located, most of us know where to find one when passport photos are needed urgently.
Disadvantages:
Photo booths usually cost in excess of $5-$8 for 2-4 prints, and you can never be guaranteed of a flawless finish. Photo booths are often furnished with bright white panelling, and a dark curtain to enhance privacy. The curtain itself is too dark to provide an appropriate background, and the flash of the camera bounces off the white background, causing a glare within photographs. Additionally, it can be very difficult to ascertain the correct head-height when in front of the camera.
Instant Photo Kiosks
Instant photo kiosks are a relatively new concept which have “popped up” recently within department stores and shopping malls. They allow the instantaneous printing of all kinds of photos, onto 6x4 inch photo paper, from a USB device or external memory card.
Advantages:
Instant photo kiosks are a relatively convenient way of printing off select photos, as and when you need them. These kiosks feature user-friendly photo software, allowing you to pick from hundreds of photos on your device and print them off immediately. Waiting time is generally around 5 minutes.
Disadvantages:
On the flip-side, instant photo kiosks can be phenomenally expensive, especially when you only need one or two photos. Expect to pay upwards of $1 per image. While photo kiosks may be user-friendly, they lack the photo editing software to assist in cropping photos to the desired passport photo size. This means you will have to cut these down to size yourself, post printing.
Home Printing
Home printing has become one of the most convenient and cost-effective methods for the production of passport photos. With the development of free passport photo software, computer users now have access to a wide range of photo manipulation and editing capabilities, to ensure they get the results they want, the first time around.
Advantages:
CamToPrint passport photo software is available free to all users, regardless of country. It has also realized the cheapest way of producing photos from the comfort of your own home, at far cheaper cost than anywhere else. A set of 6-8 passport prints, produced on 6x4 inch paper costs around 15 cents per sheet. This is calculated taking into consideration the cost of photo paper and printer ink. Printing your photos in this manner, is also faster than most methods, allowing users to transfer from camera to printer in as little as 2 minutes.
Disadvantages:
The only disadvantages to home printing relate to the quality of paper used. Many people tend to opt for gloss photo paper, under the misconception it is cheaper than other formats. Gloss photo paper is not ideal for passport photos, as light has a tendency to bounce off the shiny surface. Passport and licence agencies recommend the use of matt or satin finish paper, purely because the picture can be viewed clearly, without any negative light interference.
Deciding upon the right print solution for you depends upon how quickly you need your passport photos, and how long you are prepared to wait for results. Home printing is by far the cheapest, and most instant method of availing passport photos to meet all requirements.
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