Many professional photographers do not offer a cd of their images for purchase. It is sort of taboo in the photo industry as we see our photos as artwork and we cringe at the thought of you taking a cd of beautiful images to Walmart and having them turn out looking awful. Once we hand over that cd we have no control of how our art is going to look and the last thing we want is for you to be unhappy or frustrated with getting your images in print form.

I work with two different labs that strive to color match and ensure a great product. Part of me wants to NOT offer a cd but it seems that so many clients love that option so here are some pointers when printing a cd of images purchased from erin sinnwell photography:

• Every computer screen is different so your images may look slightly brighter/darker or have a different look depending on where you are viewing it. I use a screen calibrator on my computer so that when I edit what I see is how it will print off as in the final product.
• Unfortunately Proex is no longer in business so I am at a loss as to where to suggest getting your images printed (especially in Rochester)...Target, Costco, Walgreens? I have no idea if these places do any adjustments on their machines to ensure good photographs. I have used MyPublisher online for calendars and photos books and have been very happy with the results. For invitations and cards I've used MyPublisher, Tiny Prints, Shutterfly, Snapfish and Traylor Papers (all online services)
• Glossy vs Matte finish? I print almost everything in matte finish. It minimizes fingerprints and is more durable. Glossy does has it benefits—it tends to let the color be more vibrant and can give an almost metallic look. However, find a pair of white gloves because it will show every fingerprint!
• CROPPING!! Cropping is one of my biggest issues in letting you print images taken by me. Why? Well, it's even hard for me to understand and explain. When I take and edit and photograph I am working with a 4×6 full frame image with an aspect ratio of 3:2. Aspect Ratio is simply a measurement of a photograph's width to height. This means that the long side is 1.5 times as long as the short side. This aspect ratio will produce 4" by 6" prints. Unfortunately a very common size print (and frame size) is 8×10 but a 8×10 has a different aspect ratio, so, when you print an 8×10 you will *always* be cropping two inches off your photo! A 5×7 is also a different aspect ratio, but does not crop as much as an 8×10.
• When I print off images for myself or clients I use the following sizes:
  • 2×3 (wallets) minimal cropping
  • 4×6 no cropping
  • 5×7 minimal cropping
  • 8×12 no cropping
  • 11×17 minimal cropping
  • 16×24 no cropping
  • 20×30 no cropping