What is it?

Digital online photo processing is actually misleading. The photos are not processed with negatives as the word "processing" implies. When you take digital photos and store them on your computer in a usual way they are ready to be uploaded to a digital photo service. There are many companies that will print your digital photos for you online. We will mention those later in the article. The service prints your digital photos. This is the touchy part because there are some companies that will alter your photos before they are printed in their attempt to make the picture "better". There are also companies that advertise that they will not alter or touch-up your photos.

What is the price?

Like any business the prices vary. So do the services. With a higher priced photo printer you get a lot of options such as photo albums, free photo editing software and usually a free membership that offers so many free photos when you sign up. If price is your only criteria for a photo printer you can find 4X6 prints for around 12 cents each. If you want other options and an overall better print quality then you can pay about 36 cents and up for the same sized print.

When do I get my photos?

This is the best part of having a professional service print your digital photos. If you want to pick them up at a location near you, or have them mailed to you almost all companies will fit your needs. If you want to pick them up within an hour of uploading them then you will have to be a little more selective in which company you choose. The only drawback is that you will sacrifice quality. If you are not a very picky person then this is a great option. If you are pickier than you are impatient then there are some great processors that will make beautiful prints but due to their location the prints will be have to be mailed.

What will they look like compared to photos that I print?

Almost all printing services can beat the quality of even the best home photo printers. Conveniently they quality also comes at a lower cost. Our studies show that the cost per photo that you print at home is 60 cents to $1.64. That is per photo! Average costs at a processor are 12 to 36 cents. Once you see the quality difference and the price having your photos processed by a pro is an easy decision to make.

To view our list of recommended sources for digital photo printing online, visit this page: Photo Mugs.

Mindi Haehl is the owner of an informational website dedicated to printing digital photos online.