What can your photo developer do for you?

Did you know that your photo lab can play a big part in your scrapbooking? I don’t mean just by developing the film you bring in or by printing your digital photos—there are a variety of services that photo labs offer in addition to the printing and developing that can really be useful. From borders to color adjustment and photo restoration, a photo lab can save you time or create specialty prints that are perfect for that special page or album. Here are just a few services that we found offered; while your current developer may not have them, you should be able to find someone locally that does.

Photo Tinting

Have a great photo but the colors just don’t seem to go with anything? Try asking your developer to convert your color image to a black and white. They can easily use your negative to create a black and white photo or convert the colors in a digital image to create a black and white print. Your local lab may also be able to print in a sepia color, which is an “old”, antiqued tone.

Along those same lines, many photo developers can actually add color to an image. This is typically done with a black and white print and is great for drawing the eye to a key portion of the photo—maybe a black and white print with tinted red rose in the center, or a black and white background with a dancer in a pink tutu as the focus. It’s a great way to create a stunning image that focuses on just what you want, and creates just the color scheme you’d like.

Borders

Tired of doing so much matting? You’re probably not alone. One way to eliminate some of this work and save yourself a little time is to ask your developer to add a simple white border around your prints. Your photos will already be matted once and you can leave them as is or mat them again for a double or triple-mat. Also, try inking or chalking the edge for a great altered look. (Some photo labs also allow you to select color borders for your prints.)

Matte vs. Glossy

For some pages or projects, the glossy finish of a regular photo just doesn’t fit. Many photo labs offer the option of having your photos printed with a matte instead, which is a finish without the luster or shine of a glossy. This is great for heritage or vintage pages, especially!

Photo Restoration

Speaking of great for heritage or vintage, many labs also offer a photo restoration service. It’s a great way to clean up your old family heirloom photos. Your photo lab will run high-resolution scans of the original image, then do touch-ups in a photo editing program and create a new, quality professional print. I recommend only doing this by taking it to a local lab that does the work on-site. That way you know where your priceless photo is—there’s no sending it out for service and no chance of it getting lost.

These are just a few of the special services that may make your scrapbooking life easier—try them out for some unique and fun pages.

Many chain stores with photo labs may not offer these services. Call around to your local photo labs for information on the services they offer, or check out www.scrapbookpictures.com, a site dedicated to offering photo services specifically for scrapbookers.