Digital Imaging

Agfa-Gevaert N.v.

Mutoh Industries Ltd.

Tiffen

Guide to Digital Imaging

Digital imaging services give business marketing materials a more professional look
By Sharon Cullars

Digital photo printing is integral to creating great marketing material and documentation for your business. Whether you outsource to a digital imaging company or purchase digital imaging software for in-house processing, the final result should be crisp and colorful images.

If you do choose to outsource projects to a digital imaging service, research your options to ensure you retain a service that guarantees a high-quality product at a reasonable price. You will find plenty of digital imaging services listed online as well as in your local phone book. If you own digital imaging equipment and have professionally trained personnel on hand, most likely you will not need to outsource. Be sure then to invest in digital imaging software that has powerful editing features and a price that will not bust your budget. In the future, if you do not own digital imaging equipment, you might consider that an investment worth making.

Whatever your digital photo printing needs, here are some of your options:

1. Digital imaging software with powerful editing features at a reasonable price;

2. Affordable digital imaging equipment for in-house projects;

3. A full-service digital imaging company with an impressive portfolio.

Action Steps

The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose digital photo printing software with professional tools for editing and image management There are a lot of digital imaging software options available, some of them quite reasonably priced. Although you may not want to spend thousands, don't skimp on features just to save a few cents. Invest in a package that offers high-quality editing, manipulation and image management for the best professional-looking results.

I recommend:  Adobe Photoshop CS3 is a premiere software package used my many professional digital artists and photographers. The suite offers smart filters and plug-ins, advanced positing, black & white conversion, light integration and other features that provide the best in specialized imaging processing. CorelDraw Graphics Suite 4X, another popular suite, features high-quality imaging tools that include a page layout application, bitmap conversion and photo enhancements. For reviews and information on a variety of imaging software, go to The Imaging Resource.

Invest in equipment for in-house digital image processing Investing in imaging equipment for your company can be as simple as purchasing a digital camera. Imaging equipment also include video cameras, laser scanners, photo printers and image sensors. Depending on the scope of your in-house projects, you may only need basic equipment or something more sophisticated. Determine your imaging needs, then find the best prices.

I recommend:  BizWeb offers a list of retailers who sell photo and imaging equipment where you can compare products and prices. Read reviews on digital cameras at CNET. You can find tutorials for various digital image software at Photoshop.com.

Find a professional digital imaging service that renders high-quality results Digital imaging services are easy to find online, but choosing the best one for your needs may take a little research and comparison. You want a professional service with a great-looking portfolio that shows exactly what they can do for you, including document scanning, photo retouching and photo manipulation.

I recommend:  Open Directory Project will help you find digital imaging professionals.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• To avoid potential problems, always check digital imaging software software specifications to make sure it is compatible with your network platform, especially if you have Windows Vista.