MILLIONS OF photographers have decided that digital cameras are a great idea, and millions more will buy them over the holidays. By the end of the year, as many as 20 percent of America's homes will have them.
But for many new and would-be digital photographers, the big question is this: What do I do with my pictures after I take them?
Digital photography provides quick methods to share photos: e-mailing them to friends and relatives, or posting them online. But eventually, most of us want hard copies of our favorite prints to put in albums or frames.
The simplest way to get prints is to do it yourself. Color ink jet printers have improved to the point where it's hard to tell their output from a photofinisher's. And you can make prints as soon as you get back to your home or office.
But ink and paper are outrageously expensive, and it may take two or three tries to get a good print. That's why manufactuers sell great printers for $100. They get their money back the first time you buy a set of ink cartridges for $75.
If you're willing to delay gratification, there's another way to get prints from digital photos that are likely to look better and last longer than pictures you print yourself - often for less money.
Online photo services will not only make prints cheaply - as little as 25 cents for a 4 x 6 - but also mail copies directly to your friends and relatives - a lot more convenient than doing it yourself. At many photo sites, you can choose a frame and have the framed print sent to your recipients - a great gift idea.
In addition to making traditional prints from digital images, photo sites can put your pictures on greeting cards, calendars, T-shirts, coffee mugs, mouse pads and even cakes and chocolate lollipops.
If you don't have a digital camera, many sites will process traditional film and scan the negatives. They'll post the digital images online or send them to you on a compact disc. Kodak and other big outfits offer the same service for film dropped off at the store.
Most online photo services also let you create Web-based albums to display your photos and share with guests. Friends and relatives can order their own prints if they like, which can get you out of the photo-shipping business entirely.
Many online sites are, in fact, owned or operated by traditional photofinishers. They include Kodak (through its Web site and its Ofoto subsidiary), Ritz, Wal-Mart, PhotoWorks, Mystic Color Labs, Clark Color Labs and Snapfish (the last two are owned by Beltsville-based District Photo). Others, including my favorite, ClubPhoto, are independent operations. America Online partners with Kodak.
The dozen or so online photofinishers I've investigated make their Web sites easy to use. Just log on, establish an account and upload the photos you want to share or print. Over the past year, they've improved their software to enable you to "drag" photos from a folder on your computer onto a Web page and upload the images as a group.
There are several advantages to having prints made online. First, these guys know how to do it. They have the equipment to get decent prints almost every time. There's no reason you can't get a good print from a digital image at home, too, but it might take several tries - and waste a lot of money.
Second, most photo sites produce real halide prints on Kodak or Fuji paper with standard photo industry chemistry. They'll last much longer than ink-based images from most desktop printers.
Using an online photofinisher also can save you money, particularly on snapshot-sized prints (3 x 5 or 4 x 6), which cost 25 to 50 cents apiece (depending on this month's special). For larger prints, particularly 8 x 10s, you can probably do it more cheaply yourself - if you get it right the first time.
Mailing charges are typically $2 to $3 per order, which makes online printing a bad buy for one or two prints but cost effective for larger quantities. If you have to send prints from a family gathering to a half-dozen relatives, the convenience outweighs any cost disadvantage.
On the downside, you'll have to wait four or five days to get your prints back by mail. And if a print isn't good, you won't know till it arrives.
Before you select an online photofinisher, check out the site's storage policies. Some will store your albums indefinitely; others let them expire after 30, 60 or 90 days. A few, like ClubPhoto, offer a choice: 90 days of free storage or various packages of permanent space starting at $25 a year.
Shop around for features, too. Many sites are designed mainly to sell prints; others operate more like photo-sharing communities, with clever album designs, slide shows, bulletin boards and other features. Be careful about the site's default sharing policies - if you want your photos visible only to you and your friends, be sure to make your albums private (all sites offer this choice).
You should generally edit and crop your photos before you upload them. But many sites offer basic editing features to change brightness and contrast or eliminate red eye. Some automatically crop photos, which may or may not be good for your pictures. A few offer sophisticated special effects, which are silly but fun to use.
Also, it pays to shop around. Some photo sites offer specials to get you hooked, including free prints or film finishing. Here are some places to start:
ClubPhoto.com: Excellent photo album management and sharing, 25-cent prints. Permanent storage for a yearly fee. A pioneer in edible photo gifts.
DotPhoto.com: Offers prepaid monthly print packages.
EZPrints.com: Regular prints for 39 cents, panorama prints sold by the foot.
www.Fotango.com: Owned by Canon Europe and pricey by U.S. standards, but a best bet for shipping photos around the world.
Kodak Picture Center (http: //picturecenter.kodak. com): Expensive but top-quality Kodak prints (49 cents), limited photo sharing. Photo Pages make great permanent albums.
Ofoto.com: A Kodak subsidiary, same price structure as Kodak.
Snapfish.com: Good quality and low prices for developing film and making prints.
PhotoFun.com: Nice customer Web sites, slide shows and downloadable photo albums.
PhotoIsland.com: Limited free storage, but excellent photo printing software, special effects, and direct links from photos to eBay auctions.
www.RitzPix.com: Online arm of Ritz Camera centers.
Shutterfly.com: Prints for 29 cents, but best bargains are SnapBook albums. Fifteen free prints with signup.
www.WalMart.com: Prints for 26 cents, offers in-store pickup.