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WalMart and jpeg printing



 
 
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  #1  
Old November 28th 04, 04:52 AM
nosredna
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default WalMart and jpeg printing

On my Macintosh, I converted a friend's wedding photo from tiff to jpeg
and burned it to a CD for a friend so she could have WalMart make it
into Christmas cards. I mailed it off to her, and three weeks later she
called and said WalMart did a test print and it "doesn't look right." I
have no idea what she means; her description over the phone didn't help
me at all. (She lives several hours away, so I can't just drop by to see
it.) She said she took it to KMart and Staples also--same problem. While
on the phone I suggested she try opening it on her PC, but she got an
error message ("jpeg file has errors" or something like that). I tried
it in my daughter's Windows 98 PC and I get the same error message. But
it opens fine on my husband's PC at work (with Windows XP). And of
course it opens and prints fine on my Mac. I burned a new CD and went to
my local WalMart to test it. It showed up on the photo machine screen,
but I didn't do a test print. (Am I correct in assuming that if I could
see it on the WalMart screen it would probably print correctly? I've
never used one of those photo machines.) I plan to mail it to her
tomorrow, but I just remembered that I converted to jpeg from a (tiff)
cmyk file. Should I have converted it from the RGB version instead--or
does the color space not matter when converting to jpeg?
  #2  
Old November 28th 04, 05:25 AM
Kevin McMurtrie
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article ,
nosredna wrote:

On my Macintosh, I converted a friend's wedding photo from tiff to jpeg
and burned it to a CD for a friend so she could have WalMart make it
into Christmas cards. I mailed it off to her, and three weeks later she
called and said WalMart did a test print and it "doesn't look right." I
have no idea what she means; her description over the phone didn't help
me at all. (She lives several hours away, so I can't just drop by to see
it.) She said she took it to KMart and Staples also--same problem. While
on the phone I suggested she try opening it on her PC, but she got an
error message ("jpeg file has errors" or something like that). I tried
it in my daughter's Windows 98 PC and I get the same error message. But
it opens fine on my husband's PC at work (with Windows XP). And of
course it opens and prints fine on my Mac. I burned a new CD and went to
my local WalMart to test it. It showed up on the photo machine screen,
but I didn't do a test print. (Am I correct in assuming that if I could
see it on the WalMart screen it would probably print correctly? I've
never used one of those photo machines.) I plan to mail it to her
tomorrow, but I just remembered that I converted to jpeg from a (tiff)
cmyk file. Should I have converted it from the RGB version instead--or
does the color space not matter when converting to jpeg?


Some versions of Windoze can't handle the Mac-specific data that's added
to a CD even though it's perfectly within specifications.

Try Shutterfly. You can create, preview, address, and order your
Christmas cards online.

http://www.shutterfly.com
  #3  
Old November 28th 04, 05:28 AM
MarkČ
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default


"nosredna" wrote in message
...
I burned a new CD and went to
my local WalMart to test it. It showed up on the photo machine screen,
but I didn't do a test print.


By not doing a test print, you kept yourself from learning the answer.
That would have given you a starting point to determine what the problem
was, and also whether the problem was unique to her Wal Mart.


(Am I correct in assuming that if I could
see it on the WalMart screen it would probably print correctly? I've
never used one of those photo machines.) I plan to mail it to her
tomorrow, but I just remembered that I converted to jpeg from a (tiff)
cmyk file. Should I have converted it from the RGB version instead--or
does the color space not matter when converting to jpeg?


Make sure to submit it as an RGB file...NOT a CMYK.


  #4  
Old November 28th 04, 05:37 AM
Gene Palmiter
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

I had a situation where a client several hundred miles away needed some
photos. I didn't have time to print and ship so I uploaded them to Wal-Mart
and had them printed at a Wal-Mart photo center near them. Worked as far as
that goes...hated being able to upload only 4 at a time and they gave the
client a bit of a hard time as the photos looked professional...as they
should.

So...why don't you upload the jpg and let her order them? She could have the
printed near her home.


"nosredna" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Kevin McMurtrie wrote:

In article ,
nosredna wrote:

On my Macintosh, I converted a friend's wedding photo from tiff to

jpeg
and burned it to a CD for a friend so she could have WalMart make it
into Christmas cards. I mailed it off to her, and three weeks later

she
called and said WalMart did a test print and it "doesn't look right."

I
have no idea what she means; her description over the phone didn't

help
me at all. (She lives several hours away, so I can't just drop by to

see
it.) She said she took it to KMart and Staples also--same problem.

While
on the phone I suggested she try opening it on her PC, but she got an
error message ("jpeg file has errors" or something like that). I tried
it in my daughter's Windows 98 PC and I get the same error message.

But
it opens fine on my husband's PC at work (with Windows XP). And of
course it opens and prints fine on my Mac. I burned a new CD and went

to
my local WalMart to test it. It showed up on the photo machine screen,
but I didn't do a test print. (Am I correct in assuming that if I

could
see it on the WalMart screen it would probably print correctly? I've
never used one of those photo machines.) I plan to mail it to her
tomorrow, but I just remembered that I converted to jpeg from a (tiff)
cmyk file. Should I have converted it from the RGB version instead--or
does the color space not matter when converting to jpeg?


Some versions of Windoze can't handle the Mac-specific data that's added
to a CD even though it's perfectly within specifications.

Try Shutterfly. You can create, preview, address, and order your
Christmas cards online.

http://www.shutterfly.com


Thanks for the recommendation, but I'm not the one who's doing
cards--the friend is. I reconverted the tiff file to jpeg, but I did it
from an RGB version this time. After all that, I read on another thread
that some PCs and photo machines can't read a file if it has *lower
case* .jpg suffix instead of .JPG! Oh well, I used lower case--I don't
want to burn another CD at this point.



  #5  
Old November 28th 04, 05:37 AM
Alan Meyer
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"nosredna" wrote in message
...

..., but I just remembered that I converted to jpeg from a (tiff)
cmyk file. Should I have converted it from the RGB version instead--or
does the color space not matter when converting to jpeg?


If I understand it correctly, JPEG is always and only RGB. Any
conversion to JPEG would always result in RGB. You shouldn't
have to separately convert it to RGB first.

Furthermore, your computer monitor works in RGB. Someone
please jump in and correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that
when you view the CMYK image on your screen, your viewing
software has already produced an RGB version of the image.
So you know the software correctly converts CMYK to RGB.

It sounds like there is a file format problem that is not related
to the image itself. JPEG, surprisingly, is not a file format. It's
an image format that goes through further processing to become
a disk file. One disk format that's commonly used for JPEG
is JFIF. But there are others. Maybe that's the problem.

Another possibility is that CDROM readers vary in their ability
to read CDRs. Many older CDROM readers, such as those
on the older Win98 machines, are unable to read CDRs,
only the stamped/manufactured CDs.

Alan


  #6  
Old November 28th 04, 05:37 AM
Alan Meyer
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

"nosredna" wrote in message
...

..., but I just remembered that I converted to jpeg from a (tiff)
cmyk file. Should I have converted it from the RGB version instead--or
does the color space not matter when converting to jpeg?


If I understand it correctly, JPEG is always and only RGB. Any
conversion to JPEG would always result in RGB. You shouldn't
have to separately convert it to RGB first.

Furthermore, your computer monitor works in RGB. Someone
please jump in and correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that
when you view the CMYK image on your screen, your viewing
software has already produced an RGB version of the image.
So you know the software correctly converts CMYK to RGB.

It sounds like there is a file format problem that is not related
to the image itself. JPEG, surprisingly, is not a file format. It's
an image format that goes through further processing to become
a disk file. One disk format that's commonly used for JPEG
is JFIF. But there are others. Maybe that's the problem.

Another possibility is that CDROM readers vary in their ability
to read CDRs. Many older CDROM readers, such as those
on the older Win98 machines, are unable to read CDRs,
only the stamped/manufactured CDs.

Alan


  #7  
Old November 28th 04, 05:38 AM
Michael Meissner
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

nosredna writes:

On my Macintosh, I converted a friend's wedding photo from tiff to jpeg
and burned it to a CD for a friend so she could have WalMart make it
into Christmas cards. I mailed it off to her, and three weeks later she
called and said WalMart did a test print and it "doesn't look right." I
have no idea what she means; her description over the phone didn't help
me at all. (She lives several hours away, so I can't just drop by to see
it.) She said she took it to KMart and Staples also--same problem. While
on the phone I suggested she try opening it on her PC, but she got an
error message ("jpeg file has errors" or something like that). I tried
it in my daughter's Windows 98 PC and I get the same error message. But
it opens fine on my husband's PC at work (with Windows XP). And of
course it opens and prints fine on my Mac. I burned a new CD and went to
my local WalMart to test it. It showed up on the photo machine screen,
but I didn't do a test print. (Am I correct in assuming that if I could
see it on the WalMart screen it would probably print correctly? I've
never used one of those photo machines.) I plan to mail it to her
tomorrow, but I just remembered that I converted to jpeg from a (tiff)
cmyk file. Should I have converted it from the RGB version instead--or
does the color space not matter when converting to jpeg?


Yes the color space matters. In my area at least, Walmart uses Fuji machines
for the 1 hour printing, and Kodak dye-subs for the instant prints (which is
more expensive). For the Fuji machines, you want to make sure the JPG is in
the sRGB color space (evidently most/all of the Fuji machines ignore any color
space indications in the EXIF header).

After some bad prints, I have been stopped printing at Walmart, since they now
crank up the auto-correction and boost the saturation which took pictures that
used to print fine and now turn them into garish ugly prints (presumably the
majority of prints they deal with look better with this, or else everybody else
thinks they do). However, you may be able to request them not to do any
corrections. If I don't print it myself, I will send out my pictures to
mpix.com (shutterfly.com and ezprints.com are other places that I like).

--
Michael Meissner
email:
http://www.the-meissners.org
  #8  
Old November 28th 04, 05:39 AM
nosredna
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article ,
Kevin McMurtrie wrote:

In article ,
nosredna wrote:

On my Macintosh, I converted a friend's wedding photo from tiff to jpeg
and burned it to a CD for a friend so she could have WalMart make it
into Christmas cards. I mailed it off to her, and three weeks later she
called and said WalMart did a test print and it "doesn't look right." I
have no idea what she means; her description over the phone didn't help
me at all. (She lives several hours away, so I can't just drop by to see
it.) She said she took it to KMart and Staples also--same problem. While
on the phone I suggested she try opening it on her PC, but she got an
error message ("jpeg file has errors" or something like that). I tried
it in my daughter's Windows 98 PC and I get the same error message. But
it opens fine on my husband's PC at work (with Windows XP). And of
course it opens and prints fine on my Mac. I burned a new CD and went to
my local WalMart to test it. It showed up on the photo machine screen,
but I didn't do a test print. (Am I correct in assuming that if I could
see it on the WalMart screen it would probably print correctly? I've
never used one of those photo machines.) I plan to mail it to her
tomorrow, but I just remembered that I converted to jpeg from a (tiff)
cmyk file. Should I have converted it from the RGB version instead--or
does the color space not matter when converting to jpeg?


Some versions of Windoze can't handle the Mac-specific data that's added
to a CD even though it's perfectly within specifications.

Try Shutterfly. You can create, preview, address, and order your
Christmas cards online.

http://www.shutterfly.com


Thanks for the recommendation, but I'm not the one who's doing
cards--the friend is. I reconverted the tiff file to jpeg, but I did it
from an RGB version this time. After all that, I read on another thread
that some PCs and photo machines can't read a file if it has *lower
case* .jpg suffix instead of .JPG! Oh well, I used lower case--I don't
want to burn another CD at this point.
  #9  
Old November 28th 04, 05:39 AM
nosredna
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article ,
Kevin McMurtrie wrote:

In article ,
nosredna wrote:

On my Macintosh, I converted a friend's wedding photo from tiff to jpeg
and burned it to a CD for a friend so she could have WalMart make it
into Christmas cards. I mailed it off to her, and three weeks later she
called and said WalMart did a test print and it "doesn't look right." I
have no idea what she means; her description over the phone didn't help
me at all. (She lives several hours away, so I can't just drop by to see
it.) She said she took it to KMart and Staples also--same problem. While
on the phone I suggested she try opening it on her PC, but she got an
error message ("jpeg file has errors" or something like that). I tried
it in my daughter's Windows 98 PC and I get the same error message. But
it opens fine on my husband's PC at work (with Windows XP). And of
course it opens and prints fine on my Mac. I burned a new CD and went to
my local WalMart to test it. It showed up on the photo machine screen,
but I didn't do a test print. (Am I correct in assuming that if I could
see it on the WalMart screen it would probably print correctly? I've
never used one of those photo machines.) I plan to mail it to her
tomorrow, but I just remembered that I converted to jpeg from a (tiff)
cmyk file. Should I have converted it from the RGB version instead--or
does the color space not matter when converting to jpeg?


Some versions of Windoze can't handle the Mac-specific data that's added
to a CD even though it's perfectly within specifications.

Try Shutterfly. You can create, preview, address, and order your
Christmas cards online.

http://www.shutterfly.com


Thanks for the recommendation, but I'm not the one who's doing
cards--the friend is. I reconverted the tiff file to jpeg, but I did it
from an RGB version this time. After all that, I read on another thread
that some PCs and photo machines can't read a file if it has *lower
case* .jpg suffix instead of .JPG! Oh well, I used lower case--I don't
want to burn another CD at this point.
  #10  
Old November 28th 04, 06:02 AM
nosredna
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

In article ,
"Alan Meyer" wrote:

"nosredna" wrote in message
...

..., but I just remembered that I converted to jpeg from a (tiff)
cmyk file. Should I have converted it from the RGB version instead--or
does the color space not matter when converting to jpeg?


If I understand it correctly, JPEG is always and only RGB. Any
conversion to JPEG would always result in RGB. You shouldn't
have to separately convert it to RGB first.

Furthermore, your computer monitor works in RGB. Someone
please jump in and correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that
when you view the CMYK image on your screen, your viewing
software has already produced an RGB version of the image.
So you know the software correctly converts CMYK to RGB.

It sounds like there is a file format problem that is not related
to the image itself. JPEG, surprisingly, is not a file format. It's
an image format that goes through further processing to become
a disk file. One disk format that's commonly used for JPEG
is JFIF. But there are others. Maybe that's the problem.

Another possibility is that CDROM readers vary in their ability
to read CDRs. Many older CDROM readers, such as those
on the older Win98 machines, are unable to read CDRs,
only the stamped/manufactured CDs.

Alan

It doesn't appear that "any conversion to jpeg would always result in
RGB," since, according to Photoshop's Mode menu, the jpeg is definitely
CMYK, presumably because I converted from a CMYK tiff. Normally I keep
my tiffs in RGB and do a "save as" if I ever need a CMYK version, but
for some crazy reason I didn't keep the RGB version of the photo in
question, and didn't think to check its color mode before converting.
The PCs I tested it in (the far away friend's who needs the jpeg and my
daughter's Win98 machine) could read the CDR but couldn't open the jpeg.
But my husband's PC (WinXP) could open the jpeg.
 




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