How to order enlargements from digital negatives?

[redgaffer]

I need to order enlargements of my wife’s artwork to be printed on canvas. I am living in Mexico and the prevailing service is Romo/Kodak. Previously I had “simply” ordered a mixed batch of 10 pictures, enlarged from digital negatives (USB) to make maximum use of the 40” stock available. The results were fine and I returned with a second order. This time the print sizes were distorted and mostly unusable. The counter service was unapologetic, insisting that I provide them with the correct data but completely unable to communicate what that data would look like. (My Spanish is weak and my wife’s sense of our dilemma was hapless.) I have since visited three other Romo stores, failing repeatedly to extract the elusive “secret” formula. I have read countless forums but it seems that this information is already assumed as the discussions move on to more technical points. Can you point me to a website or otherwise explain what information I should present/calculate with my order to get standard results?

 

[vintagesnaps]

I don't know if you mean a digital negative, those are actual physical negatives made from digital images then prints are made using traditional photo paper and chemistry. I'm not sure exactly what the stores there need to know to be able to print your images.

 

[The_Traveler]

I need to order enlargements of my wife’s artwork to be printed on canvas. I am living in Mexico and the prevailing service is Romo/Kodak. Previously I had “simply” ordered a mixed batch of 10 pictures, enlarged from digital negatives (USB) to make maximum use of the 40” stock available. The results were fine and I returned with a second order. This time the print sizes were distorted and mostly unusable. The counter service was unapologetic, insisting that I provide them with the correct data but completely unable to communicate what that data would look like. (My Spanish is weak and my wife’s sense of our dilemma was hapless.) I have since visited three other Romo stores, failing repeatedly to extract the elusive “secret” formula. I have read countless forums but it seems that this information is already assumed as the discussions move on to more technical points. Can you point me to a website or otherwise explain what information I should present/calculate with my order to get standard results?

My guess would be is that you have a digital image of your wife's art work.
Images from a camera have a specific ratio of the height and width.
So if your original art work was 4 x 4 (ignoring actual measurements) and you gave that to them to be printed on a standard size paper which is 4 x 6, the image will be distorted.

So you must correct the image by cropping it to size or adding some space so that it will print without distortion.

Since this is a lot to learn for a non-photographer, I'd be happy to do it for you.
Just click on the link to my website and send me an email and we can work out how I get the image.
In the email tell me the actual size of the file and the extension (the 3 letters after the period)

 

[WayneF]

I need to order enlargements of my wife’s artwork to be printed on canvas. I am living in Mexico and the prevailing service is Romo/Kodak. Previously I had “simply” ordered a mixed batch of 10 pictures, enlarged from digital negatives (USB) to make maximum use of the 40” stock available. The results were fine and I returned with a second order. This time the print sizes were distorted and mostly unusable. The counter service was unapologetic, insisting that I provide them with the correct data but completely unable to communicate what that data would look like. (My Spanish is weak and my wife’s sense of our dilemma was hapless.) I have since visited three other Romo stores, failing repeatedly to extract the elusive “secret” formula. I have read countless forums but it seems that this information is already assumed as the discussions move on to more technical points. Can you point me to a website or otherwise explain what information I should present/calculate with my order to get standard results?

You need to know a couple of basic facts about using digital images.

1. Aspect ratio. This is simply the ratio of the image length vs width (its shape, so to speak). 35 mm film, and also most digital DSLR cameras take a picture 1.5x wider than high, which that ratio is called 3:2.

Most compact cameras take pictures 4:3, which is closer to square, at least not as long and skinny as 3:2.

But photo paper is typically a different shape... 7x5 inches is 7:5, and 10x8 inches is 5:4, which is not the same SHAPE as most images.

The point is, a long skinny image shape like 3:2 simply will not fit on more square paper like 5:4. They are not the same shape. This is not about SIZE, size can be enlarged. It is about SHAPE, and will still be the same shape after any enlargement.

One exception is 6x4 inch paper is 3:2, so DSLR images have no issue, but all compact camera images do. Just facts of life.

So before sending it to be printed, you have to crop your image to be the same shape as the paper you will have it printed on. If you don't (if image and paper are not the same shape), then several bad choices could be automatically made. Better for you to make these decision about your images, and send them the right shape.

Said another way.... an image shape of say 20x36 inches simply will not print right on 20x30 inch paper. You have to deal with this (make it right) before you order the print.

Then 2, all you need is about 300 pixels per inch of paper where you will print it. If you will print 10x8 inches, ideally, you would provide about 3000x240 pixels. Larger work really does not need as much as 300 pixels per inch, esp if of artwork like paintings that does not have that high degree of resolution in it in the first place. Still, more pixels is always better than not enough pixels.

See Image Resize - Cropping, Resampling, Scaling for these most basic principles, and a little instruction.