Printed Photos Versus Digital Pictures

The storage method you choose for your pictures determines how you and others will view them for years to come. While pictures on CD have to be viewed on a computer, printed photos can be easily transported anywhere to be viewed at any time. However, they’re also more easily damaged than their digital counterparts. Fortunately, deciding between prints and pictures on CD is not an all-or-nothing choice. Most people strike a balance between storing pictures on CD and printing their photos.

The Advantages of Pictures on CD
Storing pictures on CD has a unique set of advantages that printed photos lack. Storage space is one obvious consideration: while a collection of prints can take up large amounts of space, the same collection of pictures on CD may only require just a few compact discs.

Pictures on CD suffer less damage than prints. Printed photos are vulnerable to water damage, discoloration due to age and everyday wear and tear. Although CDs can be damaged, pictures on CD are generally safer from the elements than prints.

Generally, digital pictures are convenient to transport and copy. Not only can you burn a CD for at a small cost, but you can also decide which pictures are good enough to print without having to pay to have them all printed, as is the case with traditional point-and-shoot cameras. People can also quickly send digital images on CDs to their loved ones via email.

Digital Pictures and Image Editing
Printed photos are static: once printed, pictures can’t be altered. Conversely, digital pictures on CD can be easily edited with imaging software such as Adobe Photoshop. Such computer programs can help you to change color pictures to black and white, remove red eyes and crop out extraneous details. The edited pictures can then be saved as new files, leaving the original pictures on CD unchanged.

Pictures on CD allow for more versatility in how we store, edit and view photos. As a result, photographers no longer have to rely on photo developers or expensive at-home darkrooms to print and manipulate pictures. If a mistake is made when editing pictures on CD, it’s easily fixed by reopening the original image file.

Traditional Camera, Digital Photos
Storing pictures on CD does not mean having to give up your traditional film camera. Although digital pictures on CD are usually associated with digital cameras, traditional camera users can also benefit from CD technology. Many photo developers now offer customers the option of having their developed pictures printed and/or copied onto CD.

The Allure of Printed Photos
While digital pictures are wonderful for storage, editing, and quick picture viewing, prints still hold a distinct allure. After all, you can’t hang a picture CD on a wall. If you want to add pictures to a family album, scrapbook or frame, they have to be available as prints.

Printed photos offer an intimacy pictures on CD lack. You can’t curl up with your spouse and flip through a CD the way you can with a photo album. Digital pictures on CD come at the expense of the personal experience available with printed photos.

Thinking of how people interact with prints highlights how pictures on CD will never fully replace printed photos. The ability to framed prints gives them an edge over digital technology.

Prints are tactile, tangible items that quickly render nostalgia and sentimental memories. Think of how many people keep photos of their children in their wallets or purses, ready to be shared with friends, family and even strangers.

The current rage for scrapbooking and album-making also testifies to the enduring nature of prints. Although digital scrapbooks are available online, a physical scrapbook made by hand implies a labor of love that is missing from the cut and paste online photo album.

Balancing Pictures of CD and Prints
A good computer printer can produce prints similar in quality to that of professionally developed photographs. If image quality is an issue, pictures on CD can be taken to a photo-developing store, many of which now allow customers to edit their digital pictures and make prints on professional quality printers right in the store.

So which is better, pictures on CD or printed photos? The answer depends on circumstances: CDs for storage and editing, prints for enjoyment and nostalgia.

Digital Pictures and Frames
While you can’t hang pictures on CD in a frame, new technology is blurring the line between prints and digital photos. Digital picture frames that can display a slideshow of your favorite pictures are now available. Some even connect to the Internet so you can upload pictures to the frame from anywhere in the world. The down side to digital picture frames? At present, good quality digital frames are quite expensive, averaging $250 per frame.