What file size do I need?

This chart was created to assist you in determining what file size is ideal for scanning and printing. Although it is sometimes possible to enlarge a 200dpi file, please note that all methods of printing technology at A&I require either a 300dpi or 400dpi file and therefore we usually recommend a scan no smaller than the appropriate size. If you have specific questions about a particular job, please call your nearest A&I or email our digital department at digital@aandi.com.

Can I print my image full frame?

Full frame means that every part of a negative or digital file is visible on a print. The best way to get a true full-frame print is to order a custom drum scan (from negatives) and/or a custom enlargement.
Many photographers compose critically within their viewfinder then wonder why the image on a 4x6 proof print isn't exactly as they saw it. The reason for this is that most automated scan & print machines (e.g., Fuji Frontier, Noritsu, etc.) do not make true full-frame prints. Rather, they crop very slightly into an image. This is why photographers who want their entire image to be visible opt for custom prints, whether they are done in a darkroom or a high-end digital printer like the Lightjet or Giclée.

Do you offer large volume discounts?

While costs of doing business in the heart of Hollywood and the cost of technology in our industry have sky-rocketed over the last several years, A&I's pricing has stayed highly competitive to other labs that do not provide anywhere near the level of innovation, creativity or service that A&I has come to be famous for. For this reason, we do not offer any discounts other than to very large commercial accounts.
Many of our printing methods allow for a marked down price on additional prints ordered. If you plan on placing a large volume order, please contact the customer service manager at your nearest A&I for pricing and turnaround.

How do I prepare my file for Inkjet printing?

A&I does not require a profile for Inkjet printing, but we do have some suggestions for color space.

-sRGB and Camera RGB produce a standard neutral color output
-Adobe RGB 1998 produces more saturated and vivid color

What is a Digital C print?

This is a photographic Type-C print made from a digital file. The Lambda takes a digital file and uses an extremely fine laser to expose traditional Type-C photographic paper. The paper is then developed in traditional darkroom chemistry. The result is an amazing true photographic print that is unsurpassed in sharpness, color accuracy and reproduction of detail while achieving the ultimate in image fidelity. A&I's Lambda is capable of prints from 8” x 10” up to 4’ x 10’. A&I prints exclusively on papers which have proven to be the absolute best available for this process. Independent research has shown these papers to last 60+ years without noticeable fading.

How do I submit my digital files to A&I and place an order?

Uploading and ordering is available for many of our services. Click the links below to begin:

Custom Lightjet or Giclée

Direct-To-Print Lightjet or Giclée

Machine Prints

Photo Books

What is the difference between Direct-To-Print and Custom Printing ?

Direct-to-Print automatically directs your self-prepared digital files to the Lightjet. Because there is no file prep work or other labor costs on our part, we are able to offer our clients a very low price for these high-quality photographic prints. It is easy to setup and upload your file for Direct to Print if you are comfortable color correcting your own image and you have a well-calibrated digital workstation. Click here for more info on Direct-To-Print. Custom Lightjet prints include file sizing, minor color correction and cropping. Test prints are available at Direct-To-Print prices.

How do I prep a file for "Direct-To-Print"?

1. Color correct your image.
A calibrated monitor is necessary for color accuracy. For Digital C (Lambda) printing, sRGB’s gamut will often be a closer representation of the colors that the photographic papers will be able to produce. For Inkjet printing, we recommend your working space be Adobe 1998. There is no color profiling necessary. However, if you wish to soft-proof your images for Lambda prints, you may download the appropriate profile. If you are unfamiliar with the Direct-to-Print process, we recommend ordering an 8x10 print as a test before ordering large format prints or large quantities of Direct to Prints.
2. Size your file for printing.
Your file must be uploaded at the output size, complete with any desired borders. There are dpi file requirements based on the optimal performance of the printers:
     Files submitted for Digital C (Lambda) prints must be saved at either 200dpi (allowing for larger printing capabilities) or 400dpi (maintaining greater sharpness and detail).
     Files for Inkjet printing must be saved and submitted at 300dpi.
3. Log onto A&I Prints to upload and order.
A&I Prints is an online portal where you can upload images, pay for prints and request store pickup or shipping. Direct-to-Print is now an online service only - orders placed in-store will incur a $20 service fee.

Direct-to-print service does not include:

• Testing
• Color correction
• Sizing
• Adding Borders
• Revisions
• Spotting
• Re-dos

For these services, please visit the Custom Lightjet or Custom Archival Pigment Print section.

If you still have questions, please feel free to contact us.

To meet our criteria for Fiber services, your job must fall within the following guidelines:

• The maximum image size is 48" tall by 120" long.
• The recommended working space is the sRGB color space.
• Please set your file to the following specifications: Files must be in RGB Mode, 8 Bit with all layers flattened.
• Files in TIFF or JPEG format MUST BE either 200 or 400 dpi.
• No special characters or spaces in the filenames.
• To maintain details in your highlights: In Photoshop, before you color correct, you should set your Levels aim points as: black at 0 and white at 245. This setting deters from blowing out the details in your highlights. However, this setting is not a requirement.
• For best results, we suggest that set your monitor at: Gamma 2.2, D6500 (6500 Kelvin)
• We suggest that you use the sRGB IEC61966-2.1 profile, which is included in your Adobe Photoshop software. We recommend that you first convert to Grayscale which is Dot Grain 20% to discard all the color information and then convert back to sRGB IEC61966-2.1.

How long does A&I keep my order?

A&I will keep all orders for 90 days. After that period of time, A&I will notify you that your order is here. If no response is made, the order will be destroyed.

Why doesn't my Direct-To-Print match my monitor?

There are several reasons why a DTP may not match what is on your monitor. The answers below are the most common sources of trouble and are imperative when setting up your digital workstation.

Calibrating your monitor is the first and perhaps the most important step in setting up a digital workstation. The monitor image is the only view you have of a digital file, and the quality of all image retouching depends on how accurately the monitor displays it. If this starting point is off in the beginning, everything that follows will also be off.

There are a few programs designed to help you calibrate your monitor. Pantone's Optical costs about $200 and is a great option for someone who requires very accurate, precise color representation. X-rite’s Eye One for $150 also works well. Lightsurf Technologies Colorific at about $50 is a more affordable color-matching and color calibration system.

The second reason why a print may not match your monitor has to do with the workspace. Adobe 1998 is a large gamut workspace, meaning that it includes a spectrum of colors that extends into very bright saturated tones. These tones may be easily represented by your monitor, but may not be within the gamut of the paper you've chosen to print on. The sRGB gamut will often be a closer representation of the colors that most papers will be able to produce. Try correcting your files in the sRGB workspace and see if your final file prints better.

In the end, we still say it’s worth it to run an 8x10 test print for $10. A&I’s paper calibration is very consistent so if you order a test and make corrections from it, you will find that the changes will be accurate. It is always better to work from a print than to only work from a monitor. Please also consider the lights that you use to view the test. Soft, indirect daylight is the most neutral, or you may want to consider purchasing balanced light bulbs for print viewing.

What is the difference between DPI and PPI?

Most people heard the term DPI. In most cases the term is used in the wrong context to express the number of pixels in a photo, the number of dots in a print or the maximum dots per inch a printer can output. A relatively new term PPI was introduced in order to resolve this wrong usage of the term DPI. In this article we will try to explain in simple words what is DPI and what is PPI and should each be used.

PPI: stands for Pixels per Inch. PPI describes the number of pixels per inch in a photo. PPI is a function of the number of pixels the camera’s sensor supports (also known as megapixels) and the size of the photo. To calculate a photo’s PPI simply multiply the page length by its width in inches. The result is the number of square inches on the page. Now divide the number of pixels the sensor supports by the number of square inches. The result is the number of pixels per square inch. All that is left to do is to find the square root of this number. Following is a table that shows the PPI for various page sizes for a 5 megapixel camera.

page size 4X6 - 456 PPI
page size 5X7 - 377 PPI
page size 8X10 - 250 PPI
page size 11X14 - 180 PPI
page size 16X20 - 125 PPI
page size 20X30 - 91 PPI

DPI: stands for Dots per Inch. DPI is really a physical characteristic of a printer. Every printer prints dots that when put next to each other comprise a photo. Each dot has a physical size. DPI is also known as the maximum resolution that a printer is capable of. Low-end printers have lower DPI while high-end printers have higher DPI. DPI is defined as the number of dots a printer can print per inch. For example if a printer supports 1200 DPI it means that the printer can print 1200 dots per inch (on both X or Y axis). When printing it is important to make sure that the DPI is higher or equal to the PPI. If the DPI is lower than the PPI the printer will not be able to fully display the high resolution of the photo. When printing a photo that has a lower PPI than DPI the printer will use multiple dots to represent one pixel. As opposed to PPI, DPI is not relative to the page size. DPI is a fixed number for a given printer.