Digital printing reviews: How we test
Print quality is assessed by a viewing panel
Image is everything
We used a digital camera to take 24 photographs. Some of the images are shot in low-light conditions while others are taken in very bright light, or with a flash .
One of the images had a deliberate problem with severe under exposure, so we could see how well the processors corrected it .
Next, we took the images to be developed at six high street shops. The same images were uploaded to seven online processors – we also used a Kodak Photo Kiosk self-service machine.
Each service was tested four times over the course of a month to check for consistency. In the case of the high street stores, we went to a different branch of the same retailer each time to see how they compared.
We assess colour, contrast, sharpness, cropping and exposure
Prints Charming
Print quality is assessed by a viewing panel of keen photographers – who are first tested for colour blindness.
When assessing the photos, panelists take account of colour, contrast, sharpness, cropping and exposure.
After all the photos have been assessed, our statistician weighs up the results and works out the overall print quality rating.