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Here we answer the most frequently asked questions about Bay Photo Lab Products and Services. For answers to questions not listed here, please feel free to contact us.
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What do Bay Photo's internet print services do for me?
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Bay Photo internet print services allow you to have digital images from your digital camera or scanner printed on traditional Photographic paper. The paper we use is the same high qualiy photographic paper that your regular 35mm photos are printed on. And, you can order prints and photo templates from your home computer with easy to use software. |
What kind of software do I need to use Bay Photo internet print services? |
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On this web site, you can download any of the three free BAY PHOTO applications. Once you install or download these applications, you will be lead through an easy, intuitive process to first select then prepare the images you want printed. Once you have selected the images and chosen the prints you want, your computer will connect to our secure server and upload your images to our digital print center. Check out the online DEMOS to get a better idea of how the processes work. |
Which of Bay Photo's Digital Ordering Solutions should I start with? |
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We highly recommend Bay ExpressPrints to any digital camera user who wants easy access to high-quality digital prints. Bay ExpressPrints makes it easy to quickly order prints, templates, and proofs of all sizes, or to assemble elegant albums. Learn more about ExpressPrints >> |
Important Information About Starting ExpressPrints |
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Java may take several seconds to start up and initially retrieve the resources it needs to run. If a link is clicked repeatedly, this delay will only increase, as several instances of the application will start up. If you visit the Bay Photo ExpressPrints Launch page and your hard drive starts running, then Java is starting up. |
Important Details About Entering Customer Information in ExpressPrints |
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It is very important that you do not use special characters when filling out the Customer Information form in ExpressPrints. Special characters include the following: & < > ' " |
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Node is a term for a layout box that is created on a template, and can be defined to contain text or an image. A node can also be empty, and used to display a stroke, fill, or other layout element. If some nodes in a product are left empty, the ADD TO ORDER button will be grayed out. Hold dow the ALT key (Windows) or OPTION key (Mac) to ADD WITH EMPTY. View ExpressPrints Tutorials >> |
ExpressPrints Navigation Terms |
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Click here for a description of ExpressPrints Navigation Terms. |
ExpressPrints Alt/Option Key Functions |
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In ExpressPrints, pressing the ALT key (Windows) or OPTION key (Mac) changes the base functions of the buttons in the IMAGE EDITING AREA and CONTROL PANEL. Learn more >> |
Important Information About File Names
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It is very important that you do not use special characters when naming image files that will be used with Bay ExpressPrints. Special characters include the following: & < > ' " |
What kind of pictures can I upload? |
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In our current releases we support JPEG format. Please keep in mind that not every digital image you may have on your computer will yield a good quality print. There may be problems with resolution or file size that limit the level of quality that is possible. Some of our applications will alert you with a warning each time it may detect a possible deficiency in your picture. |
What should I do to prepare images for printing? |
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The main thing is that images you upload should have a sufficient number of pixels and color depth. The number of pixels in a digital image is the primary factor that determines the final quality once it is printed. Learn more >> |
How can I upload images from my Digital Camera? |
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Your digital camera is supplied with software and connection cables that allow you to transfer the photos from the the camera to your computer. Refer to your camera's manual for instructions on how to download images to your computer. |
Can I print scanned images? |
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A scanner can be an excellent way to digitize your images. The only thing you should keep in mind is to scan with enough resolution to yield a good quality print. You should be careful, however, not to send in a scan with too much resolution. A file that is too large will take too much time to upload. A good rule of thumb is to try to scan a file with a resolution between 800 x 600 and 1024 x 768 for standard size prints. This will give you a trade-off between quality, disk space and modem transmission time. Select JPEG as the file format to save the scanned image as. Refer to the Resolution Guide for more info.
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Can I print Grayscale images (Black & White)? |
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Yes, grayscale images are acceptable. |
Are GIF files good enough to be printed? |
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Due to its limited color palette and good image compression, the GIF file format is widely used for certain types of graphics on the Web. The main limitation for images that will be printed onto photo paper, however, is that GIF images are limited to a maximum of 256 colors. This makes them unsuitable for the subtle tones and gradations that are found in continuos tone photographic images. |
What is an image histogram? |
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A histogram is a very powerful measuring tool that graphically represents the data within an image file. Having an understanding of a histogram will enhance your camera's exposure which determines the pixel values of your image. Having properly exposed images is the #1 thing to improve color management. Learn more >> |
Why do some of my images look like color negatives when added to nodes in ExpressPrints? |
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Some image editing programs (Breeze Browser, etc.) can cause this when they are used to rotate images or perform some other functions. The images are sent to Bay Photo properly, and will print without problems. To fix the way the images appear in ExpressPrints, open the images in Photoshop and do a "Save As" to save a new copy of the file. A Photoshop Batch Action can be used to automate this process. We recommend checking that the problem exists in ExpressPrints before re-saving the files as the problem is not necessarily consistent. |
What Print size and Print finishing option can I select?
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All of our applications let you select the number of prints, the size and the paper surface. |
Why don't some fonts display correctly in ExpressPrints? |
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ExpressPrints uses the fonts on your local system, so if the exact font is not installed on your computer, you will not see a correct representation of the text in ExpressPrints. The font will print correctly when sent to Bay Photo Lab, however. Always refer to the sample graphics in the Options Palette when choosing a font. |
Why aren't some images held when I move between templates in ExpressPrints? |
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Each node has its own identifying number, and though the node numbers may appear to be the same from template to template, this is not always the case. One template may have nodes 1, 2, and 3, while another very similar template has nodes 10001, 10002, and 10003. If two nodes have different node numbers, ExpressPrints does not recognize them as being the same node, and will not hold the images from template to template. |
Why is the ADD TO ORDER button grayed out in ExpressPrints? |
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In ExpressPrints, pressing the ALT key (Windows) or OPTION key (Mac) changes the base functions of the buttons in the IMAGE EDITING AREA and CONTROL PANEL. Learn more >> |
What is the average time needed to upload an order? |
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Several factors will determine how long it takes your images to upload. The modem speed you are using, the quality of your internet connection, the level of "traffic" on the internet at the time you are uploading, and the file size and quantity of the images you are sending are all elements that figure in the length of time it will take to send us your order.
Although it is difficult to tell you exactly how much time the upload will take, here are some results we have achieved in "normal conditions":
A 640 x 480 picture of size 41K with a 14,400 baud connection took 28 seconds
A 640 x 480 picture of size 41K with a 28,800 baud connection took 14 seconds
A 858 x 614 picture of size 61K with a 14,400 baud connection took 42 seconds
A 858 x 614 picture of size 61K with a 28,800 baud connection took 21 seconds
A 1536 x 1024 picture of size 161K with a 14,400 baud connection took 1 minute 52 seconds
A 1536 x 1024 picture of size 161K with a 28,800 baud connection took 56 seconds |
Is there a file size limit for ExpressPrints orders? |
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Yes, individual ExpressPrints orders can be no larger than 4 gigabytes. |
Why did my order stop sending partially through the transmission? |
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Sometimes a computer's power save (or sleep mode) settings can interfere with sending orders in ExpressPrints. When power save kicks in, the hard drive stops, and the transmission fails. To solve this, turn off power save on your computer. Learn More >> |
How do I resend an ExpressPrints order to Bay Photo Lab? |
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ExpressPrints stores copies of your sent orders for 7 days. If your order transmission fails, or if you want to resend an order to Bay Photo Lab, you can access your old orders by clicking on the QUEUE button. Learn More >> |
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Most web-based issues can be resolved with a simple clearing of your Java and browser caches. It is very important to know how to perform these procedures. Learn more >> |
Running ExpressPrints with a Firewall Installed |
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Firewall's may prevent ExpressPrints from retrieving the files from the internet that it needs to run. Firewall's may need to be disabled. If Java is completely installed and a dialog appears stating that print sizes or other items can't be found, a firewall may be interfering. |
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Occasionally problems can be solved by updating the version of Java running on your computer. Learn more >> |
ExpressPrints won't Launch. What should I do? |
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If ExpressPrints won't launch, first try to launch it from the Bay Photo ExpressPrints Launch page, instead of the desktop link. The Java Web Start cache may have become corrupted or out of date, and when this happens the desktop link can behave unexpectedly. If you still have trouble or appear to be launching an old version, you can empty the Java Web Start cache and download the application again from the Bay Photo ExpressPrints Launch page. |
I tried everything you suggested, and ExpressPrints still won't launch. What should I do now? |
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On rare occasions, PC users will continue to experience problems launching ExpressPrints even after emptying the caches as described above. A complete uninstall and re-launch of Java is necessary to restore your Java settings. Learn more >> |
What do I do if I encounter an unexpected error or behavior while using ExpressPrints? |
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If you encounter other unexpected errors or behavior, an error file called "roeslog.log" is saved on your computer. Please email this file to us so we can analyze it to determine what happened. Learn more >> |
Problems Running ExpressPrints on Mac OSX |
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Some ExpressPrints users will experience a drop in performance or other problems while running the application on Mac OSX. Learn more about troubleshooting ExpressPrints on Mac OSX >> |
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Java is a programming language used in numerous cross-platform applications. Visit Sun's website to learn more >> |
How do I "Copy and Paste"? |
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Learning how to "copy and paste" is a vital skill for anyone who wants to use their computer efficiently. Learn more >> |
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Learning common keyboard shortcuts can help to speed up routine computer actions and make your workflow more efficient. Learn more >> |
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