More photo print outlets go digital
Sudibyo M. Wiradji, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Major photo print providers have turned to digital-print technology to take advantage of the growing trend toward digital photography.
The sale of digital cameras in the country has started to pick up lately thanks to the inflow of lower-priced digital camera models on the market. The growing trend in the use of digital cameras has inspired major photo print providers to turn to digital processing services.
"The number of customers asking for digital print services is on the rise," PT Modern Photo's digital product division general manager Elisa Wibisono said.
In addition to quicker processing, the digital print machine enables customers to play with varied images that are more than just what a camera takes. Customers are allowed to select through a computer which of the pictures are to be printed.
Modern Photo, the sole distributor of the Japan-based Fuji film brand, operates a number of digital print outlets in the country.
Other providers like Kodak and Konica, and several photography studios, including King Photo, Octopus Studio and Jelita Digital Photography Studio have also started to offer digital photo services.
The decline in the price of digital cameras, coupled with other factors, such as increasingly more-competitive digital print services, have been among the reasons why the demand for the service has been on the rise over the last two years.
When it comes to print service costs, the charge for digital imaging print services is almost comparable to conventional services. A customer using a digital camera no longer needs to buy film. "A customer requesting an additional touch-up of a processed image is another matter," Elisa said.
Like Fuji imaging print outlets and other established print service providers, several photo studios that used to send their images to print labs have also started to benefit from digital print technology.
"Starting early this year, we have our own digital print machine. This way, we can provide more varied digital print services to our customers," Octopus Studio's general manager Paula Meliana remarked.
Consequently, customers now have more options when it comes to a place for printing their digital images. Almost all Fuji imaging print service outlets in malls or plazas can print digital images. These include outlets in the Mangga Besar Mall, Pondok Indah Mall, Kelapa Gading Mall, Sarinah Department Store, Plaza Indonesia, Plaza Senayan and Taman Anggrek Mall.
Elisa of Modern Photo boasts that Fuji imaging print outlets can produce higher quality photos because they are equipped with a digital print machine that adopts the laser system. These outlets offer digital print services including wedding images, photo reproduction, name cards, images of field surveys, products and advertising.
Digital print provider Indo Lab in Cideng, West Jakarta is equipped to print from a wide range of sources, including digital cameras, hand phones, compact discs (CD) and floppy discs.
A number of photo studios such as Octopus Studio on Jl. Hayam Wuruk, Central Jakarta, Jelita Digital Art Photography on Jl. Pangeran Jayakarta, Central Jakarta, King Photo and Orchid Studio, both on Jl. Hayam Wuruk, Central Jakarta offer digital imaging services for personal purposes, such as weddings or birthday parties.
A wedding digital photo package costs an average of Rp 4 million (about US$470) for an album containing 20 photos. The cost includes the rental fee for bride and groom outfits, "mix- up", a photographer and printing services.
It takes around three weeks to complete one wedding album with 20 images. "The printing is quick, about 10 minutes per piece, but it takes more times to edit or retouch the images to meet the customer's wishes," Paula of Octopus Studio said.
At the studios, special graphic designers are hired for editing and retouching works. "They can, for instance, make the complexions of the bride and groom appear clearer, or dull eyes look shiny," she said.
Most of the studios also provide digital printing services for commercial purposes, including the printing of images for publications and product promotions.
Yahya Suryadi, owner of Jelita Digital Art Photography, said that to provide high quality images, the company has equipped its studio with a high-resolution digital camera. "With the camera, we can produce an image measuring one meter in width and two meters in length," said Yahya.
The digital printing of a 1 x 2 meter image of a newly married couple costs Rp 1 million.
Specializing in digital photo services for weddings, the studio offers their digital photo package for Rp 4.5 million. The cost includes the rental fee for bride and groom outfits, "mix- up", the photographer's fee and printing services.