Digital photography horrors

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So your photos looked great on the camera LCD, but when you print them out, your subjects have a ghoulish hue and the exposure is off. This is a common point of frustration for digital photographers, but even if you don't want to waste away in the digital darkroom, you don't have to be doomed to living in a house full of garish prints.

1. Do it the easy way. If you want to keep things simple and you either own or are considering buying recent printer and camera models, look for ones that are PictBridge-compatible. The PictBridge standard allows you to hook up a compatible camera directly to a printer that also supports the technology without going through a computer. It will also interpret the image data to produce good-looking prints. Just remember to archive your image files on your computer or a disc after you've made the prints.

2. Let someone else do it for you. Another way to get good-looking prints is to upload your images to an online photofinisher and order prints to be mailed to you. Most services will automatically correct color and exposure for the best results or provide onscreen tools for you to make adjustments yourself before ordering.

3. Get serious. If you're a more advanced photographer and are printing at home, you can ensure good results by viewing your images on a calibrated monitor and making sure you use the appropriate printer settings. Expect to spend some time fine-tuning your system and making test prints. And keep in mind that the quality of your monitor and printer will affect the predictability of your print output. This checklist will help you set up and troubleshoot your digital darkroom.