Quality Control and Kodak Photo CDs

David Y Allen (mailto:DYALLEN@CCMAIL.SUNYSB.EDU)
Thu, 16 Mar 1995 15:21:22 -0500

Message-Id: <mailto:199503162050.OAA11983@library.wustl.edu>
Date:         Thu, 16 Mar 1995 15:21:22 -0500
From: David Y Allen <mailto:DYALLEN@CCMAIL.SUNYSB.EDU>
Subject:      Quality Control and Kodak Photo CDs
To: Multiple recipients of list IMAGELIB

               State University of New York at Stony Brook
                       Stony Brook, NY 11794-3331

David Y Allen Library-Reference 516 632-7110 16-Mar-1995 03:05pm EST FROM: DYALLEN TO: Remote Addressee ( mailto:_imagelib@listserv.arizona.edu )

Subject: Quality Control and Kodak Photo CDs

The issue of quality control appears to be a serious one for those who are using Kodak Photo CDs. I, too, found that some of the Photo CD images were of questionable quality when I took my slides to the local camera store for processing. It is particularly troublesome that it is often difficult to tell whether a problem is a result of poor lab work, poor photography, inadequate computer equipment, or some combination of the above. I have read articles in photographic magazines indicating that the quality control problem is widespread, and that some labs have better reputations than others.

Is Kodak, or anybody else, doing something to deal with these problems? Is there any way of diagnosing a Photo CD to see if poor lab work caused problems? Is there any remedy for poor lab work short of going to another lab? Has anyone made an effort to evaluate labs and monitor their quality? Or at least issue guidlines to keep people from getting burned? Of course, users of conventional photographic labs face similar problems, but they are easier to diagnose and recognize when you are not dealing with digital transformations of photographic images. Unless something can be done to ensure more consistent quality control, it will discourage the use of Kodak Photo CD for serious work.