By Kim Komando
Gannett news service

When you want fast, professional prints of digital images, step up to the photo kiosk.

The kiosks are usually self-standing machines with touch-screen monitors.

They accept photo CDs and memory cards from digital cameras. Some models also have built-in scanners to make copies of prints.

Previously, photo kiosks were seen only in camera stores. Now they are finding their way into drugstores, discount retailers, supermarkets, malls and copy shops.

Last year, there were about 50,000 photo kiosks in the United States from several manufacturers.

Fujifilm, Kodak, Polaroid and Sony, to name a few, have their own versions.

After you insert your digital media, you are given options. You can print each picture stored, a select few or even just one. You can also print multiple copies of one picture.

Most kiosks offer the option to print in a variety of sizes.

Wallet-size, 4-by-6-, 5-by-7- and 8-by-10-inch prints are usually offered.

When you have traditional film developed, you get the good, the bad and the truly atrocious.

But kiosks let you edit your digital pictures before they are printed. Most offer editing techniques such as zooming in on a particular part of the picture.

You can also crop a photo, remove red-eye and correct color and contrast.

This is all accomplished using arrows and keys on the touch-screen monitor.

The correction software on the kiosks is not as good as using a high-end digital-imaging software program, such as Adobe Photoshop, on your home computer. You won't be able to do major fixes. However, the possibilities cover most day-to-day issues.

You can also get creative with photos by framing with different borders or adding text.

Pricing is set by the stores that host the kiosks.

In general, expect to pay 30 to 40 cents for a 4-by-6-inch print, about $2 for a 5-by-7 and about $6 for an 8-by-10.

I recently tried out Fujifilm's Printpix (www.digitalcameradeveloping.com), Kodak's Picture Maker (www.kodak.com) and Sony's ImageStation (www.sony.com). I found them easy to use and capable of producing high-quality pictures.

All three are surprisingly fast. Most will produce a 4-by-6-inch print in a matter of seconds. Even the slowest-printing kiosks are faster than one-hour developing shops. It takes only a few minutes to print 24, 4-by-6-inch prints.

Quality is just as good as having film developed.

Photo kiosks are perfect for do-it-yourselfers and those who want instant results. To find the nearest kiosk, go to the manufacturers' Web sites for listings. Because different stores may have different features, it's best to call ahead to ensure they have what you want.

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With reporting by Ted Rybka.