System and method for remotely selecting photographic images

A method for remotely selecting and ordering photographic prints and image related services from a customer's location that is remote from a photofinisher, comprising the steps of:

• a) sending a photographic film bearing a plurality of negative images to a photofinisher;
• b) developing the photographic film to produce negative images and scanning the negative images to create a digital image fie at the photofinisher;
• c) manipulating the digital image file in a digital computer to provide a file for generating a positive display of the images in the image file along with an index number associated with each image;
• d) transmitting, upon request from a customer, the manipulated digital image file and a computer program relating to the manipulated digital image file from the photofinisher to a customer's remote location;
• e) displaying the manipulated image file along with a list of image related services on a display at the customer's remote location, the list of image related services being selected from the list of a desired number and size of prints, cropping coordinates for cropped enlargements, picture frames for the prints, a Photo CD.TM. optical disc bearing selected digital images, correspondence related to selected images, recorded audio associated with the image, and a destination for sending prints and services;
• and
• f) sending an order specifying the index number of selected images and an identification of related services from the customer's remote location to the photofinisher;
• and
• g) fulfilling the order at the photofinisher and sending the prints and services to the designated destination.

A method for remotely selecting and ordering photographic prints from a customer's location that is remote from a photofinisher, comprising the steps of:

• a) sending a photographic film bearing a plurality of latent negative images to a photofinisher;
• b) developing the photographic film to produce negative images and scanning the negative images to create a digital image fie at the photofinisher;
• c) manipulating the digital image file in a digital computer to provide a display file for generating a positive display of the images in the image file along with an index number associated with each image and storing the display file on a floppy disc;
• d) manipulating the digital image file to provide a high resolution file for printing the digital images in the digital image file on a digital image printer and storing the high resolution file on a magnetic tape;
• e) sending the display file from the photofinisher to the customer's remote location;
• f) sending the magnetic tape containing the high resolution image file to a digital image center;
• g) displaying the display file on a display device at the customer's remote location;
• h) selecting desired images for making photographic prints;
• i) transmitting the frame numbers associated with the selected images from the customer's remote location to the digital image center;
• j) making digital photographic prints of the selected images at the print center on a digital printer using the high resolution image file;
• and
• k) sending the photographic prints to a customer designated location.