Making Prints

Just out of curiosity, where do you guys usually make your prints? I'm a newly certified teacher in New York struggling to find a job; because of this, I'm working as a Photo Tech at a local pharmacy chain, which I have worked in for quite a few years now. I've made a few prints there during slow business hours and noticed that the quality is not as great as I would have expected! Any suggestions? Thanks!

Prints 13X19 or smaller I print myself with an Epson Photo 1400 printer. Anything larger I have done at Costco.
Honestly, I am satisfied with the results and the prices are very reasonable. I picked up a 20X30 luster print last night for less than $10.00 including tax!

Hope this helps.

Pete

Cosco is good, Walmart does a decent job as does Sam's. For just a quick "I want to see it on paper" prints I use Walgreens. I don't use my printer as it costs so much in ink and paper. Cheaper for me to go to the store.

My photo instructor swears by Sam's club. I print my own ( 8 x 10 or smaller) on my HP photosmart printer. Ritz does a good job but they are ridiculously expensive. I hope to get a bigger format printer one day. (I hear good things about Canon and Epson) I should also renew my Costco membership... I do not recommend the 1 hour printing at Walmart.. at least the one by me did a horrible job. They cut them wrong and the colors were off...

Im sorry but I could never present "walmart, costco, sams, or home printed" prints to a paying client. For personal use, sure, but never for professional use. So I guess it depends on who you are printing for. To use a high quality print lab does not cost that much more than the chain places, but you get what you pay for. Higher quality prints on higher quality paper. Not to mention little things like personal copyright info on the backs of the images.

I only do 11X14 and I get them at Wal Mart. Sometimes I have to get them to reprint (marks,lines,etc.), but overall they do a pretty good job. Anything smaller I print off myself on my printer.

I've gotten 5x7 stuff done in the past at a local Walgreens. (drug store in my area) I ordered everything online and then picked them up down the street within the hour. They came out really good.

^^I too use walgreens for quick 4x6's, like when I photograph my kids at one of their events, and my mother inlaw asks for the pics (she isnt too digital)...and they are decent and cheap. If you want superb quality though....seek a pro lab. I can't preach about this enough.

All of those big dollar camera's and lenses mean nothing when the prints have lines in them, or aren't as clear as they should be, on average paper, cut wrong etc.

Well I can totally understand going to a professional photo lab (use to work at one)
If you are doing photography for a living, you want the best for your customer.
Those of us doing it as a hobby, commercial outlets seem fine. I am pretty fussy and make sure they are right, but it is true you get what you pay for…lol.

Yeah, thats why I said, it depends on who the photo is for....if its for me, walgreens is fine....for the customer, no way

jengajoh said:

My photo instructor swears by Sam's club. I print my own ( 8 x 10 or smaller) on my HP photosmart printer. Ritz does a good job but they are ridiculously expensive. I hope to get a bigger format printer one day. (I hear good things about Canon and Epson) I should also renew my Costco membership... I do not recommend the 1 hour printing at Walmart.. at least the one by me did a horrible job. They cut them wrong and the colors were off...

Click to expand...

Jen, check out Nations, they have great prices, do odd sizes like stitched 12X36 etc and their cost is very fair. I am very pleased with Nations.

WALGREENS gets my stuff

"MY" WAL-MART Kiosk- Horrible, never again, don't even want to talk about it, done on a HP printer in a box. A super center is 30 minuntes away, afraid to try that but different set up something close to Walgreen's setup.

So lets take this thread a step further

What Pro labs do you recommend? So far we have:

RITZ CAMERA
NATIONS PHOTO LAB

Rick

Ritz Camera here is known as Ripps Camera. They will NEVER have another crack at me. Neither will Wolf Camera.

Suffice to say that I got screwed, but never got the kiss.

Pete

Ok, I will come out with it.. lol.....I use White House Custom Color exclusively. Pro Photo Lab: Photo Prints, Press Printed, Press Books | WHCC
You have to be a member/client. Its free. Its kind of a process to get set up, but worth it. You will get/download their own little ordering program which allows you to see your prints and adjust them for certain sizes etc, add different options, and submit the order all at once. Each photo is copyrighted with your name on the back, Pricing is GREAT, and I think it is if you spend over $13 you get free 2 day shipping. They have every print option available, gift wrapping and drop shipping. Oh and quality is top notch to say the least, as is their packaging and service.

Your welcome. lol.

Yibel said:

Jen, check out Nations, they have great prices, do odd sizes like stitched 12X36 etc and their cost is very fair. I am very pleased with Nations.

Click to expand...

They are actually next on my list to try, thanks!

Hello -

Only being in photography for roughly 18 months now, I have used Ritz/Wolf Camera quite a bit for more of my preview print shots prior to sending my prints to Nations Photo Lab for the larger print, printing needs. My experience with Nations has been of sufficient quality results. Not such good results when it comes to framing my prints - so have gone with Frame Warehouse for my framing, of which completely satisfied.

But as previously mentioned by others, depending on your need and whom the end product is used and/or going to, just depends on what kind of results and/or money you want to put out.

Not much use to some of you, but for cheap 6x4's I will use the HP inkjet I own, for almost anything I need doing right I use Snapfish, they evolved out of proper film labs into digital and the knowledge shows in their prints, I use them to print out photos that I want, and used them for my 2 ever customers, both of whom were delighted

Use to work in a Walmart lab years ago (back when I was 18 and digital didn't exist) and can say this, the kiosk sucks!!! I hate the crappy paper. I also hated Walmart's send out service, I don't think that even exists anymore, but I haven't taken a roll of film in since the 90s, lol. For personal shots (which is all I do currently) I use their lab in the store. If I were to do any professional shots, I would go to a professional lab. We have a center here in Charleston that does prints and I would take mine there.

I also worked at Ritz/Wolf (same company) and I didn't care for their processing at all either. Once again I hated the paper. I however do not like "glossy" prints. Not sure if that's what they still use or not, but they did when I worked there. I prefer the semi-matte finish.

AxeMan said:

WALGREENS gets my stuff

"MY" WAL-MART Kiosk- Horrible, never again, don't even want to talk about it, done on a HP printer in a box. A super center is 30 minuntes away, afraid to try that but different set up something close to Walgreen's setup.

So lets take this thread a step further

What Pro labs do you recommend? So far we have:

RITZ CAMERA
NATIONS PHOTO LAB

Rick

Click to expand...

I often use Costco here in Sherbrooke. The service is usually very fast (20-30 minutes) and the quality OK. I tried them for 11x14 and was not 100% happy. But for quick 4x6 for family or friends, I wouldn't hesitate to use them.

I have a couple of labs I use almost exclusively:

Blue Cube Imaging
Online Printing - Blue Cube Imaging

Prices are fair and reasonable, the quality is consistent (and awesome).
The metallic prints are a bit better than Bay Photo, therefore all of my art print work goes there.

I've started experimenting with a new process for which I use Bay Photo Labs.

Bay Photo Labs
Bay Photo Lab — Professional Photo Printing | Digital Prints, Photo Canvas, MetalPrints, ThinWraps, Albums, Books, ROES

We've had one of our images printed on METAL. Printed directly on the aluminum substrate, this gives the print an entirely different feel and dimension.
From this print, we have a frame guy up the street (walking distance) build us a custom "floating" frame. The result is pretty amazing. Not cheap by any means, but the effect is worth it if you're looking to go to a nice gallery with your work.

If we're doing general work, up to 13" x 19" we have the Canon Pixma Pro 9000 inkjet printer with a nice selection of art papers.