Advice on getting photos printed

Ok I'm trying to figure out which place to order prints from. As I think in long run will be cheaper and easier than own printer.
So I sent a few to Snapfish to check them out. A few were phone pix which I expected to be lesser quality, but most were from nikon d3100, so expected them to look Good. NOT, they are very grainy and crappy quality. So would this be snapfish quality or would this be something I am doing wrong? I am in no way trying to be a professional, just do this as a hobby. But would like to be able to get good, reasonably priced prints for me and any friends who would like them. So either need recommendations on place to have processed or advice on what I may be doing to pictures to make them lesser quality.
I always shoot at highest level under raw. Pictures I send to paper look great even if he crops out a certain portion. The ones I was most disappointed in were taken broad daylight at start of football game as son ran through the starting lineup. Very grainy and I know they were taken with d3100.
Sorry so long and TIA for any advice.
Tina

Where are you? I can recommend a great printer here in the UK.

I have used Walgreens for a lot of prints. They run sales all the time for enlargements and if you don't like the results, they'll take it back. It's much less expensive than printing your own. You can send your photos online.

I'm in USA.

I like nations

I feel if they printed grainy the grain was there to start with....
Can you post a few with exif data intact then we may be able to help..

how do I post with EXIF data intact?

I guess I'd be curious about the graniness. Have you tried sending one or two of the same JPG files to Walgrens, or even Walmart to see if their processing also produces this graniness. I like being able to plug in my mem stick and pick only the 4 or 5 I want printed and that's it. Unless I go really big, it is inexpensive.

If you are getting grainy prints with a DSLR something is amiss unless you had it set up to do that. I would wager it is whoever is printing them in this case.

JPEG original out of the camera

What I wonder is: How did you send the files to the printer? Were they compressed? This could be the culprit.

I use Costco and just get there with my CF or SD card, plug it in their computer and 20 minutes later, I've got prints. I like their quality and can talk to the person that does them and give him specific instructions as well.

Even my high ISO jpegs are smoother than a babies butt.

Fork said:

Where are you? I can recommend a great printer here in the UK.

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yes plz fork, looking into getting some prints here in the UK :0

I'm going to chime in on the opposite side and say don't bother sending them to anyone, do the printing yourself. High quality printers are fairly cheap and do an amazing job. I have an Epson R2000 that delivers prints that easily match the output of all but the highest end prints out there. I bought my Epson for $300 after a $100 rebate which in the world of photography is not much money at all. And let me tell you, having the ability to proof your prints, switch out paper, add or subtract grain, color and sharpening so that you have the ideal print is invaluable. I mean, we spend so much time perfecting our photography, getting the lighting, the shading, the sharpening all just right so to pass it on to a lab tech just doesn't follow the original train of thought that went into the making of the image.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing anyone or trying to hurt anyone's feelings that doesn't do their own printing, that's not my point at all. Rather I'd like to encourage people to take on the challenge and start printing their own photos. You'll find it's as equally challenging and rewarding as taking the image in the first place. Making your own prints is a real creative journey and in the end when you hold that image in your hand and it's a perfect as you could possibly make it, it's like the adventure has come full circle and you own that image in every conceivable way. Taking paper and ink into consideration, the typical print will cost you around 15 cents each. So depending upon how often and how much you print out you'll easily make back the cost of the printer in not time at all.

I'm actually going to send same picture to several and see what happens. I just never dreamed that pictures taken with this camera could ever be like this. So I just sent a random 10 off thinking I was checking time and customer service stuff like that. Never dreamed D3100 pictures wouldn't be great anywhere printed. I've printed some at home, and at pharmacy kiosk that looked good if ink and paper were good. Have taken card into Walmart and they were good too.

How would you set up a picture to be grainy, maybe I'm doing that without realizing it. I'm fairly new to this hobby.

And eventually I probably will go back to printing my own. But not till I know I have an excellent cost efficient printer picked. Been through to many in last few years.

Ok just went back through the pictures. It either has to be something I've done or they have because some pictures are from phone, some from d3100, some from cheap little kodak and one from a friends camera and none of them look right.

I've had up to 1600 photos printed in one go by Harvey Norman here in Australia...No problems..

They have a you beaut Fuji printer that cost several hundred thousand dollars..

I have used Redbubble and the quality is good. Both canvas and print.

muzza22au said:

I have used Redbubble and the quality is good. Both canvas and print.

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Do you do Redbubble Scott...