Hey folks, ... we need your help!
(Update: WOW, thank you for all these ideas! Please keep them coming for those who want to use this for reference in the future. I REALLY appreciate your willingness to help. How about you pros out there? We could still use more ideas on specialty printing services.)
Angela from West Virginia Treasures recently requested some help from me in one of her comments to another post.
Angela asked me where I get my photos printed. She has had recent trouble with the WalMarts, Targets and Walgreens photo reproductions and would like to know where some of you would go if you needed a better quality. Do any of you have experience with a higher quality photo company?
You might think I could answer this type of question ... but I hardly ever get photo finishing done as I keep double and triple backups of electronic production only. The walls in my house are full of family pictures and wall real estate becomes precious for those type of photos. One day I will get a huge wall tv only for the purpose of scrolling photos that I have taken over the years.
Can any of you tell us what you have done to get higher quality reproductions? Any recommendations on professional quality productions? Perhaps you know someone that print on more than just photo paper? Names and phone numbers would be very helpful if they are a nation-wide service.
Thanks for your help!
NikonSniper Steve
25 comments:
Has she tried Shutterfly??? I use Walgreen's as well and have not had any trouble. But, Shutterfly does a really good job too!! I just like the fact that I can get my photos in an hour, especially when I need them for a scrapbooking assignment.
My husband recently used Precision Camera in Austin Texas for a commission job he did for a medical office. They did really nice work very reasonably. Their phone number is 1-800-677-1023. He said that Snapfish does a decent job also. Hope that helps! Kat
Try Ritz or Wolf Camera, if they are in your area.
I have an Epson Artisan 800 printer, and it does a great job of printing quick drying photos on Epson photo paper! The images come out so clear, it's amazing! I rarely need to get them printed elsewhere, unless I need a special size.
WHCC.com
Millers.com
I print mine on the Sams Club website. The gloss def looks higher quality also. Hope that helps!
I use Shutterfly too... for prints and photo books.
[www.shutterfly.com/]
Before we all went digital... I used a company called Clark Color Labs[www.clarkcolor.com/] There quality and service was tops then I had kind of forgotten about them.
What I like about Shutterfly is their pre-paid print plans and they can do just about anything photo related from large format prints to Holiday Cards to Stationery and all sorts of gifts.
ToOdLeS.
Thank you so much for doing a post about my question to you NikonSniper Steve! I really appreciate it!
Thanks to all of those who have gave all of the different suggestions as to where I can get my pictures printed! I will be trying them out.
Have a Great Week!
Angela
Well, good morning!
I have a printing company...but it is in Romania! ha ha ...Sorry!
Good luck this week to all of you...and I wish you great light!
Best regards!
I found it helpful to get to know the workers at different places. I discovered that some technicians are much better than others. I would take my film only when they were working. Then I went digital and learned to print my own. Now I either keep it electronically or print it myself on an Epson 3880.
My personal printer (an Epson) works lovely.
Also, I use Ritz Camera a lot.
Good luck Angela!
['รด ] Avery
I used to print my own photos on an Epson printer. My photo printing experience with my local Walmart and Target has been terrible. I now use Costco for all my printing needs. I have used a local camera shop, but they don't compare to the quality that Costco provides. Take the time and get a few sample pictures printed from various places. You'll start to see a difference.
I use smugmug, for the most part, because my site is set up there and they do good work. Kodak and Shutterfly are also good.
Steve- Glad to hear I am not the only one who has walls and shelves full of family photos- AND YES everyone needs to remember how important having 2 or 3 back ups! My printer is PFS Printing here in Southwest Virginia- It really helps to know the person who is actually printing your photos- anywhere you take them. I was a printer for 7 years - and LOVED printing my own images.
What a beautiful sky-picture - Well done
Thanks y'all!
AND a Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to all!
I REALLY miss paper prints! But I have to agree with 2BPhotog about Costco. I like their prints, but you have to have a membership. One I would stay away from is Snapfish. I had pictures printed and they were terrible!!! The colors were way too harsh.
I have used rite aid, walgreens etc. Generally they do a good job, but the best paper pictures I have come from a Sony picture station. The photos are printed on special photo paper with heat transfer ink and finished with a clear protectant layer that makes them water / fade resistant. They are pricey compared to box store printing, but the results are definitely worth it and more durable then standard photo paper. The downside is that they do not print any larger then 4x6, so for those, you still need a service. As someone else stated, getting to know the people who are doing the work is important.
I never, EVER use Walmart, Walgreens or Target types of places. The print quality stinks and is just not worth it in the long run as the photos fade and simply don't last. Someone else mentioned White House Custom Color (www.whcc.com) and that is my printer of choice as well. Awesome printer, easy to order, reasonably priced, professional prints. Not to mention that in order to be a customer they INSIST that you have them print 5 8x10's for FREE before they set you up (in order to check your monitor calibration and make sure what you see if what you get).
Try them. You will be glad you did!!
I like Sams the quality is good and the price is too. I have done several enlargements on their posterboard and love the way they turn out!
until next time...nel
I just got this other source from a friend I trust for special productions.
Ken Holyfield and his team of experts do the very best in large format digital printing on a variety of different materials.
Megapixel Digital Imaging (970) 252-1789 www.megapixeldi.com.
Folks please keep these suggestions coming for those of us who want to use this for future reference.
Thanks, NikonSniper
mpix.com is a fairly inexpensive printing site, and more professional if that's what you're going for.
I have used snapfish.com for years. I had used Walmart but had too many problems with yellow photos, and machines not working properly. Switched to Snapfish and never went back. Their service is very fast, and nicely priced.
check your color space, if is in Adobe RGB, the print will lose quality because photofinishing stores use only sRGB
Post a Comment