Costco Photo Printing (Page 2): Very handy website

espJSB Loc: Cal

Very handy website - thanks.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I always go with glossy Fuji Crystal paper at Costco. I convert to JPEG in the sRGB color space.
Never an issue.

Ednsb Loc: Santa Barbara

Robdur wrote:

Find out what printer your local Costco has and then you can download the color printer profiles from drycreekphoto.com.

If you have software that will allow you to do a soft proof AND you have calibrated your monitor you should be able to see almost exactly how it will turn out. What is missing from the dry creek site is the paper they use so you only have a printer profile. I have asked my local Costco and unfortunately, they seem to change paper brands often. That can cause a minor shift but here is the secret with Costco - they will refund any image for any reason so you really can't lose.

I've taken the same image with soft-proofing to multiple printers up to 16x20. I really can't tell the difference and even when the big online printers are offering a discount Costco is usually cheaper. I've never tried their unusual prints like canvas or metal but they may be as good.

photowed Loc: Waterbury CT via Brooklyn NY

I get all my event prints done there up to 20x30 and have never had an issue. Definitely do not check auto correct. Even a couple of canvases that I had done there are hanging in my office.

espJSB Loc: Cal

Thanks ednsb. I didn't know about soft proofing. And thanks to many for the tip about auto correct.

bkijek Loc: Oak Lawn, Illinois

espJSB wrote:

Thanks ednsb. I didn't know about soft proofing. And thanks to many for the tip about auto correct.

Hello everybody. I’ve read all replies above with great interest. I have used Costco several times in the last few months. Though I always turn off the “Auto Correct” feature at Costco, my enlargements always come out extremely dark when compared with the images on my monitor. So dark, in fact, that I deem their enlargements to be worthless.

Everybody else seems to be relatively satisfied with Costco. What am I doing wrong?

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

bkijek wrote:

Hello everybody. I’ve read all replies above with great interest. I have used Costco several times in the last few months. Though I always turn off the “Auto Correct” feature at Costco, my enlargements always come out extremely dark when compared with the images on my monitor. So dark, in fact, that I deem their enlargements to be worthless.

Everybody else seems to be relatively satisfied with Costco. What am I doing wrong?

You're not calibrating and profiling your monitor with a "puck" and software. Mostly, blame too high a brightness setting on the monitor.

Your monitor must be calibrated to an international standard if you want it to show you what you will get from your own printer, or from a lab! Color management is a system, and it is all based off of precise monitor calibration.

bkijek Loc: Oak Lawn, Illinois

Thank you for your input. After my recent failures with Costco, I decided to buy a printer from B & H last week. The salesman “tried” to sell me a calibrator at the time. Because I had never heard of a calibrator before, I thought it was necessary only for the pros. But, after receiving your reply, I checked my monitor settings. My brightness setting on my monitor was very high (old age plus I like a bright setting). Thus, my Lightroom exposure settings were too low. I assume that is why the Costco prints are so dark.

Which leads me to another short question: Besides being dark, my Costco enlargements tend to be brown rather than green. Can I assume that calibration will correct this problem also?

Many thanks, again.

Ednsb Loc: Santa Barbara

simple answer - yes

Ednsb Loc: Santa Barbara

By the way, I was wrong.. I know, laughs

The Costco printer profiles do have paper as well as a printer by location. I called my local one this morning and whoever gave me the information about them using lots of different papers didn’t understand the question. They do but for each machine, they always use the same. In this case, they are using Fuji Crystal Archive Paper which I think is a great choice. It looks like all Costco's use that paper. It shows Bay Photo uses Kodak Royal which might be why I haven't liked their prints as well in the past.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

bkijek wrote:

Thank you for your input. After my recent failures... (show quote)

Yes. My iMac is calibrated with a Datacolor Spyder5Pro (no longer sold, but it works well, and the software is up to date). My prints match the monitor very closely.

My aim points:

Black level 0.5 candelas per square meter

White level 105 cd/m^2 (+/- 15)

Gamma 2.2

Initial color temperature 6500K

Room light is dim, and constant.

Datacolor and X-Rite are the two leading brands in the field.

Calibration linearizes a device. Profiling describes it to the operating system so the “color engine” can convert color from one device to look as similar as possible on another device. The entire set of processes is guided by the software. Parts of it are fully automated. An average fifth grader can do it.

RS Bandit

Suggest you contact Costco and get data on the printers they use then set-up one of them as your profile.

bkijek Loc: Oak Lawn, Illinois

RS Bandit wrote:

Suggest you contact Costco and get data on the printers they use then set-up one of them as your profile.

Thanks for the info. I’m new to all this stuff. Can you tell me how to do this or lead me to a website that will explain how?