taj334 wrote:
My understanding is that it is possible to work with my computer and the printer at Costco, using a "profile". However, I have no clue how to actually do it.
If you go to
https://www.drycreekphoto.com/icc/ and click on your state, there will be a list of all Costco's in that state and a link for the profiles of the printers in that store. You can download these profiles and use them to prep your files for online submission to Costco.
You might first try submitting a few test prints without using the profiles to see if they meet your quality needs. There is a box you can check or not check (at the end of the order process) to indicate whether or not you want corrections to occur. Costco does an outstanding job and meets my needs for most projects. For something really special I use Tempe Camera. Hope this helps.
Thank you to all who took the time to share their advice. I will be making sure that I'm using sRGB. It seems I'm a little "over my head" with calibrating my monitor and using Costco printer profiles. I did go to Drycreekphoto.com and did attempt to make sense of it, but really couldn't. The manager at my local Costco is indeed very nice and as helpful as I could expect. I've used a thumb drive before to print too. The info about the aspect ratio was helpful too. Thank you.
Thanks for the website info. I'll give it a go over and see if I can get things going with it.
A Costco membership is about $60/yr and is worth every penny. We've been using Costco for photo prints for years, and they have a hookup to a lab in CA if you want something, say, 40"x60"--it's pin sharp. Get the membership and Costco will help you through the steps.
miklj wrote:
A Costco membership is about $60/yr and is worth every penny. We've been using Costco for photo prints for years, and they have a hookup to a lab in CA if you want something, say, 40"x60"--it's pin sharp. Get the membership and Costco will help you through the steps.
Thanks. I've been a Costco member for over 20 years. They're great! Glad I've stumbled onto their printing operation.
DirtFarmer wrote:
You can send your photos to Costco online, no need to put them on a thumb drive and carry them over, then wait for the print.
Sending it online (you select which Costco to send them to) means it will probably be ready for pickup when you get there (unless you live too close).
I'd recommend just trying a sRGB jpg to try them out. The prices are reasonable so you can do some experimenting.
At the federal mileage rate, it's cheaper to have them make some prints than it is to drive there.
You can send your photos to Costco online, no need... (
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All my photos are printed at Costco. I order from home and they do a nice job.
taj334 wrote:
I have decided to try to do some photo printing, for the purpose of sharing images beyond Facebook by actually printing them on paper.
My understanding is that it is possible to work with my computer and the printer at Costco, using a "profile". However, I have no clue how to actually do it.
I have a 27" Mac and use Photos and PSE.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Here is a set of articles from Dry Creek Photo on how to use printer profiles and in particular how to use Costco printer profiles. This is important since not all Costco facilities have the same equipment.
https://www.drycreekphoto.com/icc/
I've used Costco a couple of times for printing and have no complaints at all. The quality has been just fine. Prints on paper and prints on canvas. I'll use them again.
If all that technical jazz is confusing . . . here is a more simple method . . .
1) Pick a couple of files with lots of colors . . the type of photograph you take most of the time. (landscape, portrait, whatever)
2) Adjust them in PSE, or PS and size them properly to 5 x 7 / 300 dpi in sRGB
3) Send them to your Costco for prints indicating to them "no auto color correction"
4) When you get them home . . . compare the colors to your monitor
5) Adjust the color, brightness and contrast of your monitor to match the prints as close as possible.
6) Choose two more files and adjust and size them as before, but with the newly reset monitor
7) Repeat steps 3, 4 and 5
8) Do it all over again at least one more time.
You'll be impressed with the consistency of results after this. Investment? 6 or 8 - 5x7 prints
Hope that helps . .
Weddingguy wrote:
If all that technical jazz is confusing . . . here is a more simple method . . .
1) Pick a couple of files with lots of colors . . the type of photograph you take most of the time. (landscape, portrait, whatever)
2) Adjust them in PSE, or PS and size them properly to 5 x 7 / 300 dpi in sRGB
3) Send them to your Costco for prints indicating to them "no auto color correction"
4) When you get them home . . . compare the colors to your monitor
5) Adjust the color, brightness and contrast of your monitor to match the prints as close as possible.
6) Choose two more files and adjust and size them as before, but with the newly reset monitor
7) Repeat steps 3, 4 and 5
8) Do it all over again at least one more time.
You'll be impressed with the consistency of results after this. Investment? 6 or 8 - 5x7 prints
Hope that helps . .
If all that technical jazz is confusing . . . here... (
show quote)
This, I think I can do without my head exploding! Thank you! Thank you!
taj334 wrote:
I have decided to try to do some photo printing, for the purpose of sharing images beyond Facebook by actually printing them on paper.
My understanding is that it is possible to work with my computer and the printer at Costco, using a "profile". However, I have no clue how to actually do it.
I have a 27" Mac and use Photos and PSE.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
I have done that many times. Always excellent results in product and delivery. You can send them to any Costco that has a Photo Dept. in-store and pick them up there or have them mailed to you. Also you can have them printed at a Costco near a friend or relative and they can pick them up at their convenience. Highly recommend them.
taj334 wrote:
I have decided to try to do some photo printing, for the purpose of sharing images beyond Facebook by actually printing them on paper.
My understanding is that it is possible to work with my computer and the printer at Costco, using a "profile". However, I have no clue how to actually do it.
I have a 27" Mac and use Photos and PSE.
Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
Go to their Web Site, the instructions are there. If you have a Costco warehouse store with a photo center in it, it is sometimes easier to bring your files on a pen drive or SD or CF card and do it in person as they can help you, and answer your questions. Pretty much all the Costcos in California still have their own printing area. Many on the East Coast were consolidated in to a very few locations that had room for the Photo Centers and so doing mostly online print ordering.
Easiest using sRGB and JPG or TIF files. Though there may be a way to use AdobeRGB or other color standards if you know how to use them and have a monitor that displays those accurately. I would guess PSE uses 8-bit TIF or JPG. I use Ps with 16-bit files reduced to 300ppi 8-bit sRGB JPG for printing at home or sent out.
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