Need to use a New Photo Lab
Sep 12, 2019 08:55:30 #
dgrim23 wrote:
Our local Lab in town just closed their door's due to retirement. Any suggestion on to where I should get my photo's printed? I know I can use Walgreens in a pinch, just want to keep the professional I had before.
Costco gets a Bravo Zulu from me too!
Jimmy T Sends
Sep 12, 2019 08:58:34 #
Ive used Bay Photo for the last 8-9 years with great results. Ive only had one photo I wasn’t happy with and when I informed them of the problems, they reprinted with great results. Bay will also send you a booklet of the all the papers available through their service. I’ve also used MPIX with good results.
Sep 12, 2019 09:02:19 #
dgrim23 wrote:
Our local Lab in town just closed their door's due to retirement. Any suggestion on to where I should get my photo's printed? I know I can use Walgreens in a pinch, just want to keep the professional I had before.
Nations Photo
Sep 12, 2019 09:20:16 #
Bay Photo - great customer service, NEVER an issue calling to request "special" service. Wide range of products w/ competitive pricing.
Sep 12, 2019 09:34:35 #
rjaywallace wrote:
Do not, repeat do not, send your carefully created images to Bay Photo Imaging in Santa Cruz, CA. I just had one of the worst experiences ever with an order for two 5x7” prints from Bay. The order was never printed and it was just ten days completely wasted.
Sorry you had a bad experience (which must have been an anomaly), but Bay Photo is one of the best printing houses in the country. I have always gotten first rate work, and their packaging and Fed-X delivery is first rate - typically takes a couple of days. I download their ap and their ICC profile (and soft proof) and the prints are always spot on. I have sold their prints, had them entered in exhibitions (by my son), and given them as gifts and have never been disappointed.
Sep 12, 2019 10:05:59 #
Shooting for commercial clients? Then consider WHCC (White House Custom Color)
Please keep in mind that nearly all printing processes add contrast... so process in post accordingly...
Might also be wise to include a shot of a color card taken at the same illumination as the batch you are submitting... just a thought.
btw, I had a local shop do a lot of dry mounting for me... while they also offered printing services (ink jet) they could not match the quality from major print houses...
Back in the day I use to do my own color printing with Ilfochrome (a.k.a. Cibachrome) a dye destruction positive-to-positive photographic process that was simply amazing... albeit the chemistry was highly toxic... and it built contrast so I had to use sandwiched negative masks when printing high contrast Kodachrome's...
Now I use one of the major print houses... which have already been listed here...
As mentioned best to open a dialog with them to determine what their requirements are...
All the best on your journey...
Please keep in mind that nearly all printing processes add contrast... so process in post accordingly...
Might also be wise to include a shot of a color card taken at the same illumination as the batch you are submitting... just a thought.
btw, I had a local shop do a lot of dry mounting for me... while they also offered printing services (ink jet) they could not match the quality from major print houses...
Back in the day I use to do my own color printing with Ilfochrome (a.k.a. Cibachrome) a dye destruction positive-to-positive photographic process that was simply amazing... albeit the chemistry was highly toxic... and it built contrast so I had to use sandwiched negative masks when printing high contrast Kodachrome's...
Now I use one of the major print houses... which have already been listed here...
As mentioned best to open a dialog with them to determine what their requirements are...
All the best on your journey...
Sep 12, 2019 10:31:57 #
Bizzy
Loc: North Carolina
I have been pleased wit Mpix. Have had processing and also framing done by them and was very pleased.
Sep 12, 2019 10:38:42 #
coolhanduke wrote:
The question you need to answer is do you want inkjet prints or true silver halide prints? All big box stores now do inkjet. The only silver halide operations are some local establishments and the big pro labs but even then you should call and ask.
I don't know were you are located but two i know of are Paul’s Photo in Torrance, CA and Fromex in Long Beach, CA.
I don't know were you are located but two i know of are Paul’s Photo in Torrance, CA and Fromex in Long Beach, CA.
There are mass market inkjet prints, and there are specialty inkjet prints. High-end inkjet prints are five times longer-lasting, and have a much wider color gamut, than any silver halide process.
I worked for a large pro portrait company for decades. We bought Kodak Professional (silver halide) paper by the truckload of 41-inch by 5500 feet master rolls, and slit it and cut it for use in over 40 digital printer-processors. We mixed RA-4 chemistry in 1100 gallon tanks and piped it into those printers.
So... when we made our first print on an Epson Stylus Pro 9600 Ultrachrome inkjet printer in 2003, we were shocked at how much better it looked than a same-size print made on silver halide paper. Of course, at five times the cost — our cost — of silver halide processing, the inkjet print SHOULD look better.
High-end pigment-based inkjet prints are sometimes called giclee prints. They are sold by the finest professionals and artists and museums, world-wide.
Sep 12, 2019 10:44:16 #
photoman022
Loc: Manchester CT USA
I also use Costco -- most of my prints are 11x14. The one time I had a problem with Costco, they apologized, redid the order and gave me four free prints of each photo because of the inconvenience they caused me. Guess what I gave as Christmas presents that year?
The one time I used Bay Photo all of my 11x14 prints had a crease in the same corner where the technician obviously use a finger nail to pick up the prints. The crease was very visible. I couldn't cover it with my mat (it was that far into the photo). When I complained to Bay Photo, they apologized and promised to reprocess the order. They didn't reprocess the order.
The one time I used Bay Photo all of my 11x14 prints had a crease in the same corner where the technician obviously use a finger nail to pick up the prints. The crease was very visible. I couldn't cover it with my mat (it was that far into the photo). When I complained to Bay Photo, they apologized and promised to reprocess the order. They didn't reprocess the order.
Sep 12, 2019 10:55:26 #
I use Dale Labs in Hollywood, Florida. They have never failed me or my clients.
Check their website at the link below.
https://www.dalelabs.com/iprints_welcome.html
Larry
Check their website at the link below.
https://www.dalelabs.com/iprints_welcome.html
Larry
Sep 12, 2019 11:19:54 #
dgrim23 wrote:
Our local Lab in town just closed their door's due to retirement. Any suggestion on to where I should get my photo's printed? I know I can use Walgreens in a pinch, just want to keep the professional I had before.
I use Costco and never disappointed.
Sep 12, 2019 12:08:36 #
COSTCO!
I've used Costco for years. They mail directly to my clients. I have never had an issue, except for the first order I placed. The color was off. I downloaded the color profiles from their website and have not had a problem since. They also reprinted the messed up ones for free.
I've used Costco for years. They mail directly to my clients. I have never had an issue, except for the first order I placed. The color was off. I downloaded the color profiles from their website and have not had a problem since. They also reprinted the messed up ones for free.
Sep 12, 2019 12:31:27 #
If, as someone has suggested, you live in Maryland, and somewhat near to Baltimore, I recommend Full Circle Fine Art Services in Baltimore:
info@fullcirclephoto.com
I don't get a lot of prints routinely, but when I want a really nice print, I take it to them in person on a thumb drive. Typically, the image has been chosen by a friend or family member from my flickr account, so I just ask them to use that as a guide for color balance, saturation, contrast, etc. I think I can confidently say that they've never ever let me down. Nice folks too. I've never tried using them for mail order, so I can't testify to how or if they do that.
info@fullcirclephoto.com
I don't get a lot of prints routinely, but when I want a really nice print, I take it to them in person on a thumb drive. Typically, the image has been chosen by a friend or family member from my flickr account, so I just ask them to use that as a guide for color balance, saturation, contrast, etc. I think I can confidently say that they've never ever let me down. Nice folks too. I've never tried using them for mail order, so I can't testify to how or if they do that.
Sep 12, 2019 12:43:40 #
photoman022 wrote:
Guess what I gave as Christmas presents that year?
Costco gift cards?
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Sep 12, 2019 12:54:50 #
Forget Costco. The only Costco less than a few hours away doesn’t have a photo lab. I don’t know why but it doesn’t.
I use AdoramaPix online. https://www.lightwork.org/lab/ provides high end scanning and printing services at SU. Priced accordingly. They are about an hour (not including finding a parking space) from Rome.
I use AdoramaPix online. https://www.lightwork.org/lab/ provides high end scanning and printing services at SU. Priced accordingly. They are about an hour (not including finding a parking space) from Rome.
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