Why COSTCO?
May 10, 2018 12:12:20 #
May 10, 2018 12:47:16 #
rmacilroy wrote:
i have seen results of costco prints at a camera club was pretty impressive. he won a second place for his print but i dont have a membership and dont want to buy one since i wouldnt use it enough to justify the cost of it. what are the alternatives to costco used cvs but wasnt that impressed with and 8x10.
...for prints (which I sub-out irregularly) I use Bay Photo (online order and packaged nicely, sent promptly). I've tried the Costco route and they never matched, in quality, what I get from Bay Photo. Not to mention the fact that product lands on my doorstep. For speed, Costco is great, of course. Usual disclaimers apply, make sure you're calibrated and profiled, lining-up with your choice of print facility...
May 10, 2018 13:00:01 #
I have used Costco for all my printing up to a canvas 40 by 60 print of Denali. All have been top quality and no regrets. No decision to make Costco delivers!
May 10, 2018 13:20:00 #
Well,not any COSTCO. No print services in Juneau.
HamB wrote:
Also, you can print at any COSTCO.
A friend or relative can pick up the prints at their local store.
A friend or relative can pick up the prints at their local store.
May 10, 2018 13:24:45 #
You could be right about Costco.. However, how will you ever know if you don't compare it? It's like the man that lives by the sea and eats only jacks, because that is what he can catch near the shore. Unless (or until) he gets further out to sea and try (say) a grouper or a snapper, would he know for sure how great his jacks are....(or aren't)
cambriaman wrote:
I have used Costco for all my printing up to a canvas 40 by 60 print of Denali. All have been top quality and no regrets. No decision to make Costco delivers!
May 10, 2018 14:39:55 #
May 10, 2018 16:20:00 #
My local Costco photo section is also closing down this month. Good place for refills of my ink cart. and their prices on large prints has been good. Sorry to see them go. I called Costco head quarters to voice my concern. Sure it didn't mean anything. It's about floor space and how much profit comes from that area.
May 10, 2018 17:05:56 #
photoman022
Loc: Manchester CT USA
Toment wrote:
Does anyone have an opinion on Sam’s Club photo work? Costco is 25 miles away...
Sam's Clubs are closing down all over the USA. Long before our local Sam's closed, they closed their photo printing; that is why I take the 25 mile trip to the nearest Costco.
As to the question of "why COSTCO?" Because of all the positive reasons already stated.
Be sure to check your photo order before you leave the store. I always do that. One time something happened in the print process and the full photo was not printed (a lot of white space on the 11x14!). They sent the whole order through again and made multiple prints (at no charge) because "they were sorry for the inconvenience."
May 10, 2018 17:07:33 #
CaptainC wrote:
You are misunderstanding resolution. The 180 to 300ppi for an image file has noting to do with a dpi resolution for a printer. There is NO connection.
Decent printers are in the 1440-2880 dpi range, so a printer at only 600dpi might not be that great.
Costco uses professional wide-format printers that produce excellent prints.
Decent printers are in the 1440-2880 dpi range, so a printer at only 600dpi might not be that great.
Costco uses professional wide-format printers that produce excellent prints.
There is a HUGE difference between the FM screening used in inkjet printers and the laser imaging systems used by most silver halide photo printers. The output resolutions cannot be compared.
At the lab where I managed digital printing, we had Noritsu mini-labs with 400 "dpi" resolution (from "light valve" technology) and 600 "dpi" resolution (from laser technology). There was no visible difference in their resolution, so long as the file resolution sent to them was at least 240 PPI at reproduction size. (Our lab standard was 250 PPI below 11x14. It fell off for larger prints, due to viewing distance.)
We had several Epsons for printing canvases and large prints (larger than 30" on the short side). We ran them at 1440 dpi. If you viewed 8x10 output from the inkjet next to the Noritsus' output, with the input image *at the same size and 250 PPI resolution,* you really couldn't see any better resolution from any of them. But you COULD see that the Epsons had a much wider color gamut! We actually had to use the Noritsu printer profiles as simulation profiles when sending the same file to both printers, so the Epson could be "dumbed down" to match the Noritsus.
One more note: The estimated life of a silver halide print processed in the average manner is between 19 and 40 years. The estimated life of pigmented inkjet prints is between 100 and 300 years, depending on display, storage, and paper used! http://www.wilhelm-research.com/epson/WIR_Epson_P7000_and_P9000_2018_01_31.pdf http://www.wilhelm-research.com/4x6/WIR_4x6_Prints_2006_09_08.pdf
Do not confuse pigmented inkjet printing with dye-based desktop inkjet printing. The cheap desktop inks fade very quickly, especially the off-brand and refilled ones. The best of the OEM dye-based inks can last 100 years.
Of course, all the test results are from "accelerated aging" under different conditions. However, the methodology is the same...
May 10, 2018 17:25:01 #
Clarification of Costco printing: All their smaller prints from 4 x 6 inches up to 12 x 18 are made via silver halide (photographic) printing, generally on Fuji Crystal Archive paper, by large machines such as Noritsu.
The larger prints, 16 x 20 and up (meaning 20 x 30 and 20 x 60) are printed on large format inkjet printers such as Epson. Last time I looked 20 x 60 was not advertised on the website, but is advertised and readily available in store ($19.95).
I'm sure if you pay up you can get better prints, but for my needs Costco's work is superb. I do use a large volume Costco in the Bay area and the people in the photo department seem to love their work and stay for years. They also know me by name and are more than accommodating if I ask for a reprint. The trick if you are ordering online is to bring a thumb drive with your files on it, so you can get the ones that need reprinting done. I'm told that many professionals get their printing done at this Costco.
The larger prints, 16 x 20 and up (meaning 20 x 30 and 20 x 60) are printed on large format inkjet printers such as Epson. Last time I looked 20 x 60 was not advertised on the website, but is advertised and readily available in store ($19.95).
I'm sure if you pay up you can get better prints, but for my needs Costco's work is superb. I do use a large volume Costco in the Bay area and the people in the photo department seem to love their work and stay for years. They also know me by name and are more than accommodating if I ask for a reprint. The trick if you are ordering online is to bring a thumb drive with your files on it, so you can get the ones that need reprinting done. I'm told that many professionals get their printing done at this Costco.
May 10, 2018 18:02:29 #
Harry0 wrote:
CVS in Los Angeles sucks these days. Before they w... (show quote)
Right on!!! I have been processing 120 film at Walmart on their "Send Out" program (one store 10 miles north and one store 13 miles South). 15-20 years now. Excellent professional processing trucked to Fuji Professional Labs so NO shipping expense. 10 business day turnaround. No scanning. Very inexpensive, rarely ever pay as much as $10.
May 10, 2018 22:23:59 #
May 11, 2018 00:24:45 #
Hey I have an embarrassing question, I have been using Walmart Photo services for the past 2 years. Am I really missing out by not going to
Costco for my prints. I usually have Walmart print out 16x20 or 20x24 and get my frames at Michaels. Thanks, and do I have to be Costco
member to utilize their online photo service?
Costco for my prints. I usually have Walmart print out 16x20 or 20x24 and get my frames at Michaels. Thanks, and do I have to be Costco
member to utilize their online photo service?
May 11, 2018 06:30:07 #
Smolakid6X wrote:
Hey I have an embarrassing question, I have been using Walmart Photo services for the past 2 years. Am I really missing out by not going to
Costco for my prints. I usually have Walmart print out 16x20 or 20x24 and get my frames at Michaels. Thanks, and do I have to be Costco
member to utilize their online photo service?
Costco for my prints. I usually have Walmart print out 16x20 or 20x24 and get my frames at Michaels. Thanks, and do I have to be Costco
member to utilize their online photo service?
You don't have to be embarrassed , if you're satisfied with what you've been doing then good for you! This is an information sharing site and we don't order anyone to do anything, LOL!
May 12, 2018 00:34:22 #
Hey, thanks for the input. Maybe I will pick 1 photo and take it to Walmart and Costco and compare the 2 which will be the same size (16x20).
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