Bulldog1jack Loc: CT

Agree!

awis01

I use Bay Photo. Great results. Very pleased.

ft Loc: New York, USA

AdoramaPix !

All my wall-worthy images go there. I’m very happy with their products and service. I was stunned to see it included in a “ones not to use” list above. They have never disapointed me.

Michael1079 Loc: Indiana

Just to be clear, I wasn't recommending walgreens. Just commenting that it was surprising that it was ranked so high! Like you, I questioned the ranking, and also like you I've used them for quick prints...

Sorry for any confusion...

rond-photography Loc: Connecticut

I second that nomination. I have ordered hundreds of photos from them - 5X7 to 16X20 and no problems ever. As pointed out by Kozan, they are always having sales, so I often place a bulk order when I get an email that makes the price a no brainer.

Fredrick Loc: Former NYC, now San Francisco Bay Area

I would add White Wall, out of Germany. Excellent prints, acrylic blocks, metal prints.

I did a little test recently. Sent the same jpeg landscape image (8 X 12 inch) to Bay Photo, MPIX, and Costco. Colors in Bay Photo came out the best, closely followed by MPIX, and Costco was a distant third.

About 6 months ago I did a similar test of a portrait of my daughter, and MPIX came out best (beautiful skin tones), closely followed by BayPhoto, then again Costco was a distant third.

It takes a week to get my prints back from MPIX, two days for BayPhoto, and I can pick up prints from Costco in a couple of hours. However, I only use a print service if I’m going to print larger than 8 X 10 (my HP printer at home does a wonderful job.)

So, if I use a print service, it’s because I’m going to frame a print to hang. For that reason, I don’t use Costco.

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

If you want professional prints, go to a professional photo lab. That is the way to get your images looking their best, and to deal with people who care how they turn out. Plus they have much better printers, paper, and inks. If you want standard sizes, it makes things easier, but a non-standard size can be printed on a size of paper that will give you pretty much the size you want.

I deal with Adoramapix, and have been quite satisfied. They are also close to where I live, so shipping takes 2 days. They are well-packaged with both an exterior box and interior sheets of cardboard. And once you are on their email list, you get notifications of frequent sales.

Finding a photo lab fairly close to you is a good idea for faster shipping, but by planning ahead, you can use one farther away because shipping is really not that slow from farther locations. Unless, of course, there is bad weather or a shortage of drivers for the volume...

larryepage Loc: North Texas area

If you are in a place where you can build a relationship with a local printer, the benefits can be extremely valuable. I use Coupralux in Dallas. When I started with them, they were wiling to spend time with me to 'calibrate' the work I had done against what their experience predicted the actual results would be, and each time I go in, we review my images together to discuss expectations and image sizes. They have also caught little problems that I have missed in my preparation and made suggestions around judgments that I made. Both of these helps have provided me with education around how to better prepare images for printing. And if I've done something that they think is particularly good, they tell me, which provides a nice boost. All materials used are archival, and there is a wide range of them. For the paper I use, I know that the cost is going to be $.10 per square inch of printed area, and that extended unprinted borders will be slightly lss expensive. They also have a number of mounting options available, and there is a framing shop next door (which also uses archival materials).

This choice may be slightly more expensive than some other options, but the truth is that all good prining is expensive. I just end up being a little bit selective around what gets printed.

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

Costco is my source.

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

I print most of my onesie-twosie quantity 4 by 6 prints my self but for more than that or bigger than 8 by 10 Costco is my go-to source.

flyguy Loc: Las Cruces, New Mexico

Excellent advice.

Tracy B. Loc: Indiana

Another vote for Mpix.

sailwiz Loc: Santee, CA

COSTCO is my sole printer. I mostly print on canvas. This is a canvas photo. This photo is 30'x24"

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

I use Costco for the reasons stated by Stan. Have never had a problem except for once when I made the mistake. Costco re-did the prints at no cost and no questions asked.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

I use Bay Photo, great prints, quick turnaround.