Where's the cheapest place to get 4x6's with great quality???

[snyper77]

Hello. I'm looking for a place that offers really cheap prices for 4x6's (I don't care about other sizes, just 4x6's). The quality must be really good though. I have been ordering from WHCC at the cost of .27 cents each. That gets expensive when you are ordering hundreds of prints at a time (wedding proofs). So, I am trying to cut some corners (if I can) while still getting great quality.

So far, I have found this site (pephoto.com). Please tell me your thoughts.
http://www.pephoto.com/compare.php

It says 6 cents each. If the quality if really good, I will jump on this deal!
Thanks for your help and advice.

[KeithLaFaille]

Mpix.com offers 4x6 prints @ 19 cents each and the quality is really quite high.

http://www.mpix.com/19centPrints.aspx

I use this service for friends and family and highly recommend them.

K

[AdrianeCale]

I've used PE Photo. The quality isn't bad, but you really need to watch your color temperature. If it's just a little too warm, the pictures come out all orange-y. The only issue I had with them was that they didn't package all of my order, and I was missing a bunch of stuff. But they rushed the missing stuff to me, and gave me a bit of a refund. I still use them every once in a while when I get an order for a ton of 4x6s or 5x7s, cuz you simply can't beat that price! And I've held up a PE Photo 8x10 to an 8x10 from my local lab, and I can't really tell the difference.

[Ralpho]

I just paid 8 cents per 4x6 at winkflash.com.

[AdrianeCale]

Winkflash isn't bad, if you're not planning on giving prints to customers. Winkflash actually prints their name and website on the back of their prints. So, if you don't want your customers to know they just paid $XX.XX for an $.08 4x6, then go right ahead.

[chrisvl]

Costco is 15cents.
Adriane your customer isn't paying for the print they're paying for the quality and level of service you provide. Unless they live on Mars they know that it cost less the 20cents these days to print a 4x6. What you charge $5 for is for taking the photo, finishing the photo and for providing an excellent experience to them. So whether it says winkflash or costco on the back only matters from a branding perspective as long as the final product is great quality.

[JDB]

Another vote for Costco for proofing.

[AdrianeCale]

Chrisvl, I agree with you on that, but I'm just looking at it from a customer's standpoint. If I paid $20 for a 4x6, I would really rather not want to know the profit margin the photographer takes from that. So when my clients ask what lab I go thru, I just tell them what state they're in. I personally would be pretty ticked off if I paid a ton of money for professional prints and realized they came from costco, simply because anyone can get prints from them. So in my mind as a customer, I wouldn't be expecting prints from costco, but from some fabulous lab somewhere that only professional photographers can use. Do you get what I'm saying? I am not saying costco has poor quality prints, it's just the concept of having them printed at a local retail store just throws me off.

[Lunajen]

Ritz and Wolf Camera are have five cent per 3 1/2x5 days...Tuesdays and Thursdays. But is if you want 3 1/2 x 5's....

16 cents per 4x6.

[chrisvl]

Don't want to hijack this thread but like I said they know unless they're living on Mars. Anyone can get prints from them but can anyone take the photograph you just did?
Ask yourself why are they hiring you?

[AdrianeCale]

You're right, you're fighting with me over my personal opinion. Let's get back on topic.

I have a batch of winkflash prints sitting in my desk drawer. They're actually very nice prints, and had they not had winkflash printed on the back, I would have given them to the customer they belonged to. Obviously I had them reprinted by PEPhoto, and the prints were just as great. Couldn't tell the difference between the two, other than the printing on the back. I wasn't aware that they printed their name, which is why I told Ralpho that they did such a thing, in case he wasn't aware. PePhoto only prints the file name and the quantity ordered of that image in that size. As for costco, I've never used them, so I don't know what's on the back.

We're all here to help each other, I'm just posting what info I possess to help someone else out in the future. I know I was pretty ticked when I saw the backs, I don't want any one else to freak out like I did!

[chrisvl]

Hey Adriane not fighting. Trust me I would prefer that it not be there but it's not a deterrent.
Most of my stuff is printed from Exposure Manager where my galleries are hosted and the backs are branded with my branding.
But I also use Costco when I have to do stuff locally. They print Costco on the back as well.
I know a few Wedding shooters who do great work and use Costco for the prints.

LOL! Just noticed your signature.

Cheers,
It's all good mate.

[AdrianeCale]

Most of my stuff is printed from Exposure Manager where my galleries are hosted and the backs are branded with my branding.

I dig that!! I had no idea they did that!!! Hmm.... how much are 4x6s??

[Dennis_Hammer]

chris is right costco is great, fast, pro equipment and you can have them turn off both back printing and color correction so if you use there icc profiles (which you can download at drycreek.com) your pictures will look like YOUR pictures.

And exposuremanager is also great use them myself here check them out http://www.exposuremanager.com/aff/hammerphotos but the prints are more than costco they are .29 each.

[chrisvl]

EM only prints your stuff if your galleries are hosted there. $99/yr with a 30 day reprint/money back guarantee or something like that. Only had to use it once and these guys rock with their customer service. opp I think it's 19 cents.

I do all my Costco printing in the store. I've built up a great relationship with the people that work there. I never have to wait the 1hr. usually 20 minutes unless they're really busy so I forgot that you can turn that back printing off. I'll have to go check the last set that I did now to see what's o the back. LOL! I don't usually look a the back.

[Dennis_Hammer]

Type your business name in the customer name on the Costco self serve machines and turn off back printing and it prints your name and the file name with the date on the back.

[MJPhotos24]

I got a free offer once from Snapfish.com and tried them out, gotta say they were pretty good. .09 cents. If they didn't brand the back of the photos with there name would use them more, but so far only for personal pics.

[tedBalog]

I use mpix.com - Quality and service are great.

[PhotosGuy]

So whether it says winkflash or costco on the back Costco doesn't backprint their name, & in this area, the prints from them are the consistently best quality of any lab I've tried.

Things to be careful of:
DO NOT use the Fast Upload option, unless you like having your file size reduced by 95%

Just because you checked the Luster Print option, don't expect it to survive all the way to the check out page if you're printing from several folders on the site. But if you do screw up & remember it in time, you can call the local Costco lab & they'll be happy to change the surface before they print for you.

More links in these threads:
Anyone ever have print quality issues with small shops ? (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=325056)

Printing at Costco (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=421705)

[MJPhotos24]

Costco doesn't backprint their name, & in this area, the prints from them are the consistently best quality of any lab I've tried.
Hear that often from other photogs...to bad they don't have a location around here.

[bestfromnw]

i use snapfish.com great quality and cheap! also alway running some sort of promotions... like 60 free prints etc

[cchooks]

Mpix.com offers 4x6 prints @ 19 cents each and the quality is really quite high.

http://www.mpix.com/19centPrints.aspx

I use this service for friends and family and highly recommend them.

K

That's .19 with no additional color correction so make sure your calibration is set.

[PhotosGuy]

Hear that often from other photogs...to bad they don't have a location around here. Be aware that the mail order prints aren't printed by your local Costco & the quality is not the same from what I've heard.

[SoundsGood]

I usually use Shutterfly, and the quality seems fine.

Is MPix or Costco really that much better? Actually, I'm at Costco fairly often.

[hawkeye60]

I stopped by Ritz yesterday and was told 4X6 prints are 5 cents each on Tues. and Weds. Don't know if that's everywhere or just a loacl thing. I don't know about their quality either.

[zagiace]

IMO if you are selling professionally created photographs you should use a professional lab. Since you take the time to learn how to create a quality product with pro equipment you should also know your Pro lab does too. While the hardware at these big box stores is the same the employees, QC, paper and the software used is not.
There is a diference and no one has put it better then Crocket on the Shoot Smarter website.
http://www.shootsmarter.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=118&acat=16
You need to sign up to view this article but it is free and they are a great resource.

[SeattleSpeedster]

I had my first photo printing exp at Costco yesterday (member since 1984) and I had a couple of 4x6's done in 20 minutes and the quality was excellent.

[chrisvl]

Interesting article but he's generalizing to some degree based on his costco and I'm also guilty of that. In my costco my girl is also a photographer (i've seen her work) so she knows what she's doing. He may be right about the software and paper and I'll try and verify that in my location. In the end my customers have never complained which is what ultimately matters most.

[MJPhotos24]

I usually use Shutterfly, and the quality seems fine.

Is MPix or Costco really that much better? Actually, I'm at Costco fairly often.

I used to use Shutterfly to sell prints online until testing them vs a few other printers. They came in dead last on my test, but it was a few years ago.

[WillMass]

Be aware that the mail order prints aren't printed by your local Costco & the quality is not the same from what I've heard.

Yes, this is correct, and the quality of the mail order lab prints, (particularly on large format prints) was dreadful.

One other thing I've noticed is, while the quality from my local Costco is quite good, the Noritsu 3101 minilabs they have, seem to crush the reds a bit. Yes, I work in a color managed environment, and use their profiles. It just seems that the Fuji machines used by some other local vendors produce nicer reds. The Fujis seem to have a somewhat broader color gamut.

For this reason alone I would probably use a lab with Fuji's for weddin' pitchers.

[PhotosGuy]

IMO if you are selling professionally created photographs you should use a professional lab. Since you take the time to learn how to create a quality product with pro equipment you should also know your Pro lab does too. While the hardware at these big box stores is the same the employees, QC, paper and the software used is not. True, up to a point. BUT my Costco prints hold up well against "pro-prints", I can upload at 1AM & get them in hours instead of days, & the cost is about 10% of the best pro-lab in the area. I used them for film for decades, but they just can't compete with digital now.

[octospit]

good question, saw this thread and looked at all the different choices. one company that stood out was Adorama.com

with the prices and choice of paper quality, they look like a great service. i've not used them before, anyone here had experience with them?

they use Kodak paper (glossy to Metallic version) (http://www.adoramapix.com/PriceList.aspx). the pricing does go higher depending on quality of course. :)

[zagiace]

all great points and not sure there is a correct answer to the op question however, imo providing a professional service has a certain responsibility. You can argue that a consumer can get roughly the same quality from current P&S cameras that you get with your SLR and then they can get the same quality by going to Costco. The same Crystal Archive paper you would get.
Again, my opinion, but I like to think I provide a higher quality product then they can provide themselves. I try to prevent my clients from taking digital files I may give them to the local drugstore because I can't control the quality they will receive.
I also want to ensure larger prints are going to match the smaller prints. I also like the fact that Copyright logos are printed on the back.

[Dennis_Hammer]

I know the people at costco and the all the staff of two local 'pro' labs here. First the costco equipment is newer and is always going to be newer since they upgrade very regularly. Second they are better trained, than the 'pro' lab people, Costco is always sending them out or having the equipment manufacturing in there for every update that comes through for these machines. Third the people there are more acommadating. And lastly I can't speak for all the costcos, but there is always someone on there who used to work for a 'pro' lab. So lets recap, newer equipment, better trained staff, helpful people and all pro lab people. Hmmm did I miss something....oh yes less expensive and great quality. One downfall I can think of, Costco is always crowded...but wait at mine if they know you are pro which they figure out very quickly most of the time you get put to the front of the line. It's not one hour photo for me most of the time its 20 minute photo can't get that at a 'pro' lab.

[PhotosGuy]

Costco doesn't backprint their name, More on that: You have the option to add (C) 2008 xxxxx xxxxx to the backprinting, which is a nice feature. You do it at the same time that you check no auto adjustments before checkout.

Did I mention that my Costco has "Auto" turned off?

[zagiace]

Do they? So are they doing color correction or straight printing? Maybe I will try them again, its been a while but was not happy the last time I was there.

[352McCoy]

Mpix is my favorite destination for quality prints. I really like their metallic prints. They just pop! Costco is pretty good, but I feel as if their color saturation is off at times. Not by much.....but enough.

[EnronRocks]

I use Millers Lab and have had excellent service and quality. You have to apply for an account and send in test images before you can print anything so that they can do a color profile for their printers.

For hometown prints I use Walgreens or Wal-Mart.

[PhotosGuy]

Do they? So are they doing color correction or straight printing? Maybe I will try them again, its been a while but was not happy the last time I was there. Straight printing, but I use their printer profile, & your store has different techs & may give different results.

[zagiace]

Guess I am old school.
I don't have the time to correct everything. I prefer the lab do it.

[WillMass]

.... imo providing a professional service has a certain responsibility. You can argue that a consumer can get roughly the same quality from current P&S cameras that you get with your SLR and then they can get the same quality by going to Costco. The same Crystal Archive paper you would get.
Again, my opinion, but I like to think I provide a higher quality product then they can provide themselves. I try to prevent my clients from taking digital files I may give them to the local drugstore because I can't control the quality they will receive.


...I don't have the time to correct everything. I prefer the lab do it.

I guess I'm older skool.

These two statements seem to be diametrically opposed to one another.

[zagiace]

Not sure why they would.
I send my images to a pro lab to have them printed. They provide color / density correction to each individual file. They print on professional paper.
where is the contradiction?

[amccomis]

I know this thread is getting old now, but here's my opinion:

Millers/MPIX as my lab of choice.
Winkflash for bulk (read: 100+) of 4x6s since I can usually find $0.09 deals from time to time. They do not backprint Winkflash on them, just the filename.
WalMart for the gotta-have-it today print.

About WalMart: (And don't get me wrong, I am not a WalMart fan...) They have online service with several delivery choices: in-store 1 hour, deliver to store, and deliver to home. If you want WalMart, and you want Good Prints, choose the 1 hour in store. They told me that the techs there actually look at the stuff as it goes through and makes sure they're correct. This is NOT the case with the bulk unattended printing that is ship-to-store or ship-to-home. Their in-store lab is a Fuju Frontier printer, and the paper is Fuji Crystal Archive, Luster finish. That's a fine choice of paper for most applications, and when they are QCing it for me, I can't beat it.

[WillMass]

Not sure why they would.
I send my images to a pro lab to have them printed. They provide color / density correction to each individual file. They print on professional paper.
where is the contradiction?

You said: You can argue that a consumer can get roughly the same quality from current P&S cameras that you get with your SLR and then they can get the same quality by going to Costco. The same Crystal Archive paper you would get.

Therefore, if the customer sends their P&S files to the same pro lab as you it stands to reason, they will get the similar quality.

The only real difference is the camera used.

I'm not trying to be provocative. But many on this thread have cited that they believe a pro should offer the customer something they couldn't otherwise get. I happen to believe one of those things is the PP. How each of us takes a file and adds our own flavor to it. Not simply pushing a button and outsourcing the backend.

[zagiace]

I see I did not word that very well.
My point of the original post was that we should provide professional results if we are to sell our work as professional quality. Which If you compare quality that you get the from a Walmart/Walgreens/Costco using amatuer paper and software to a (good) Professional Lab you can argue that your SLR delivers similar quality to a consumer end P&S. It is not my stand that the only difference is the camera used, it is my stand that not only should the difference be the equipment we use but the standards and equipment used for the printing be upheld too. Sorry for the confusion.
I agree with your PP comment as well. I do in my opinion work a great deal on pp an image. However, I leave the final color corrections to the person at the lab. If you are familiar with Lab equipment you know that the printers do vary day to day. Having someone in control of that end of the process gives me warm and fuzzies.

[WillMass]

I agree, and apologize for misunderstanding.

I only use Costco for some of my work. I do understand about daily variables in chemistry, substrates, etc. and I can tell in a second if the operator didn't profile the paper when they loaded the cassette.

Funny story though; I was inspecting some prints one day, and the Noritsu tech came over, saw the prints and said: "Oh you're THAT guy." I looked at him for a second and he added: "They were REALLY worried about getting your prints right!" :lol:

I guess sometimes it does pay to be a pain in the @$$.

[zagiace]

lol, nice...
They called the tech in. Thats shows promise. I will have to give them a try. Not sure what kind of work I would send them. I am shooting a Christmas Party tonight, maybe that.

[PhotosGuy]

If you want WalMart, and you want Good Prints, choose the 1 hour in store. They told me that the techs there actually look at the stuff as it goes through and makes sure they're correct. That wasn't my experience. What they said was, "I don't know why this one doesn't look like the one you made an hour ago, or the one from yesterday?"
As with Costco, results will differ, depending who's running the equipment. I hope the guys at my Costco never find a better job! :D

[amccomis]

That wasn't my experience. What they said was, "I don't know why this one doesn't look like the one you made an hour ago, or the one from yesterday?"
As with Costco, results will differ, depending who's running the equipment. I hope the guys at my Costco never find a better job! :D

Seems a very good time for the standard disclaimer "Your mileage may vary" -- since there are different lab techs in different stores. Some who have a job, some who love photography and are hoping to someday aspire to better than print-jockeying at the WMT (but love what they do in the meantime).

[squirl033]

i use Adorama (http://www.adoramapix.com/) in New York. 4x6 print quality is excellent, service is better. you can select gloss ($.15), matte ($.19), lustre ($.19) or metallic ($.29), shipping is a flat $3.95. you can select color correction or no, crop or border, etc. typical delivery is ~ 3-4 days after placing the order, and i live on the opposite side of the country! i've been using them for a couple of years for all my small-to-medium prints (i.e. 5x7 thru 12x18 ), and have always been pleased with the results. more importantly, so have my customers.

[JMHPhotography]

I've been very happy with www.diversifiedlab.com They have a tiered service where the price of proofs drop with quantity. 1000+ is .17 per and you can get .19 per for 500-749 prints. The workflow is identical to WHCC and the quality of print is as well. They do print on Fuji archival paper, which is a bit thinner than the Kodak paper WHCC uses, but I'm finding it much easier to load up the proof album sleeves because of that... so I'm liking it. Color reproduction is very accurate as long as you embed either sRGB or aRGB profile.

[EL Photo]

I use colorinc for my big orders (they also print my company name on the back of the prints). If I need something done locally & fast it is Ritz or costco.

[snyper77]

I appreciate all the info here. I should have mentioned that I'm located in the Mississippi Delta where there is nothing by cotton, soybeans, and catfish farms as far as the eye can see (no Costco, no adorama, etc.) I do have a walmart supercenter with a Fuji machine, but results can vary from day to day. These prints are for wedding clients and yes I know I should ONLY deal with pro-labs (I normally use WHCC solely), but if I can genuinely save $40 here and $20 there, while still getting pro results, then I will. Any other online labs you would like to toss at me? Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Armywife]

This is what i am also looking for, only i need more than just 4x6's, but we have joshua trees and tumble weeds as far as the eye can see lol. I went and printed off some of my Christmas cards at the nearest walmart the other day (1 hrs drive one way) and i was not suprized to find that the girls working in the photo department there were dumber than a box of rocks. None of them knew how to work the machines there, i had a card that needed to be printed square, and none of them could figure out how to do it, or even if any of the machines could. I had to spend alot of time with a crying baby trying to figure it all out myself, and then when i finally did, the machine wasnt printing right, and none of them had a clue.............i was beyond irritated. I dont think a single one of them knew ANYTHING about working with pictures. Never will i use them ever again!

So anyways, to sum up my long rant lol, i need a place that does good quality prints online, as i am too far away from anywhere to go in store! Good thread! Oh, and i would really like to find somewhere that prints my info on the back as well, just seems more professional, and then they also have a easy way to remember who shot for them if thats all the have to remember me by!