Anyone using walgreens.com for printing photo's ?

PhotosGuy wrote in post #2362323
Depends on what your printer recommends? Ask.
Costco likes 300, but 360 (I think) will crash the computer.

So I mean does the PPI stay the same, even when the picture increases ?

Maybe this will help. Have you ever seen these balls that is very small about the size of a volley ball. But if you pull it apart it will expand to a ball as tall as you. Well the PPI in an image is the same. if you increase the PPI the image will become smaller in dimension, but if you decrease the ppi then image will become larger. But like the ball the holes will get larger and larger as it expands. The same will happen if you blowup the picture bigger and bigger. Now it realy does not matter when you are printing 4X6 or even 8X10. The grain will become more visible when the ppi is below 200ppi at a relatively close viewing distant.

MRaiford wrote in post #2361524
I'm wondering, how do you inform the operator at Walgreens to not correct color? I could tell the clerk, but I know how likely it will be that they'll pass that along (Unless they are the operator)

I write it on the CD, the CD envelope, and the "film" envelope somewhere.

All in big, bold markers.


I have to admit that when I print at Walgreens I do not really care about color accuracy. Such prints are for friends and family and such. It's not like I'm going to frame them, or display them really. I the prints look good then they're good enough for such a job.

Photos that I really care about go to West Coast Imaging. Photos that I moderately care about go to MPix. Photos that I want NOW and CHEAP go to Walgreens.

Scottes wrote in post #2361450
But that would be an interesting test.... The other question being, are all of them acceptable?

PhotosGuy wrote in post #2361733
Not to me. Even 1 hour made a big difference.

Neither were acceptable? If so, why did you get the second batch done?

I did the 2nd one because I'd forgotten that I needed two of that one. Side by side, the color change between them was very noticable.
Went back the next week to compare to see what might have changed then. Ans: both color & density. FYI, I haven't been back since.

No more Walmart, Target, Walgreen for me. Try Shutterfly.com or Mpix.com to see the difference. I love to do my printing at Shutterly.com and I did print 20x30 at shutterfly.com, the result was great.

Scottes wrote in post #2364308
I write it on the CD, the CD envelope, and the "film" envelope somewhere.

All in big, bold markers.


I have to admit that when I print at Walgreens I do not really care about color accuracy. Such prints are for friends and family and such. It's not like I'm going to frame them, or display them really. I the prints look good then they're good enough for such a job.

Photos that I really care about go to West Coast Imaging. Photos that I moderately care about go to MPix. Photos that I want NOW and CHEAP go to Walgreens.

Ah! But when I go to Walgreens, I use their kiosk things w/a flash card or USB memory stick. No where to mark, It prints a claim check and tells you the photos will be available shortly.

Not sure about West Coast Imaging, but one of the things that may be a plus for MPIX is their papers are archival. I'm sure West Coast Imaging does the same (or better). Walgreens makes no claim, so family pics printed at walgreens may be faded in a few years.

FWIW, after some comparison, my Canon printer seems to do a superior job to Walgreens, but ink and paper can get expensive,and can be a real PITA when you have a large batch of pictures to print. Babysitting a printer and swapping ink cartridges isn't my idea of a fun day.

MRaiford wrote in post #2365931
Ah! But when I go to Walgreens, I use their kiosk things w/a flash card or USB memory stick. No where to mark...

Which is why I don't use the kiosk.... To me, you might as well give the kiosk your money and walk away. You're taking a chance with the operator, but you immediately lose when you use the kiosk.

MRaiford wrote in post #2365931
Walgreens makes no claim, so family pics printed at walgreens may be faded in a few years.

I don't use Walgreens when I need to worry about such things. As I said, I share Walgreens prints with friends & family. I highly doubt that they care if the prints last more than a year.

MRaiford wrote in post #2365931
FWIW, after some comparison, my Canon printer seems to do a superior job to Walgreens, but ink and paper can get expensive,and can be a real PITA when you have a large batch of pictures to print. Babysitting a printer and swapping ink cartridges isn't my idea of a fun day.

Nor is getting a streak from a dirty head on an 8x10. In the end I think good home printing is more expensive that MPix. And then consider the time involved - which I do at a very high billing rate. All this is why I don't print at home. When I can afford my own personal LightJet I may reconsider.

lostdoggy wrote in post #2364030
Maybe this will help. Have you ever seen these balls that is very small about the size of a volley ball. But if you pull it apart it will expand to a ball as tall as you. Well the PPI in an image is the same. if you increase the PPI the image will become smaller in dimension, but if you decrease the ppi then image will become larger. But like the ball the holes will get larger and larger as it expands. The same will happen if you blowup the picture bigger and bigger. Now it realy does not matter when you are printing 4X6 or even 8X10. The grain will become more visible when the ppi is below 200ppi at a relatively close viewing distant.

Great info, but like when using photoshop, I can make the image 12x12 and the PPi will stay the same , would it be ideal to up the PPi then ? Or is 350 or 300 the set number when doing small pics. 12x12 and smaller.

Unless you resample or upres it doesn't matter what ppi is as long as the its 240 or better for the given size you plan to print.

There is another reason not to use the Kiosk. When images are uploaded via kiosk the machine auotmaticly compress the file to shorten the transmission time to the printer whether you lke it or not. I use winkflash they do not do ay adjustment so there is no need to tell them not to. They use Fuji paper. N tax and shipping is $0.99 no matter how many prints I order.

lostdoggy wrote in post #2369997
There is another reason not to use the Kiosk. When images are uploaded via kiosk the machine auotmaticly compress the file to shorten the transmission time to the printer whether you lke it or not. I use winkflash they do not do ay adjustment so there is no need to tell them not to. They use Fuji paper. N tax and shipping is $0.99 no matter how many prints I order.

Winkflash is great! I use it and the prices and shipping is great. They print my 300 5x7 prints in 24hrs hehe, but I get a feeling the prints are not a bit sharper or lack a little contrast.

lostdoggy wrote in post #2369997
There is another reason not to use the Kiosk. When images are uploaded via kiosk the machine auotmaticly compress the file to shorten the transmission time to the printer whether you lke it or not. I use winkflash they do not do ay adjustment so there is no need to tell them not to. They use Fuji paper. N tax and shipping is $0.99 no matter how many prints I order.

I use Winkflash for posters and have been very pleased with them.

What is Kiosk and winkflash ?

A kiosk is the photomachine at a discount store where one has images printed. Winkflash is www.winkflash.com, an online photolab.