Where do I go for prints?

Hello, I was wondering if I could get any advice on where to go to get photos printed out? Places like your local CVS's or Wallgreens just doesnt have great quality. if you are going to spend the time to shoot in raw and work with the pics - the last thing I want is the printer to screw up my work.

Thanks!

I and several others on there use Costco. My local Costco has very good quality, good prices and if they mess up a print you can get your money back. I have heard that quality can vary from Costco to Costco, but they're definitely worth giving a shot. You can upload your photos and disable their "auto correction" to have it printed exactly as you want.

And don't worry about the typical checkout lines at Costco. I can go in to the photo counter just inside the entrance, pay there, and then walk back out the entrance.

I am in Maine, we dont have a Cosco yet. I wonder if it can be done online?

nice pics by the way, love the night shots

Thanks. As far as online, there are several places other people on here are happy with for getting their prints done online and shipped to them. mpix is one. But I'll let those with first-hand experience with those places chimed in. Also if you look at the bottom of this page, you'll see a list of "similar threads" that would be worth reviewing.

Thanks so much for all your help!

I was in a pinch to get some senior portraits printed...thanks to the parents calling me the day they were due at the yearbook and they wouldn't accept digital files. Anyway, I had them printed at Walmart and the quality blew Walgreens and CVS out of the water. I would say they are a close second to Mpix. I wouldn't trust them to do a large run, but in a pinch, I will definitely be going to Walmart again.

mpix.com

Kevin~

I actually had a 18x20 printed out at CVS and framed at the mall. Picture bellow was the one that I did it with, it didnt come out bad. Although, I dont have any other placce to compare it with. I have printed some 5x6's and most are ok, however I can see some that the color is off.

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

I am very happy with MPIX.

I use Mpix Pro for almost all of my prints, mainly because of $4 overnight shipping. I used a calibrated monitor (not mine) to do some 5x7 prints at Walgreens and the color was horrible. I've never used them again.

myliljade wrote in post #9282308
Places like your local CVS's or Wallgreens just doesnt have great quality.

spkerer wrote in post #9282411
I and several others on there use Costco. My local Costco has very good quality, good prices and if they mess up a print you can get your money back.

I use our Costco printing service and, except for the most demanding customers one could find, the quality has been quite acceptable for the very minimal cost.

Would I use Costco for any formal commercial prints? Probably not - there are some good custom labs in the area that I'd go to for that sort of work. However, for all the informal paid work I've done recently as well as our own family portraits, the Costco prints have been quite acceptable. By the way - anyone who knows me will agree that I am hard to please with quality of stuff that I buy.

spkerer wrote in post #9282411
I have heard that quality can vary from Costco to Costco

Yes and more likely print quality will vary from every store bulk printer to bulk printer. I've read one photographer's "statement" he makes about prints for his wedding clients. He shows prints of his files made by the same discount store printer - but made at different times and the prints vary. It's part of why he either cautions the bride and groom against buying digital versions of his images to print themselves and why they should buy prints from him instead.

myliljade wrote in post #9282833
Kevin~

I actually had a 18x20 printed out at CVS and framed at the mall. Picture bellow was the one that I did it with, it didnt come out bad. Although,

That's because your image needs its contrast balanced - contrast is too low. So you probably got a dark dull print, right? Is your monitor calibrated? Even if it isn't you should be using the luminance histogram as your exposure guide for what is under exposed, over exposed, and proper exposure.

Another vote for Costco. You can get their printer profiles at drycreek.

I use Costco as my standard, normal printer. I've had Mpix.com and Costco do the same photo and the quality of the two prints was nearly identical when I put them side by side, yet the Mpix photo was 8x the price. I don't know what the differences are in paper and inks between the two of them, however.

If you don't have Costco available, I'd get proofs from Mpix, Shutterfly and Snapfish and see what you think. Heck, maybe even try looking for a local, mom and pop place?