Sam's Club or Costco Photo Center

[jhom]

I am wondering how many TPFers have their prints made at the photo centers of either Sam's Club or Costco in the Dallas area? What has been your experience with the quality of the prints. Are you using a specific ICC profile for their Fuji Frontier printers and papers?

[Ronnie]

I use Costco for enlargments, I'm pleased with them.

[marcus]

I have printed some stuff at Sam's here in Houston. I'll send stuff over online and just tell them to deselect the option for the printer to handle color corrections, this way I send over an Adobe 1998 file and it comes out the way I see it on my monitor. They are nice to work with you and I've been pleased with the Fuji Frontier color and BW prints. I just had this one printed a couple of days ago - 8x10 color converted over to BW. Decent pictures for 1.98(8x10). I also like the fast turnaround times when I upload files from work, and then can pick them up in an 1hr:)

[Abel]

not in dallas but i use costco here in houston. i tried several local printers including costco, sams, wolf and online places like mpix etc. mpix was nicest but costco wasnt far behind them plus with costco you could get them right then and there.

[LoungeLizard]

Originally Posted by Abel

not in dallas but i use costco here in houston. i tried several local printers including costco, sams, wolf and online places like mpix etc. mpix was nicest but costco wasnt far behind them plus with costco you could get them right then and there.

Ditto here (for personal stuff) and I absolutely adore one of the workers at the lab who does a GREAT job.

[wyatt]

I've used Sam's (in Sherman). Do be sure to have them turn OFF their auto correction/contrast stuff if you have a calibrated monitor and make adjustments yourself.
Right out of the camera stuff, prolly leave it on.

Wyatt

[jhom]

Thanks for the information. What I have read about using the Fuji Frontier printers used by Sams or Costco is to convert to sRGB which is no problem. However, I was wondering whether anyone has or knows where a specific ICC profile for the printers? Maybe I shouldn't worry and give them a try without a profile embedded in the file.

[pippin]

uhh,... with adobeRGB files and frontiers = not a good match (fronteirs use sRGB as default)

Well, you CAN get away with it IF the auto adjustment is turned off on their end. Now, some places have that set by default, and if they don't QC, you'll get back pretty cyan tinted images. If they do QC, then they'll redo the order with the adjustments turned off so you don't get the problem.

Been there, done that, work on a frontier 8 hrs a day...

[jhom]

Originally Posted by pippin

uhh,... with adobeRGB files and frontiers = not a good match (fronteirs use sRGB as default)

Thanks, that is the specific info I need.

[ndsimm]

Originally Posted by jhom

Thanks for the information. What I have read about using the Fuji Frontier printers used by Sams or Costco is to convert to sRGB which is no problem. However, I was wondering whether anyone has or knows where a specific ICC profile for the printers? Maybe I shouldn't worry and give them a try without a profile embedded in the file.

Not sure about Sam's but costco does have the printer profiles on their siite for different locations...I'll try and find the link and post it...

[jhom]

Dry Creek has some icc profiles for specific Costco Fuji Frontiers. However, I haven't found any for Sam's. The Costco profiles are specific to the printers at the stated locations. Dry Creek also states that the Frontier printers do not read embedded profiles.

[chenology]

put up a poll~

[AndrewCCM]

For customers, I either print my own on Epson 2400R on Ilford paper or send to WHCC or Miller's/MPix for metallics... I prefer thicker paper than the consumer labs tend to use...However, for everyday photos.. Costco works fine for me..

Andrew
Crystal Clear Media

[boxofrocks]

I use Costco and their icc profiles with great results. Fuji Crystal Archive paper (not as good as Fuji Professional, but still nice) and pretty sharp prints--especially for the money.

The reds come out a little muddy, even after you adjust in PS with the profile loaded. I don't use them for portrait work where I'm charging hundreds of dollars, but for Prom pics and sports, they're great.

[dsjsws]

I use Costco for quick proofs in SRG with great results. I was forced to use Sam's when in Houston, because I could not find Costco, and I knew a Sam's was close to my mom's house. I don't like Sam's paper, and since my monitor is calibrated to my printer, Costco's and MPix's, the color was way off. I use MPIX, Metallic paper, when I want large prints with stunning results. When perfection is the key, I use MPIX or print it myself on my large format Epson printer. When time, money and instant gratification is the called for, I use Costco with excellent results.

Donna