printing photos? online?

[brianmcho]

Where do you recommend I print my photos?

I usually just go to a kiosk in places like CVS or Walmart.
Someone told me that for the price...they're lower quality than I can find online.


What websites would you recommend, if any?
I'm looking for best in:
- quality
- price
- overall value (price per quality)

Thanks!

[brianmcho]

...and I consistently see shutterfly.com offering special sales and such.

How do they rank against others?

[Roadrnr]

for the price and quality, I'd go with MPIX Far better quality vs. shutterfly.com

[Jay Henley]

mpix for me.

[brianmcho]

the 19 cent prints? or the more 24 cent ones?

[Toad]

Another vote for mpix.

[Jeff_Green]

I've always done Adorama even though I said I would never use them. They always run specials but haven't tried MPix yet.

[Sonny]

It all depends on your use of the photos.

When I need some quick family photos to hand out to my relatives, then I'll use Costco by Willowbrook Mall, CVS, or Sams.

But If I am going to sell photos to a client then I choose a pro-lab.

[mike.strock]

MPix. Not the 19 centers though. Bad quality, IMO.

I also have had fantastic service and quality from BayStatePhoto.

Mike.

[kenw]

Actually any of the labs, pricey-pro or not, are totally dependent on the operator.

In my case, the local WalMart (actually a Neighboorhood Grocery, 30 minute lab) does as good as any of the higher-priced places in my experience.

The trick is to get them to turn off the auto-correct function, and to have the operator NOT do any tweaks. In other words, print what I send you, no more, no less. And I usually call them to give them a head's up when I send one thru. I can pick it up in about 15 minutes most times, too.

If you have them print the file just as you send it, you are removing the machine's and the operator's interpretation (interpretation usually = error) and getting just what you asked for.

For simple grabshots that need a few tweaks those automatic adjustments are usually pretty good. If I've twiddled and messed with it, the auto-adjust will screw it up no matter where I send it; MPix or WalMart. I've used several pro-labs all over the place, and while good, the results (after me telling them NOT to tweak it) are indiscernable from my Walmart.

Personally, I think if you need someone to tweak your pics at printing you need to work a bit harder before you send it in.

[Glassman]

I have a friend who gets a lot of his pictures done at www.winkflash.com
They have a special on now for 4x6 prints...order all you want for 50% off and that makes them 6 cents each. They are very good quality.

[Dobick]

Originally Posted by kenw

Actually any of the labs, pricey-pro or not, are totally dependent on the operator.

In my case, the local WalMart (actually a Neighboorhood Grocery, 30 minute lab) does as good as any of the higher-priced places in my experience.

The trick is to get them to turn off the auto-correct function, and to have the operator NOT do any tweaks. In other words, print what I send you, no more, no less. And I usually call them to give them a head's up when I send one thru. I can pick it up in about 15 minutes most times, too.

If you have them print the file just as you send it, you are removing the machine's and the operator's interpretation (interpretation usually = error) and getting just what you asked for.

For simple grabshots that need a few tweaks those automatic adjustments are usually pretty good. If I've twiddled and messed with it, the auto-adjust will screw it up no matter where I send it; MPix or WalMart. I've used several pro-labs all over the place, and while good, the results (after me telling them NOT to tweak it) are indiscernable from my Walmart.

Personally, I think if you need someone to tweak your pics at printing you need to work a bit harder before you send it in.

I have had the exact same experience, just at a local Walgreens instead of the Walmart. The Walgreens near my work, does an awesome job at getting good quality results, and they have some very proficient operators back there (at least 2 of them)...

But I have also gotten horrible results there as well. It all depends on the operator.

[JohnT]

For client orders, I have Mpix print them. However, starting in a couple of days, I will be printing personal stuff on my refurbed Epson R1800 that I bought for $314. :-) Might want to consider that as well.

[iCe]

Mpix or my image hosting site if they are small and "proofish"

[mike.strock]

No disrespect to JohnT at all (I'm a new guy here after all), but I cannot fathom how you can justify printing client orders from a cost/benefit perspective.

My job as a photographer is to capture the moment. The printer's job, that they do all day long, is to print quality work. If you've found a good quality lab that prints good quality, at a reasonable price, in a reasonable timeframe, why print yourself?

My post comes off as argumentative. It's not meant that way, really it's not. I just personally can't figure out how I would be able to justify the time/expense it would take to get good quality prints, consistently, when a lab that does it everyday does it for me for a reasonable price.

Again, just my 2 cents.....

Mike.