Smugmug Prints

[jordankreationz]

What lab actually prints those photos? Anyone know? I have a site and have sold pics from there and everyone seems pleased but I have not actually seen the prints nor do I know where they come from. I tried reading around on Smugmug but haven't been able to find the info.

Thanks for any info guys,

DJ

[brad]

It used to be ezprints.com .. but I'm not sure of that anymore.

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by brad

It used to be ezprints.com .. but I'm not sure of that anymore.

I'm still using ez prints and have not been dissappointed yet.

[brad]

I've had prints from smugmug and ezprints both.. both were high quality, sent in professional (not tacky) envelopes... but I found them to be incompatible with my personal desire to get prints quickly and for me to have the final view of the print before it is presented to the client.

[jordankreationz]

Originally Posted by brad

I've had prints from smugmug and ezprints both.. both were high quality, sent in professional (not tacky) envelopes... but I found them to be incompatible with my personal desire to get prints quickly and for me to have the final view of the print before it is presented to the client.

So what lab do YOU use to get great prints and fast service? Or do you print your own?

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by jordankreationz

What lab actually prints those photos? Anyone know? I have a site and have sold pics from there and everyone seems pleased but I have not actually seen the prints nor do I know where they come from. I tried reading around on Smugmug but haven't been able to find the info.

Thanks for any info guys,

DJ

I mis-read the question, but Smugmug still uses ez prints

http://www.smugmug.com/pro/

Professional prints

Our prints are provided by a professional lab in Georgia named EZ Prints with outstanding quality, quick turnaround, broad selection and consumer prices.

We chose them after an extensive shootout and consulting with our professional customers.

We provide calibration prints and ICC profiles for color management. Our catalog includes hard-to-find print sizes in matte and gloss.

[jheiliger]

I started using Ezprints about 4 years ago when they first started. They were great until about a year ago. Then they started screwing everything up... I think they got too big.

I don't use them anymore, because their service turned horrible.

Joe

[Sonny]

Originally Posted by jheiliger

I started using Ezprints about 4 years ago when they first started. They were great until about a year ago. Then they started screwing everything up... I think they got too big.

I don't use them anymore, because their service turned horrible.

Joe

I'm sorry to hear that happened, but could you be a liitle more specific as to how they screwed up?

The reason I ask, I've been using them for the last year and had great service so far.

[brad]

Originally Posted by jordankreationz

So what lab do YOU use to get great prints and fast service? Or do you print your own?

At risk of starting a flaming thread again.. I found a great lab staff that is willing to bend over backward to make sure their machine is maintained well and produces high quality, relatively well color balanced prints.. and if something isn't right and I'm not 100% satisfied, they reprint it without complaint.

Where?

Sam's. Yes, Sam's.

Not all Sam's are created equal, though.. there are many out there that don't give a rat's backside.. but I got lucky and the Sam's that is right up the street does a great job for me.

[gregt1310]

Brad,

Are you talking about the Sam's on I-20 and Carrier? I am in Mansfield, which is not that far away.

Greg

[jordankreationz]

Originally Posted by brad

At risk of starting a flaming thread again.. I found a great lab staff that is willing to bend over backward to make sure their machine is maintained well and produces high quality, relatively well color balanced prints.. and if something isn't right and I'm not 100% satisfied, they reprint it without complaint.

Where?

Sam's. Yes, Sam's.

Not all Sam's are created equal, though.. there are many out there that don't give a rat's backside.. but I got lucky and the Sam's that is right up the street does a great job for me.

What type machine do they use? The same kind as most Walmart's? Fuji Frontier or something like that? My Walmart does excellent prints and they give me great service. I don't flame folks for their choice of labs. I mean after all it's about the quality of the finished product and I guess that is subjective but I use them more often than not. My customers love the prints and I always get my "family" prints that I do done there.

There is no Sam's within 50 miles of me or I would use them I'm sure. Also no Costco. Just CVS and they are too high in my opinion.

Thanks for sharing your source at the risk of being flamed.

DJ

[brad]

Originally Posted by gregt1310

Are you talking about the Sam's on I-20 and Carrier? I am in Mansfield, which is not that far away.

I-20 and Great Southwest, actually .. if you go there, tell them Brad told you they were really good and they aren't allowed to let you down. LOL

Emilio is the guy I deal with most there, he's great... Amanda and Monica are sweet (even if I can't convince either one of them to pose for me), and the new photo manager's name escapes me at the moment, but she's a mid-40s Hispanic woman and quite friendly as well.

[brad]

Originally Posted by jordankreationz

What type machine do they use?

Yes, they use one of the older Fuji Frontier machines. I've heard that the newer ones don't have as good of color balance and are a lot more difficult for the techs to tweak to get it right.

This Sam's here can print up to 10x15 .. and like you, my customers have always been thrilled with the results produced by this machine (and the colors produced usually match my screen.. although sometimes, its a bit dark), so I've not really had a lot of reason to look elsewhere.

Oh, the biggest secret I've found with this Fuji machine is to turn off the "auto enhance" feature.. its on by default because most of their consumers take images straight from the camera to print.. but if you've done ANY color correction, even just a contrast adjustment, the auto enhance makes the print look terrible.

(And yes, I've been flamed for mentioning this lab.. usually by people who run pro labs.. nothing against their work and if I had a pro lab nearby that I liked, I'd consider using it.. but this place is literally 3 minutes from my house and the results are better than your usual Sam's/Walmart printer.)

[ndsimm]

first, on the topic, I use the smugmug to print some of my work and have been very satisified. Their color profile helps a great deal with color matching and they have a True color option that works well for me.
I also use my local Costco for some work and they do a great job as well. I love their Lustre finish and their turnaround time.
I am also fortunate to have a Pro lab that I have had a 6 year history with that still crops, retouches, and "assists" me with my PS skills by cleaning up some images better than I do.

[PhotoSpidy]

Originally Posted by brad

At risk of starting a flaming thread again.. I found a great lab staff that is willing to bend over backward to make sure their machine is maintained well and produces high quality, relatively well color balanced prints.. and if something isn't right and I'm not 100% satisfied, they reprint it without complaint.

Where?

Sam's. Yes, Sam's.

Not all Sam's are created equal, though.. there are many out there that don't give a rat's backside.. but I got lucky and the Sam's that is right up the street does a great job for me.

thank you brad, that is what i have been saying all along... a well maintained machine and staff that truely care makes a world of difference. my lab is in no way a "pro" lab, but my machine is ALWAYS maintained and cleaned, regular chemical/filter changes, and i always make my customers happy. i really dont care if i get flamed again for this, i understand that some people have gotten bad prints and even worse service, but some people dont realize that you cant judge a whole barrel by one apple. and for the record, because of loss prevention reasons, i also print all my prints at sam's. i know how to use their machine and my friend that works there will let me tweek one last time before printing. and i love matte paper. the "image intelligence" comment was dead on