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10/09/2003 12:27:43 AM · #1 |
Hey all,
I don't often get hardcopy prints done, but would like to get some 8x10s done for a portfolio of work I'm putting together, as well as for a project I'm working on. My Hp 5550c is regarded as a photo printer, but even with archival paper and a photo cartridge the results aren't nearly as professional as those which I have *sometimes* achieved from the lab at London Drugs.
I have had very mixed results in the past with photo labs, especially with regards to processing my own images and then having the lab do the hardcopy prints. On one occasion I specified 'no processing whatsoever' to the person at the counter, and the prints were spectacular. Other times I haven't, and the results have been both good and terrible, often withing the same batch. On one occasion, it appeared that the lab ran the images through some standard processing algortithms without even looking at the shots, and in the process posterised them all to hell.
I ask...is it imperative to specify no post-processing beforehand and should I then expect consistent results from the lab, or am I just wasting my time and tossing a coin by taking shots to anywhere else but a pro lab when I want to do my own post-processing? What are some of your experiences?
Thanks,
James.
Message edited by author 2003-10-09 00:30:16. |
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10/09/2003 07:37:50 AM · #2 |
| The lab you use makes a huge difference. I'll only use //www.photobox.co.uk now after every other lab disappointed me. Obviously, this is only in the UK. |
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10/09/2003 10:05:01 AM · #3 |
| i dont know if this will help you, but i get my prints done at a kodak picture maker machine. they have them all over the place now. there are 2 kinds i found, one machine makes just 4x6's and the other makes 8x10's 5x7's wallets, etc. it works great with straight out of the camera pics, and ones i have altered on my puter. the best thing is they pop right out of the machine, no waiting 1 hour. |
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10/09/2003 11:16:02 AM · #4 |
Does anyone know the archieve quality of these machines? They are the most convient for me as well.
Originally posted by carrieann:
i dont know if this will help you, but i get my prints done at a kodak picture maker machine. they have them all over the place now. there are 2 kinds i found, one machine makes just 4x6's and the other makes 8x10's 5x7's wallets, etc. it works great with straight out of the camera pics, and ones i have altered on my puter. the best thing is they pop right out of the machine, no waiting 1 hour. |
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10/09/2003 01:13:54 PM · #5 |
I actually go to shutterfly.com (someone mentioned them before somewhere) and I like their work. I mostly get 8x10s and 11x14s (I haven't tried their larger sizes) and those run $3.99 and $7.99 respectively. They'll send up to 10 together for $1.49 regular mail. You can get it faster if you want to pay more of course.
The one thing I don't like, though it isn't overly worrisome is you can't get the 11x14s or higher in glossy, only matte. Another strange thing is most of my black & whites come out as black & white, but one has a slightly tannish hue to it - luckily the subject of the photograph really works with that coloring, so I'm pleased with it all the same. I'm not sure why this particular one ends up different though.
They also run specials regularly so you can get even better prices off and on. My favorite is their 20% off all 8x10 or larger deals. ;)
Just my experiences.
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10/09/2003 01:23:09 PM · #6 |
This is gonna sound obvious, but I get all my prints done at dpcprints, and they always turn out great.. my last batch was something like 14 8x10's of my own prints (haven't bought any from anyone else yet..) The prices are great.. even being in canada. Considering shipping (which is like 2$) and currency exchange (which is pretty good right now), i'd never be able to find a local or even provincial shop that'll do it for so little. I've only ordered matte prints from dpcprints up to now, but i think my next batch will include some glossies.. golors have been great.. B&W's are B&W.. no noticable hues (over half my prints have been B&W). In any case, i fool everyone into thinking they were film, and not digital.. quality is superb.
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10/09/2003 01:38:35 PM · #7 |
Originally posted by LucidLotus:
I actually go to shutterfly.com (someone mentioned them before somewhere) and I like their work. I mostly get 8x10s and 11x14s (I haven't tried their larger sizes) and those run $3.99 and $7.99 respectively. They'll send up to 10 together for $1.49 regular mail. You can get it faster if you want to pay more of course.
The one thing I don't like, though it isn't overly worrisome is you can't get the 11x14s or higher in glossy, only matte. Another strange thing is most of my black & whites come out as black & white, but one has a slightly tannish hue to it - luckily the subject of the photograph really works with that coloring, so I'm pleased with it all the same. I'm not sure why this particular one ends up different though.
They also run specials regularly so you can get even better prices off and on. My favorite is their 20% off all 8x10 or larger deals. ;)
Just my experiences. |
7.99 for 11x14? Do it at DPCPRINTS!!!!! I pay 3.40 for 11x14 there. The prices are great, the print quality is fantastic, you can get glossy or matte for 11x14 (or whatever size you want), and they are very prompt in shipping. I can't figure out why DPC members are still using other places to do their prints that are more expensive! |
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10/09/2003 01:41:39 PM · #8 |
Yeah, I realize DCPrints is cheaper, but I can't seem to manage to get the ratios right. No ratios, means no prints.
With shutterfly I don't have to do any convoluted upsizing or downsizing, I just upload it and it works.
So I guess I'm willing to pay for that easy of use, until I figure out how to do the ratio thing. :)
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10/09/2003 01:43:46 PM · #9 |
it works, sure.. but they basically "cut off" whatever didn't fit in the image ratio.. doing that blindly might make you end up with a photo that has an important element half-cut or gone.. I like to know what i'm going to get.. so i take the 2 minutes it takes to figure out the ratio, and crop accordingly..
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10/09/2003 01:44:21 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by LucidLotus:
Yeah, I realize DCPrints is cheaper, but I can't seem to manage to get the ratios right. No ratios, means no prints.
With shutterfly I don't have to do any convoluted upsizing or downsizing, I just upload it and it works.
So I guess I'm willing to pay for that easy of use, until I figure out how to do the ratio thing. :) |
Ah, I think you've been deceived. You don't have to get the ratio right at DPCPrints, either. Just upload it, and it works. The ratio is only important if you want to sell the print to others. To get your own prints, you can choose to crop the part that doesn't exactly fit in the ratio (which is what shutterfly does), or fit the entire image on the size you chose (leaving white space at the top or bottom because of the ratio). So, for your own prints, don't worry about the ratio! Just worry about what's at the edge that's gonna get cropped to fit the size you choose, but you already have to do that for Shutterfly. So, same process, 4.59 cheaper. |
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10/09/2003 01:48:45 PM · #11 |
hehe, yeah, forgot about that part, the ratio/quality/etc only gets checked when you submit for dpcprints's selling feature.. if it's just for you, you can print just about anything, and they'll either crop or fit it (depending on what you chose)..
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10/09/2003 06:09:35 PM · #12 |
| Thanks everyone for your input. I guess I'll maybe try ordering something from DPC Prints and seeing what the results are like. My other post about taking rowing shots might be worked through DPC Prints, so I'd like to see the results. I was just concerned about the statement that 150dpi was enough for their printing purposes. Yikes... |
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10/09/2003 06:38:52 PM · #13 |
Originally posted by jimmythefish:
I was just concerned about the statement that 150dpi was enough for their printing purposes. Yikes... |
It's not really. The Fuji Frontiers will resample the input to 300dpi anyway. |
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