I'm interested in getting your recommendations for a good online print lab...consistent quality LARGE prints and good customer service especially... Thank you!
I think Millers and WHCC require you to do a test run to open an account. Verify the color you get back is what you sent so adjustments can be done if required. Basically free samples.
I'm a big fan of Bay Photo. They've proven themselves to me with fantastic print quality and speedy shipping. This week I had some prints made at both Nations and ProDPI. Nations seemed just a tad on the yellow side. ProDPI looked pretty nice in both color and B&W. I'm not switching from Bay as my primary though.
booju - I previously didn't have any color correction done but one time I tried it out at Bay and I was really pleased so I continued to do it. Now I just do it - no worries. They practically read my mind. The only time I thought that they didn't totally nail it was in a snowy scene I had printed - I thought it wasn't quite as bright white as it should be.
In the post above the prints I tried out from ProDPI and Nations were both uncorrected. The ProDPI prints I wouldn't hesitate to deliver to a client. The Nations prints I would want to run some more tests.
The best thing for you to do would be to have the same pics printed both corrected and uncorrected.
kudos for www.millerslab.com been w/them a long time. Only color issues were 8 yrs ago. when they started up w/press books (probably my fault) - standard print line(Ambassador) has ALWAYS be stellar. Great prices for digital art, mounting (lots of options) and print surface enhancements. Free overnight shipping (FedX) on most all wall art. ED K.
Just did 2 prints at 40x60 with WHCC. I went with a satin coating for protection and mounting. They received at 11:00pm on Monday night, printed and shipped on Tuesday and in my hands Wednesday. Both look great. I always have large prints mounted. Just easier for me and no worries with damage on my end. Just trying to hold and unroll a large print can cause problems.
Corojo wrote:
kudos for www.millerslab.com been w/them a long time. Only color issues were 8 yrs ago. when they started up w/press books (probably my fault) - standard print line(Ambassador) has ALWAYS be stellar. Great prices for digital art, mounting (lots of options) and print surface enhancements. Free overnight shipping (FedX) on most all wall art. ED K.
jefferies1 wrote:
Just did 2 prints at 40x60 with WHCC. I went with a satin coating for protection and mounting. They received at 11:00pm on Monday night, printed and shipped on Tuesday and in my hands Wednesday. Both look great. I always have large prints mounted. Just easier for me and no worries with damage on my end. Just trying to hold and unroll a large print can cause problems.
WHCC has excellent customer service (stellar, amazing customer service) and does a great job with big prints. If I need to go online for big prints, I use them. I also use them for large quantities of small prints for out-of-state clients since they're set up to drop ship. The one time I had an issue (they accidentally expedited the wrong one of two very similar orders), they apologized up one side and down the other, and had my prints to me Overnight AM Express for free—three days before Christmas.
If the prints are ending up local to you, though, a local lab can cut out a lot of fuss and cost if you're lucky enough to live in an area that still has one.
Millers. If there is an issue with their Ambassador prints they will send you a prepaid call tag to get the defective product back. They will remake a faulty order free of charge on the Ambassador product.
I know I'm very late to the party here on this topic, but I feel compelled to share a great service experience I had with Bay Photo. I was going to order a dozen different 20 x 30 thin-wrap prints for a client, but I did not know which of two finishes would be better given where the pictures would be displayed. The folks at Bay Photo sent me a couple of 8 x 12's with the different fishes at no charge so that the client could pick the right finish. That was unexpected, but much appreciated. I also have to say that their packaging is always perfect -- never a damaged photo.
Nick
WHCC has the broadest range of print services including printing and mounting. Pretty much 2 day service to anywhere in the USA. Upload the files on Sunday and have the prints by Wednesday. Mounting is importatant as it protects large prints both while in transit to you and also for ease of hanling when having the prints framed.
+1 for WHCC - They do an outstanding job of printing, have excellent customer service and they donate their services to some wonderful organizations. Those are enough reasons for me.
