suggestion of a good lab to process digital photos

[davidgilmour]

hi everyone. Im new to the forum. Did some reading and am learning a lot. Just wanted to ask you guys where you get your digital photos processed. I used mostly pharmacy based labs, and even tried a full service professional photo lab. The experience with the pro lab was acceptable. Got 45 photos for under $7.00. They charge $.08 per print and did it all from home, uploaded the files Monday and got them on Wednesday. But I still think there’s something better out there. Not looking for anything cheaper but better quality. So what would you recommend and how was your experience, how would you rate the quality of the photo.

 

[JIP]

If you want to try online try MPIX

 

[ksmattfish]

I second www.mpix.com . They've always done a good job for me. 8 cents is really cheap though. What/where was that lab? Mpix is 29 cents for a 4x6, and I considered that a pretty good price.

 

[davidgilmour]

thank you both for your comments. I was referred to Mpix by some other people too, so I guess that is the most popular. And the 24 cents per print is very welcoming. And have you tried the other papers that they offer like the Metallic and the True Digital B&W? Any quality difference that you can tell just by looking at it? And to answer your question, the lab is pephoto.com its in Queens, NY. Maybe that’s why I got the prints so fast (I live in Queens).

 

[droyz2000]

Another option is to purchase your own printer. I know a few people with an Epson 2200 and the prints from it are very nice. It can print up to 13 inches wide which is all I need.

 

[Majik Imaje]

please! wait the money your going to spend on a color lab.
you can put into your color lab!

and I promise you !! much better results! I have proven it too many times.

Epson yes! 2200 NO!

EPSON 1280 yes yes yes yes yes yes yes!!

300 dollars. I PROMISE YOU.. you can lay a 16 x 20 color lab print beside a 13 x 19 print from epson..

you will always pick the 13 x 19 from epson over the color lab print.

I have done this too many times!

there are two reasons why I made the statement about the two printers..

I own each of them many tmes over.

1280 is simple.. blacks are better

2200 is complicated too many different cartriges of ink and for some reason you use 5 times more magenta than any other color

1280 can do all that the 2200 can but 1280 has much better blacks!

one cartidge for color and one for black!

you will so pleased when you see the results

 

[davidgilmour]

The thought of using a printer hasn’t even crossed my mind. For some reason it has been evading me. Maybe because I’ve had such bad experiences with printers. I recently had to buy a new printer because the old one was giving me problems (the usual suspects -ink clogging-ink running out-specific numbered ink costing too much). Well I guess that’s what you get for buying a bundled printer with your computer. But anyway I would still have to consider how many times I’m going to use it, if I don’t use it that often, most likely its going to get clogged to. Then there’s the paper that I have to buy (if I wanted different sizes, I would have to buy different packages), and the ink which wouldn’t be under $25 I’m sure. Print longevity compared to a labs print. So considering all the +’s & -‘s I think I would be better of using a lab. And a little saner.

 

[Majik Imaje]

but I just gotta argue this with you .. just a bit..

EPSON. the absolute most incredible printer on the market!

I also have a very expensive HP unit.. AWESOME PRINTER.. MAGNIFICENT

PUT IT UPSIDE THE EPSON. BESIDE IT AND COMPARE THE RESUTS

Absolutely NO COMPARISON it makes the HP PRINTS LOOK AWFUL!

the difference in SHARPNESS is immediatly noticable! VERY NOTICABLE

THE COLOR SATURATON, unmatched!

Where would you buy photographic paper ? I have tried them all..

RED RIVER PAPER CO.. whew.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

go for it.. and learn something!! thier prices are way lower than epson, kidak hp and any of the OTHER brands you see in stores

google it... ! you put a piece of that paper into an epson 1280

you will be smiling from ear to ear !! and its gonna make you feel so good

ink cost: hp $100 to fill that printer..with ink

epson 2200 7 cartridges @ 10 dollars each. nah !!! too many DIFFERENT PACKAGES

EPSON 1280 one color catridge 25 dollars

one black datridge 19 dollars

about 40 *8 x10 prints

18 13 x 19 color prints

i am sold.. ON RED RIVER PAPER..i will never use anything else!

so your not going to use the printer for a while.?? take the ink catridge out and put it in a plastic bag

I have owned 4 epson 1280 printers.. I am gettin ready to buy six more!!

DON'T PASS UP THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME the boss of your own color lab!

 

[auer1816]

I found a place called myphotopipe.com that looks pretty good, but I haven't used them yet. They seem to offer quite a wide range of printing options.

 

[Majik Imaje]

SIGH.. you have some expensive camera(s) no ?

you have a computer.. yes !

don't stop now.. .. complete your digital color lab!

I will show you how to make so much money.. from your camera!

I have been doing this for 40 years! it is so easy .. to make lots and lots of money with your camera and your images

but if your shelling out bucks to a color lab. your not gonna make nothing.

they are gonna make money!

 

[davidgilmour]

MajikImaje, your persistence of the printer is enticing, so I looked up the 1280 and noticed that the resolution is up to 720 dpi. While other printers have up to 1440. What would you say the labs printers resolution would be? And if you compared two photos from a lab and one from the 1280, would there be any noticeable difference.

 

[Majik Imaje]

I think.. you better re-read.. or maybe I am wrong..

I never print at no 720.. FURP!!

Lesson number one.. I GOT 40 YEARS! +

your going to jump up and down.. when you see these results..

I put my prints beside the very best color labs here in town.

NO COMPARISON.. none. nada. !!