Where do the pros print? repost

[TiCoyote]

The first thread doesn't seem to work properly.
Where do the Pros print?

So I have a few questions here:

1. If a pro shoots a wedding in digital, where does s/he print it? Do most pros have high-quality photo printers? Do they send it to a service? Which one?

2. Being a humble amateur, where should I print? I've had Snapfish print my pics before, but I'm guessing if I wanted to print up something nicer, I could find a better service. Recommendation?

3. What about a semi-pro? If I get any good at this photography thing, I'd like to be able to do a few small gigs per year. Would I need to drop some serious coin on a fancy printer? Is there a service I could use that would give me pro prints, but also allow me to turn a profit?

 

[Big Mike]

I would think that most pro photographers use a pro lab for their printing.

Printing at home really isn't all that more economically when you factor in the costs of good quality paper and ink. Plus there is the issue of calibration and keeping your printer clean and working properly. It's much easier, in most cases, to just send files to a lab for printing. They can even take care of the color adjustments if you want.
A good lab will use good quality paper, inks and equipment which they keep in tip top shape. The quality of their prints are what keeps them in business...unlike a Wal-mart or drug-store photo lab.

I would suggest that even an amateur should use a good quality lab. That way, you know what your photos are capable of. If a cheap lab is screwing up your prints, you may not realize it and just think that it's something you are doing wrong.

There are many pro labs but there are also some good quality consumer labs. Mpix is one that gets a lot of attention.

 

[rhondag]

I use White House for my printing lab. whcc.com
I also just did a test print with mpixpro...and I like the tests, so will probably use them too.

 

[CxThree]

I have seen several postings from pros that use Millers. They are the parent site for MPIX.com. I have seen wedding albums from them and they look good.