Coscto printing

[kevinfoto]

What do you guys think of Costco prints? Is it good quality?

 

[Audible_Chocolate]

very! The canvas my girlfriend just got me of one of my photos is awesome! prints are also really good.

 

[Big Mike]

I've seen some decent quality prints from Cost-co, especially considering the price. But like most 'store-labs', the quality can be hit and miss...likely depending on who is running the process that day. On the whole (from what I can tell), Cost-co does provide a better product (on average) than say Wal-mart....and at a very low price.

For personal/fun photo, I wouldn't have a problem recommending them. But for professional prints or anything that I want to stake my name & reputation on...I'll use a better lab.

 

[NCrockett]

Just make sure you turn off their auto color correction. Only Costco and Sam's club offer this. Anything I have adjusted in PS prints dark and ugly at walmart because of their color correction. I have printed both ways to compare and have been pleased w costco.

 

[Joel_W]

I'm a store manager for CVS Drug stores. All our stores have a photo dept, with digital kiosks. The newer stores have printers that are dry side paper and ribbon, so there are no chemicals to mix and screw up, (depends on who mixes the chemicals, and does the test strips). Over all, the quality of a 8x10 is pretty good. You can even do some very basic editing. My advice to anyone who can do editing at home, is to do exactly that. Then transfer your pictures to some portable media like a flash drive. Print one picture to see if it comes out how you expect it do, and go from there.

 

[KmH]

Or use a company whose main business is printing photos.

Like www.mpix.com www.bayphoto.com www.WHCC.com and many others that are online.

 

[Kerbouchard]

Or use a company whose main business is printing photos.

Like www.mpix.com www.bayphoto.com www.WHCC.com and many others that are online.

Except that Mpix is inconsistent and they have Ken Rockwell doing their color corrections. Honestly, I'll stick with Costco.

 

[KmH]

Every print lab is inconsistant, to one degree or another.

 

[IgsEMT]

Or use a company whose main business is printing photos.

Like www.mpix.com www.bayphoto.com www.WHCC.com and many others that are online.

Except that Mpix is inconsistent and they have Ken Rockwell doing their color corrections. Honestly, I'll stick with Costco.

Ok, don't use MPIX, use Miller's.
My proofs and albums go through APS.
I've never met Ken Rockwell, so the only thing I know of him is what I've seen from his website; with that in mind what is wrong with him doing color corrections? Its the same as when studios I shoot for send me their images to design their albums - I don't see anything wrong with that.
But regarding Costco, its hit/miss. Bottom line, and Joel_W don't take it personally, if you're printing from a place that isn't specialized in printing, don't expect too much. Be that costco, wal-mart, cvs - w/e no one is sitting there and color correcting your photos, removing your color casts, etc - so if you're lucky to get decent quality count your blessing

 

[Tony S]

The Costco labs do specialize in printing.... that's all their labs do. That's why it's seperate from the rest of the store.

The techs there only do printing. Costco does a large business printing and they take it seriously. Unlike other companies, Costco retains it's employees longer (my local one has had the same techs for 10 years now) than most, trains and updates them, and treats them well. A happy print tech is a good print tech. They maintain their equipment well and have great customer service.

You can get the profiles for printers at each Costco so you get good colors. I have had a series of test prints done at Millers Labs, H&H,Adorama and Costco. All of them were comparable in quality and color.

The best advice for dealing with them I have is to spend a little time talking with the techs. Have some test prints done, then talk with the techs. I'm betting after that you will feel comfortable using them. For printing now I only use Millers Lab and Costco.

 

[Kerbouchard]

Every print lab is inconsistant, to one degree or another.

Very true. And to be honest, I have had a problem with Costco in the past. About 400 5x7s all had a line across the top of them. I guess a speck of dust on the printer or a clogged jet or whatever it was. They didn't catch it when they printed them, so I had to wait about an hour for them to reprint it.

Another time, I had marked do not self correct. Phil didn't agree and thought some of them would benefit from the auto-correct, so he printed two sets, and let me pick and choose from each. I picked about half and half and only paid for the one set.

IMO, the Costco lab isn't like a bargain/walmart/roll the dice and take your chances kind of lab. From my dealings with them, they are incredibly professional and take pride in what they do. Honestly, their photolab is the only reason I keep up a membership.