Photo printing

[ratliffsheena]

Am looking for an online company who has good quality and inexpensive prices. I know that some will say quality is better than price, but I am looking to make money from the prints I provide for the customer. Is there a website that is strictly for pro photographers only and offers great deals? It seems to me all these "prolabs" are just like everyone else (Walmart, clarkcolor, snapfish,) with higher prices and no deals?!

 

[ratliffsheena]

Also what are some basic photography packages that people ate looking for? I'm having a hard time deciding how many of each they should get in a package!

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome to the forum.

Firstly, where are you located? It won't do much good to suggest a lab in Sydney Australia if you are in Nova Scotia.

In the US (and maybe Canada), look at Mpix.com, Mpixpro.com or Millerslab.com (all the same parent company).
You might also check out White House Custom Color.

I know that some will say quality is better than price, but I am looking to make money from the prints I provide for the customer.

Firstly, you'll need to write out a business plan. This will help you decide what you need to charge, in order to make your business viable. The actual cost of the prints (cost of goods sold) should be a very, very small portion of what you're charging the customer.

But even so, pro labs are very competitive these days...and you can get professional 8x10 prints for only a couple dollars. So I wouldn't recommend sacrificing quality to save $0.50 on your print, when you should be selling that 8x10 for $20-$100.

Packages are hard...who knows what people will want. I think the industry has evolved away from the classic packages that we used to see (and still do at cookie cutter portrait studios like Sears/Wal-mart etc.) Personally, I have a photo cart/store on my website, which allows clients to choose the photos & the prints they want. It's not the best system for generating big sales, but it is what it is.

 

[KmH]

Even the most expensive prints should be cheap, relative to what you charge for the image that got printed.

The print lab is only selling some pieces of paper with some ink on them. The photo you made, that will get printed on the paper by the ink, is what has intrinsic value.

The cost to produce that image includes all the time you have spent learning what you know about doing photography, part of the cost of your gear, your time spent with the customer pre-shoot, during and post shoot, the time you spend handeling the shoot (uploading, editing, uploading to the print lab, packaging, delivering), etc.

Desktop size prints get marked up several thousand %, while wall size prints get marked up several hundred %. That is just the prints, and doesn't include the markup for any mounting, matting, and framing.

There is only 1 place on the entire planet where people can get images made by you.

 

[KmH]

It seems to me all these "prolabs" are just like everyone else (Walmart, clarkcolor, snapfish,) with higher prices and no deals?!

The range and quality of the products offered, the range of printing processes available, and the customer service are what separate the 'pro labs' from the consumer labs.

Many new to the business of photography aren't aware of how much is involved to consistantly deliver high quality prints to clients. A lot has to be considered and done before the images can be sent to the print lab.

Have you seen this small group of tutorials before? - Tutorials on Color Management & Printing

 

[Orrin]

Am looking for an online company who has good quality and inexpensive prices. I know that some will say quality is better than price, but I am looking to make money from the prints I provide for the customer. Is there a website that is strictly for pro photographers only and offers great deals? It seems to me all these "prolabs" are just like everyone else (Walmart, clarkcolor, snapfish,) with higher prices and no deals?!

I have always received good quality prints from Photos on Canvas | Pro Lab | Personalized Photo Gifts, Cards, Announcements, Album | Digital Prints | ezprints.
Their prices are resonable and they do great panoramas.

 

[ponygurl65]

Try Nations Photo lab I use them for my business and personal use, wonderful quality and customer service is super nice. Fast turn around and they're inexpensive!

 

[Ernicus]

as with many things in life, quantity reflects pricing.

our 8x10's are 8.95. Before some folks gasp and go "wtf", that is the price for the average guy wanting a print. Our wedding photogs that bring in lots of clients and prints obviously don't pay that price. It all depends on volume and history.

Same with most places, however with the big online labs...you'd have to really be a regular and have huge volumes before they cut their prices anymore than they are.

Like said above, your pricing depicts your profit. Even if you bought at 8.95 you can make money selling your product correctly. Obviously 8.95 is high, but it's an example.

I have bought from WHCC, MPIX, costco, and walmart, and our lab in house.

as far as cost, they are all varied. Quality, forget walmart, some like costco...me personally...not so much. Mpix and whcc produce a fine product. We print at the same level as the latter two. Our metallics I believe and others attest locally, that they even rival whcc and mpix both. Some photogs use us just for metallics and the online guys for the rest of their needs, for cost purposes alone..as the quality is equal otherwise.

Shop around locally and don't rule out local labs. You may find someone like us who does a damn good job, but is just overshadowed by the larger online guys. You can build a personal rapport and get great deals and great service.


on another note, anyone seen that new (new to me) metallic looking canvas print? We got samples in yesterday...they look pretty sweet. We should have some here soon I believe, I want to see those things in action.

 

[Steve5D]

I've never had a problem with prints I get Costco. More importantly, my clients have never had a problem with the prints I get from Costco...

 

[Ernicus]

Costco has 433 locations in the US and PR. Consider the margin of error on having a good one near you. I don't. I'm sure one or two of the other 432 do a fine job.

 

[KmH]

While I have heard there is a fair amount of variability in print quality from Walmart to Walmart, I have not heard of the same from Costco to Costco.