where to get great prints

[TeddTucker]

I'm debating whether or not to buy a monitor calibration device (Spyder 2 express). I want it to so I can better match up what I see i my monitor and what see once I get my prints back.

My question is does it matter where you take your images to get printed? will I get more accurate results if I take them to a pro photo store rather than Walmart?

For those of you who don't do your own printing, where do you print?

On a side note: Can you rent Spyders, Don't you really only need the hardware and software once?

[AdamW]

I print my own stuff now, but before that I used Mpix. It took a bit of work to get things looking right (and I was dealing with monitor calibration at the same time) but their customer service is fast and patient and I got some very nice prints from them. And their prices are good.

[cdifoto]

When you're calibrated all up nice, you download and use each Lab's soft proofing profiles for color matching. Each lab will have their own custom profile. If all of the labs' profiles show the same results it's only by chance, not by design.

[Visual Reality]

On a side note: Can you rent Spyders, Don't you really only need the hardware and software once?

Not sure about renting, but over time a monitors output can "drift". Therefore they recommend you redo the calibration every once in a while.

[adam75south]

don't know about renting but maybe you could find someone near you that would bring one over and calibrate your monitor for you. i'd do it for my friends but none of them live near me.

edit....oh yea, almost forgot. mpix rocks. get the icc profiles from mpix, get your monitor calibrated, use the icc profiles for soft proofing while you're editing and you'll be surprised how close they match.

ooooooor, if it's just regular pics...let mpix do their thing with the auto color stuff. turns out really well.

[Zoinac]

Has anyone by chance used canvasondemand.com? They offer a free 16" X 20" mounted canvas if you sign up. I found it in a magazine. I like free.
By the way, if you'd like that deal, you can sign up for it Here. I'm just looking to see if anyone has any experience with them. I think I'll try the free one out though, because I can... if anyone else tries it out I'd like to hear what they have to say about them.

[Rasidel Slika]

I've printed at Adoramapix.com - the quality is excellent, and their service is equally superb.

One thing I learned after the first batch I sent though, sharpen the pics you send them one step - it'll result in sharper prints. The first batch I got looked a bit soft - and I mean, softer than the digital images. Now, I prefer my shots sharp - some people don't - so do that per your preference.

[GaryS]

Printing... what a headache.

I think that calibrating your monitor is the most important step, because it has the greatest variability. This goes a long way toward making your prints better.

Let me preface this by saying I'm not a pro, I print photos for my enjoyment, and those of my friends who ask for prints. I'm not particularly picky as long as a layman would like them. And I live it Canada, so shipping from US print-houses can be expensive for smaller orders.

For 5x7 or smaller, I use www.photolab.ca. They are cheap, and the quality is OK. They tend not to mess around with the shots too much, so they look the way I want them to. No shipping charge and I can pick them up at my local grocery store the next day.

Walmart SUCKS. They mess up orders, and they sharpen the hell out of the prints.

When doing bigger prints, I use Henrys Moments photo service. Henrys is a Canadian photo store chain. They do a good job, and have great customer service if you have a problem, and free pickup in their stores.

MPIX is what I use for anything really special. They are just the best. But then I have to deal with the shipping charges and the border.

I've tried lots of other services here, and I've been disappointed in something about all of them.

[adam75south]

One thing I learned after the first batch I sent though, sharpen the pics you send them one step - it'll result in sharper prints.

yea i don't remember where i read it, but i read somewhere that you should oversharpen a little bit before printing...and it seems to work out pretty good.

but the MAIN thing is calibrating the monitor....getting the icc profiles, and soft proofing through photoshop while you edit. very easy to do and works awesome.

[michaelb]

I use Spyder for monitor callibration; probably the best money I've spent thus far in photography - its really that critical, IMO.

I use MPIX. They do a great job and I don't even use the custom ICC profiling.

For 4X6's I sometimes use York photo - super cheap and actually very good quality for good prints.

I'm about to try Canvasondemand myself for a couple of canvas prints; as mentioned above you can sign up for a free canvas, but you need to be a "pro" - you need a tax ID #, website, etc or your not eligible. If you do a search on the FM PP/printing forum there is a thread on this free offer and multiple peoples experience with this company (looks mostly positive).