Print Lab Comparisions
I am always encouraging my clients to buy professional quality prints they are much better quality prints and last for generations. But I have not put the proof in the pudding so to say, well here it is. I ordered prints from most of our local and common photo labs, and my professional lab as a comparison. Which photo do you think is the best? I choose standard printing of a 4X6 with no color correction for each print.
Arrived at my door in 2 days, excellent. Photo slightly more magenta then file, but beautiful rich colors.
Arrived in 4 days. Overall very green color cast, babies have lost most of the pinkness in their lips.
Took a whole week to come in. Slightly over exposed, but good color tone.
Arrived in 5 days. Strange purple and green color casts on the face, slightly over exposed.
1 hour processing, but they lost my order, so I went in the store, had to come home reorder and then go in the store again. My least favorite photo, under exposed and orange cast.
1 hour processing, but the same thing at walmart, they lost my order twice and make a trip to the store twice, having 4 kids this was a bit of a feat in itself.
Over all I think Walgreens and Shutterfly and Snapfish are in tie for the worst image color. I think the problem with the consumer labs is they don't color test their printers, so if something isn't calibrated strange things begin to happen. I was most pleased with the pro print, and mpix. I still will recommend mpix for my clients to print from when they ask. But of course pro prints are the way to go. Consistently great photos on high quality paper, guaranteed.
Which photo did you think was the worst? Best?