Digital prints from Printroom.com

I just wanted to share my experience with online printers. I am starting to sell photos and needed a good online printer. So I sent my files out to budget printers: Costco (Snapfish), Winkflash, Shutterfly, and Printroom.com (who I found by accident). The prints from Printroom are the best. Their printer is calibrated to sRGB, which is the same as my monitor, so every print came back exactly the way I thought it would (colors, brightness, contrast...). The resolution took my breath away. 11x14 prints from my 8MP camera are great. Even if I stick my face right into the print, it is difficult to make out any fuzziness. From 2 feet away, the prints are stunning. At $5 per 11x14, I am extremely happy that Printroom.com exists. My main point of this post is that I highly recommend them. I hope this helps someone.

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the info. Have you ever tried whcc.com? Their prices are comparable to Printroom, but they also provide free shipping and you'll generally receive the order in 2-3 days. I've always been happy with the results, except when printing very bright reds, yellows, or oranges, in which case I still use the Slideprinter (but I might try soft-proofing such images with Printroom to see if they might do better with that).

Did you download the dry creek profiles from dry creek before sending to Costco? I have had excellent luck with Costco when utilizing the profiles against their Noritsu.

RichieV

Another recommendation for whcc.com. I've been using them for a couple years now, with great success.

Grant: No, I have not tried whcc.com. The reason I was attracted to printroom was that they printed in sRGB, which made it easy for me. I will keep whcc in mind in case something happens to printroom.

Richie: I did not use Costco's color profiles. Even if I did, though, I would not have liked them. They mishandled almost all my prints. There were fingerprints, creases, misaligned prints...

One more advantage of Printroom over most other places is that they ship their prints flat. I like that, instead of having to flatten rolled photos.

Momo,
I'll second the recommendation for WHCC. I'm pretty sure they can still accept sRGB files. Give them a call, they are very helpful.

WHCC ships prints flat, too. This means I have a nice stack of print-sized boxes at home, which is nice for when I have to ship prints to clients. They recommend sending files in Adobe RGB instead of sRGB, but I'm sure sRGB would be fine, too.

I was a little concerned when they switched from Fuji Crystal Archive to Kodak papers, but I've been really happy with the quality of the Kodak paper.

I have heard several good comments on Costco prints. Is there good and bad locations to go to? Rich what stores have you had luck with?

Thanks

Brian

Brian,

I actually got the Costco recommendation from a "famous" shooter that uses them for all of his stuff smaller than 16x20. This shooter has pretty high standards. I use the Costco in Aurora on Havana and have used them for ALL of the wedding proofs and larger pictures that I did for clients this year. And I was able to upload several hundred pictures at the same time and pick them up the next day.

I work in a tightly calibrated environment at home and IMHO the color match was excellent. I think my "famous" friend uses the one in Littleton. Check Dry Creek and see which ones have profiles already built.

That said. I still use myself for most fine art prints >16x20 with custom paper/ink profiles. Even though Scott B made a print from a drum scan I did for him at WHCC that looked terrific (IMHO). I really need to try them sometime.

Hope that helps.

RichieV

For cheap large prints I go with Elco - $9.99 20x30's & $12.99 24x30's. The quality has always been great.

For smaller stuff I go with Slideprinter for glossy & Super Gloss and whcc for luster/metallic (but I wish they still used Fuji paper). Slideprinter is not the cheapest but their turnaround time is really fast. They ship prints flat (and free) and usually print the same day I order them. Normally I have a package in Fort Collins the next day.

I wish I had a Costco in FC.

Thanks for all the info Rich.

Brian

Momo, thanks for the advice, good comments.

Bill

Sorry to bring this up from the past, but I have a question about printing at Costco.

Rich, if I download the printer profile from Dry Creek how do I ensure that Costco will not apply auto-corrections to my image but will honor the embedded working space profile and do on-the-fly printer profile conversion for their printer using the profile made at Dry Creek Photo? Or do you convert the image to the printer profile before uploading (this would still require no auto-corrections being applied; how did you tell them that via the web - or did you do this in person)?

It seems my Costco has two printers (one of which was profiled), so I would need to specify which physical printer to use also. I don't have a membership at Costco yet, so I don't know if this is all answered as you go through the ordering process, but I'm hoping you can shed some light on this for me.

Prices look awesome @ $10 for a 20x30 if the prints are as good as you say

Craig

Craig,

If you embed the Costco profile and upload via the web at the last point before you submit the order the system will give you some option for selecting Advanced options or something like that. From there you have the ability to tell Costco to not apply any color corrections or modifications. I use the Costco on Havana in Aurora and they only have one printer so I know it is going to the correct device.

I am sure you can setup the order in person but I havent done that. I usually upload everything via the web and pickup later.

Hope that helps.

Rich

Also, if you go there in person, on the envelope in the special instructions section, be sure to write "Print in "REAL" mode". This way they will know to not auto-correct. Also, write in large letters across the entire front of the envelope with highlighter "PUG" which stands for professional users group. This will alert them that you are not the average point and shoot customer. Just a couple of inside tips. Give me a call if you need any help.

Thanks for the quick reply guys.

Just so I am completely clear on the process Rich/Tony:
1) I should convert the image to the printer profile
2) Then embed it
3) I should now be able to upload via web or hand deliver on cd/dvd.

Tony, I also noticed that your Costco has only 1 profiled printer, how do you indicate to them that they should use the correct one? Does the Web ordering interface also allow this?

Craig

Craig, not sure since I've never uploaded. I've always taken them in person. I did notice that on the Costco I use, it states to "Note: This lab has multiple printers. Request your profiled prints be run on Noritsu 3101 #1."

Also, be sure you state which paper you're using because it will make a difference if you print on different paper than what profile you embedded. And, one other thing, be certain the image size is at 320 dpi (I've learned from my mistakes).

I've found that the Costco labs that have Dry Creek profiled printers are all pretty aware of that fact; if you properly mark your photos using the instructions at Dry Creek's website, you shouldn't have any problems.

Like Tony, I always deliver in person, so I don't know what the Web interface allows.

Thanks for the additional information guys. I did notice the instructions at Dry Creek last night and read through them, thanks Les.

One last question, here is the help info for their large prints (11x 14 and up):

Ordering Enlargements and Poster Prints
You can create striking Enlargements and Poster Prints from any of your photos -- provided that the resolution of the photo is high enough. The recommended resolutions for Enlargements and Poster Prints are:

Size Minimum Photo Resolution Required
11" x 14" Enlargements 1610x1265
12" x 18" Enlargements 2070x1380
16" x 20" Posters 2300x1840
20" x 30" Posters 3450x2300

If your photo is unsuitable for an enlargement or poster print, we'll let you know during the ordering process.

To create an enlargement or poster print, follow these steps:

1. From your photo library, an album, or an individual photo, click on 'get prints' in the blue menu to the right of the page.
2. Then click on 'enlargements and poster prints.'
3. If you didn't begin in an individual photo view, click on 'open this album' and then you'll be asked to select the photo you'd like to use. Select a photo and click 'choose this photo'.
4. Select the size, finish, and quantity you'd like to order and click 'add to cart.' Please note that your finish choice applies to your entire poster order.
5. You can only order posters by mail; you can order enlargements for pick-up or mail.
6. Posters only come in "lustre" finish, not glossy.
7. Enlargement orders must all have the same finish. You cannot order one enlargement in glossy finish and one in lustre.

Pricing

The prices for Enlargements and Poster Prints are as follows:

11" x 14" $2.99 each
12" x 18" $2.99 each
16" x 20" $9.99 each
20" x 30" $9.99 each

Item #5 above seems to indicate that posters need to order via mail which makes me wonder if they come from some remote location (not the store you want) and thus the profile is not valid without knowing which printer they will be using to do that job. I'm hoping one of you has printed this large and knows the process, but perhaps not. If not, do you think I have interpreted this correctly or am I just worried about nothing?

Craig

Craig, you are absolutely correct in your last paragraph. The "poster" prints (anything larger than 12x18) are contracted out to some place on the west coast. Profiles mean nothing and I can guarantee you that the colors will be crap. I had a friend do this and he later found out how they get the larger stuff done. I'd only recommend Costco for 12x18 prints and smaller unless they eventually upgrade their "in-house" equipment.

Tony, bummer, I was afraid of that. I'll use EL-CO Color Lab instead for prints above 12x18in.

Thanks for the info as it will save me the disappointment down the line.

Craig