Guide prints

This may be a silly question, but I am in the process of creating a portfolio to send to a magazine and they require guide prints in addition to the digital files. My question is, are these suppose to be high quality prints or are they primarily used as a template for the photo editor to edit for publication to match the color? Are cheap costco prints acceptable? Also, what would be an appropriate size to use as a guide print? 8x10? Smaller, bigger? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

What's the magazine? The one I am familiar with that requires guide prints is Lenswork which publishes photographic art and they are looking for prints to guide them in reproducing the digital images the way the photographer prints them in order to match color and tonality in which case Costco prints would not be the way to go.

Peter, all I know from my experience with providing prints to publishers is to agree with what Jim says: the main use for these prints is so they can match the color. If the magazine will take a smaller size (e.g., 4 x 6 or 5 x 7) print, those can be done inexpensively at Adoramapix and other places; it's worth it. Good luck.

Jim the magazine is Arizona highways (taking a leap of faith here) as many have said I should try to send some work to them. I know a few photographers who's work regularly appears in the magazine and looks identical to what is viewed from their online images. I have gotten Costco prints before and they do a pretty good job of keeping the same color scheme (Mostly for home use).

Costco gets ICC profiles individually for their printers from Dry Creek Photo. They can be downloaded here :

DCP Digital Photo Lab Profiles

Using these profiles to soft-proof for the Noritsu (standard photo printer) or their high end Epson 7880 inkjets should give you a very good reproduction; The paper choices are limited though compared to some other places.

Thanks for the link David. I know their options are limited in paper, but for the price I think they do a decent job. Nothing too fancy.

Try Mpix. Millers Imaging is their parent facility and one of the largest most trusted labs in the US. I have used them for years for portrait and landscape work.
Joe Rogers