Colab v Photobox

Cobra

Cobra

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I am sure this has been done before but here's my take on it

This is the first time I have sent digital prints off to be "devoloped" I sent one lot off to Colab and one off to Photobox

Colab
The print paper seems to be slightly better quality and the colour reproduction is just about spot on according to my uncalibrated monitor.
The down side is that the prints were more than twice the price

Photo box
As has been said before the prints seemed just a tad ( technical term) darker than my monitor and the oranges were slightly more "red"

All in all I think that they ( photobox) were very good value for money at slightly more than a third of the price of Colab

I will use both in the future but I think that Colab just has the edge on quality and closeness for colour reproduction.

I guess that for general printing Photobox will be my first choice but for those "extra special prints" it will have to be Colab.

edit I forgot to add both sets were sent electronically (bank holiday) Monday evening, both arrived Am on the wednesday thats a big plus for both of them but Photobox emailed me to say when they had been dispatched ( about midnight same day)
 
did you remember to use yoru TP discount at colab?
 
I've not printed anything with colab but have experienced the exact colour shifts that you describe with photobox as compared to my calibrated monitor.

What's this TP discount then? Is that at colab?
 
h.r.ford said:
did you remember to use yoru TP discount at colab?
Click to expand...

I couldn't find the place to enter the code :(
There didn't seem to be that option but I was also having a little trouble navigating the site as it was the first time I had even looked at it, but I will certainly look "closer" next time.
Photobox have offered a 20% discount on my next order to be used by the 5th of Sept. so thats useful as well :)
 
At last, I have someone agreeing with me. 4 times Photobox tried to get the colour and brightness correct on a batch of 284 5x7 prints - to no avail. I wasn't best pleased. Seeing as they were 2 sets of wedding proofs I made do with them. As Cobra said, they were darker than my monitor. too Colab always gets them spot on. Unfortunately, they are so expensive. I always use Colab for final images and larger prints and canvasses. Great company to deal with.
 
When you open up the colab software it asks you if you have a code to enter. you enter the TPF one and it loads a reduced price list. You don't enter it after you've uploaded.
 
Cobra said:
All in all I think that they ( photobox) were very good value for money at slightly more than a third of the price of Colab

I will use both in the future but I think that Colab just has the edge on quality and closeness for colour reproduction.

I guess that for general printing Photobox will be my first choice but for those "extra special prints" it will have to be Colab.
Click to expand...

Hello Mr SneakySnake. :wave:

I'll have to agree with the others about Photobox old chap and say that really, Photobox is a little ropey to say the least. Historically I think it was started so the peasants could afford to get prints from their magic light picture boxes... A chap of your breeding shouldn't have anything to do with them! What will everyone at the 'Club' say if they find out? :eek: ;)

No. A man of your class should definately go to Colab or Peak-Imaging. :rules:

Of course, if you think Colab are a little expensive, you should check out our prices at LagoLabs. We do top quality prints on the finest quality art papers so you do get what you pay for. :p :)
 
Irritable_Rabbit said:
Of course, if you think Colab are a little expensive, you should check out our prices at LagoLabs. We do top quality prints on the finest quality art papers so you do get what you pay for. :p :)
Click to expand...
Did a google and found nothing...! :shrug:

IR, what's your www please.
 
i would like to throw a third option into the mix, dlab7 - I sent some shots from russia in after I got back in feb this year, the quality was great! pretty much the same as photobox. granted they took a few days longer to deliver but the results can't be faulted and they're dirty cheap too. I also had a number of rowing shots done and again the colours came out just fine... I was happy, clients happy...job done.
I do still use photobox regularly though - take advantage of their offers like the poster prints for £5 etc.
 
Same here photostar, I've been reading all the glowing references to Photobox on this site over the past few days - just about to send some prints in for printing, now this thread comes along....
 
I've just got some 6x4 prints back from Photobox (well they were free so why not).

Not sure I'd want to pay for them TBH. :thinking: A little hit & miss on the quality IMO.
Some are fine but others aren't a patch on my own A4 from my Epson printer.
 
theMusicMan said:
Did a google and found nothing...! :shrug:

IR, what's your www please.
Click to expand...

What you have to understand about that lagomorph creature is half his posting life is spent winding me up, the other half is spent reading my posts in which I try and find the most derogatory things to say about creatures with big back feet and large ears :D
 
photostar_1 said:
I've just sent 4 pics to photobox....worried now!!
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JPS said:
Same here photostar, I've been reading all the glowing references to Photobox on this site over the past few days - just about to send some prints in for printing, now this thread comes along....
Click to expand...

Guys, I wouldn't worry too much at the price they are excellent value, just at a side by side comparision and with my uncalibrated monitor there is a difference as I said, a tad darker and the oranges a little red
 
Irritable_Rabbit said:
Hello Mr SneakySnake. :wave:

I'll have to agree with the others about Photobox old chap and say that really, Photobox is a little ropey to say the least. Historically I think it was started so the peasants could afford to get prints from their magic light picture boxes... A chap of your breeding shouldn't have anything to do with them! What will everyone at the 'Club' say if they find out? :eek: ;)

No. A man of your class should definately go to Colab or Peak-Imaging. :rules:

Of course, if you think Colab are a little expensive, you should check out our prices at LagoLabs. We do top quality prints on the finest quality art papers so you do get what you pay for. :p :)
Click to expand...


:wave: Mr Rampant Rabbit
long time no (h)'ear :D
"Fur" enough, Of course I would be more than happy to try Lagolabs but as I am only a poor sole then I may have dificulty in meeting your prices do you do extended credit accounts?
As I said in my "conclusion" they ( photobox) are OK for general stuff but for the extra special images,and as I am only still at the crap stage, these are few and far between, I will use Colab when I reach the required standard. :D
 
Cobra said:
What you have to understand about that lagomorph creature is half his posting life is spent winding me up, the other half is spent reading my posts in which I try and find the most derogatory things to say about creatures with big back feet and large ears :D
Click to expand...
:thinking: errrm.... confused!
 
theMusicMan said:
Did a google and found nothing...! :shrug:

IR, what's your www please.
Click to expand...

Mr Musicman.. It pleases me that you are already looking for my website. This bodes well for my future. :)

Unfortunately, the Lithuanian I hired as a 'Web Developer' for 50p a day and a bowl of Go Cat wasn't exactly quite what I expected. So until I teach him what a PC is we are a long way off from a working website. :(

Fortunately, I can still print things off. Although the Thai 'Lady' wasn't quite what I was expecting either, she/he can at least operate the A3+ pigment printer. :thumbs: We have a few testing days yet to go but he/she has managed to print off some very fine prints on cotton based photo rag paper up to 460gsm. :) These exceed anything I have received from any of the other labs and I also support embedded Adobe 1998 ICC as well as sRGB. :rules:

Cobra said:
What you have to understand about that lagomorph creature is half his posting life is spent winding me up, the other half is spent reading my posts in which I try and find the most derogatory things to say about creatures with big back feet and large ears
Click to expand...

There is nothing at all derogatory that can be said about a very fine pair of large feet and floppy ears. Hoppity Hop! :lol:

Cobra said:
"Fur" enough, Of course I would be more than happy to try Lagolabs but as I am only a poor sole then I may have dificulty in meeting your prices do you do extended credit accounts?
Click to expand...

Now that PUN actually did hurt more than any attempt to insult me. OUCH!!
But if you are out my way one day then you can certainly see samples of the prints I have started to produce. They may be suitable for a special occasion where you actually get your wallet out and don't try for extended credit. :p ;)

In fact I think I will start trading under the Lagolabs banner. :D
 
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