Printing my photos for the first time - Advice needed!

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kasabian

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Hello all,

I do photography as a hobby, but recently got asked if I would like to display them at a local exhibition.

I've never really "professionally" printed my photos before and it's kinda making me panic a bit. :bonk:

Every time I've had my holiday photos printed by places like PhotoBox, SnappySnaps, Tesco..etc..I've been very disappointed with the results. How my photos look on my Apple Mac never look the same once printed. :bang:

At first I was looking to buy the Pantone Huey thing and calibrate my printer (Canon PIXMA iX6550) and do them myself at home. But the hassle of this and the costs of paper, ink is putting me off.

I was flicking through some other threads on the forum and heard about DS Colour Labs Ltd, so now I'm tempted to just go with them. Is this a better idea?

My question to those who are experienced with this kind of thing though is - how much preparation do I need to do to my jpeg files before uploading my photos to them? It says they have an "Auto corrected standard service", but does that mean that an actual human is monitoring each photo individually to make sure the colours/brightness/contrast is all OK? Or is it just their software automatically doing it?
 
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The Huey won't calibrate your printer but it will calibrate your monitor which is the first step

If you want to calibrate monitor and printer look at the Colormunki (more expensive but superb)
 
"Auto corrected standard service", but does that mean that an actual human is monitoring each photo individually to make sure the colours/brightness/contrast is all OK? Or is it just their software automatically doing it?
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For most online companies its software driven - but its much more sophisticated than auto correct in Photoshop - I looked at one for my lab but it was many thousands a year for the licence... but it would correct a wedding of 500 images in about 10 mins. Looking at each file I could of done a better job in about half of them - but it would of taken a couple of hours - and I have 30 years lab experience and 20 years experience in Photoshop...

In the real world they are the solution used for labs like Snapfish/Photobox etc.

Go to a pro lab like Loxley/Colorworld/One Vision you'll find skilled people correcting - then checking and if required, reprinting - which is why the costs are much higher - for smaller prints in particular.

However remember - that people are a variable - and the same person will correct to a slightly different amount each time - and different people will correct to a differing amount. You might get a print one day that has a small cast to blue - the next day it will have a slight cast to yellow - each by themselves is perfectly acceptable - but put them next to each other and its very obvious.

If you do the correction it will come back the same each time - and the same goes if you send to different labs - if they work to the ICC standard they should all look the same (within the limitations of the printers and papers used)

I would say that my lab had a number of customers with Huey calibrators - and most have changed - Spyder3, Xrite and ColorMunki and the three that seem to give best results...
 
Thank you all for the replies.

Got my order from DS Colour Labs first thing this morning. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

Where have these people been my whole life?? I've been searching high and low for the past 6 years trying to find somewhere that could do a half decent job of printing my digital pics. The stress and annoyance of bad print after bad print from the high street stores was making me ill.:gag: I honestly contemplated suicide after seeing my last batch printed by Tescos.

I didn't think it was possible to get prints this good at prices this low. I paid 75p each for 15" x 10" prints!

DS COLOUR LABS CUSTOMER FOR LIFE :clap:
 
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kasabian said:
Thank you all for the replies.

Got my order from DS Colour Labs first thing this morning. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

Where have these people been my whole life?? I've been searching high and low for the past 6 years trying to find somewhere that could do a half decent job of printing my digital pics. The stress and annoyance of bad print after bad print from the high street stores was making me ill.:gag: I honestly contemplated suicide after seeing my last batch printed by Tescos.

I didn't think it was possible to get prints this good at prices this low. I paid 75p each for 15" x 10" prints!

DS COLOUR LABS CUSTOMER FOR LIFE :clap:
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If you think DSCLs prints are good, order some from David (SnappingSam) above and compare ;)
 
RicherSea said:
If you think DSCLs prints are good, order some from David (SnappingSam) above and compare ;)
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if they match his screen can't see them being better lol
 
David's are cheaper still! And quality 1st class too.
 
POAH said:
if they match his screen can't see them being better lol
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Print quality isn't just about how well they match your monitor...
 
RicherSea said:
Print quality isn't just about how well they match your monitor...
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this is true but having seen the quality from DSCL I doubt other labs would be do much better you could actually tell from normal viewing.
 
POAH said:
pretty sure they are more expensive
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i read 15"x10" as 15cmx10cm :)

not sure what his prices are for that but 66p for a 10x8 was good.

But you're right I just checked the DSCL page!
 
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POAH said:
pretty sure they are more expensive
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Yep, they are a little. Having ordered samples from about 10- labs last year, I think you can tell the difference, but we're generally a lot more picky when they are our own images!
 
Just come across this thread as I was thinking of getting some prints done. I just checked out the ds colour labs, was going to order one a4 to how how it turned out, thought for 65p cant go wrong.
Where do they get off charging £4.50 for first class? First class stamp is 46p! the cheapest option is to actually collect in store and that is £1.50 or something.
 
Quickshooter said:
Where do they get off charging £4.50 for first class? First class stamp is 46p!
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I've had one order of a dozen prints from DSCL. Largest was some 18x12s. They arrived very well packaged in a cardboard wrapper and in a bag sandwiched between some corrugated plastic. I've just weighed the package and it comes in at 650g. Looking on the Royal Mail website, first class franked packets (this is a packet as it is bigger than the size you can send as a letter/large letter) is £2.36. Over 750g and it's £2.86. Given the postage rate is flat on the option you are looking at (so if you order a lot, it would cost them) I don't think it unreasonable as the prices they charge for prints is very reasonable.

If you'd like an A4 print sent as a letter and so qualify for the 46p postage, it would need to be folded to get it in the envelope. I'm sure DSCL would oblige for you - just give them a ring ;)
 
Very strange.
If you are ordering lots then yeah thats fine :)

i regularly post of a4 sizes like certificates etc with out folding ;) in a do not bend ridged envelope and ive always wacked a stamp on and it went fine :shrug:
 
The charge is for postage and /packaging/.
Although the emount is 'high' they really do not scrimp on the packaging. I have had several items from them delivered now, and although I don't want to knock the post office, they aren't always the most careful they can be with your post.
It would have been difficult (my A3 images were sent with plastic around them), to have ended up with my pictures bent.

If you think the postage is extreme, then wait a month or two until you can get 10 done at one go. I really doubt you will be dissappointed with the quality of the images from the company, and by getting 10 done at a time, then the postage will only feel like 40p each.
 
your right there mate lol i was just surprised thats all as most of the other places were cheaper also. but hey never mind :)
 
Quickshooter said:
i regularly post of a4 sizes like certificates etc with out folding ;) in a do not bend ridged envelope and ive always wacked a stamp on and it went fine :shrug:
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Then you've been lucky ;) A4 flat is now termed a "large letter" and attracts postage of £0.75 if less than 100g, £1.09 if over.

Having said that, the order I've had from them has been far better packaged than an A4 in a Do Not Bend envelope... Personally, I don't think it overpriced.
 
You'll find that the postage charge attracts VAT so there's 20% for starters - and packaging is on top of the stamp - then the time taken to pack - and you'll also find the fee will also cover credit card processing (which easyjet & ryanair will charge you £5!)

So from the 3.90 the VAT is 79p, the postage is £1.09 - but if you've ordered 12x16 postage will be £1.96 - and the packaging is from 40p - £1.80 - the card processing around 40p... so at best on an A4 you might be up £1 - but on a A3 the lab will be down about £1......

Now you could get your prints from a supermarket - and collect - but at £1.99 for a 10x8 its just 3 prints before it cheaper....

There's never a perfect solution....
 
thats a very in depth break down lol.
I would just pop in and collect from the store but they even charge for that lol now surely you must agree that is ridiculous :thumbs:
 
I thought about the P&P costs when using DSCL etc. Then I thought about how much petrol I'd use driving to somewhere to get prints done, plus the fact that the print cost would be higher and even if its just a few prints, it still works out cheaper to order from the likes of DSCL - and a lot easier in terms of my time.
 
thats is very true :) however I live 5min walk from a retail park with a Tesco super store
(ready for the Zombie apocalypse :lol: ) so petrol would be free :)
and the price for just one would be cheaper Dont know how the quality would differ tho. and before every one jumps up and says well just go to bloody Tesco then lol, i was only asking about this place as a consideration :) :thumbs:
 
I would say the opposite for photos! Steer clear of supermarket's glossy prints!
 
Hi, I have just used DSCL and have no complaints :)

Snappingsam/Dave - I have just sent you a skype message but have found you on facebook now so just ignore my little babble :lol:
 
@snappingsam would it be possible to put your website on your signature - it's quite hard to track it down! (or is that not polite?)
 
Hello Jack - I'm afraid the moderators consider that advertising and remove it - however most people call me sam - and I have a photolab ;-)
 
kasabian said:
Thank you all for the replies.

Got my order from DS Colour Labs first thing this morning. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.
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I can mirror this as well. Received 4 prints of various sizes today and I cannot fault them. I guess it is more economical to order a good number but I was just testing the waters and I am not disappointed.

I was going to get an A3 printer with some of the tax rebate (cheers, Santa!) but I won't bother now :-)
 
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