Who do you use for all your printing needs?

[Paulmack]

As per the title, curious as to who you guys use for your all round printing needs? Do you tend to stick to one printer for all products, or do you use multiple suppliers so you can make sure each product you are getting is the cheapest?
And lastly, do you get trade discount, or do you suffer the same prices that an end user would get if they were to contact the supplier themselves?

I find this area a little intrepid, as looking at the prices Loxley and DS Colour Labs charge, it doesn't leave much room for a decent mark up, without fear of putting a client off. There are a lot of companies out there competing for the end user market, like all the Groupon offers, so how are you able to compete with this?

 

[Ozei]

Loxley are considerably more expensive than DSCL - e.g. £3.84 plus vat versus £1.15 including vat for a 16x12.

https://www.loxleycolour.com/prints.aspx

http://dscolourlabs.co.uk/photo-printing-prices.cfm

 

[admirable]

Loxley are considerably more expensive than DSCL - e.g. £3.84 plus vat versus £1.15 including vat for a 16x12.

https://www.loxleycolour.com/prints.aspx

http://dscolourlabs.co.uk/photo-printing-prices.cfm

Not always the case, I ordered a 40x20 print from Loxley for £27.60 delivered, DSCL were £34.98

 

[Ozei]

Not always the case, I ordered a 40x20 print from Loxley for £27.60 delivered, DSCL were £34.98

I think that's because a 40x20 is in DSCL's 'large format' print range (link). Their standard range is much cheaper (link).

 

[admirable]

To answer the OP,
As far as I know DSCL for example do not offer a trade discount so everyone pays the same price. I'm struggling to understand the issue here or what Groupon has to do with it?
I know a wedding photographer that buys all her prints from DSCL and sells 7x5's for £20 and her 10x8's are £35! Perhaps we need more info?

 

[admirable]

I think that's because a 40x20 is in DSCL's 'large format' print range (link). Their standard range is much cheaper (link).

I agree but that's not what you said............. although I think Loxley are more Professional with the larger or more tricky stuff

 

[Paulmack]

To answer the OP,
As far as I know DSCL for example do not offer a trade discount so everyone pays the same price. I'm struggling to understand the issue here or what Groupon has to do with it?
I know a wedding photographer that buys all her prints from DSCL and sells 7x5's for £20 and her 10x8's are £35! Perhaps we need more info?

There is no issue really, my point in question was who are people using for printing? My initial findings when looking at prints is that I have a few people asking about canvas and acrylics prints, so I have looked around at prices and what prices I have had from a few suppliers seems reasonable until I speak to prospective clients and they tell me about the prices they can get from Groupon or places like these so find the prices I can offer off-putting.
I can bleat on as much as I want about the quality of the print or the mount not being the same, but for some people on a budget the quality doesn't necessarily matter or mean as much to them as it would me or you.

So, all I am really asking is who do you guys use, and are you coming across this above? Normal framed or mounted prints won't be an issue I don't think, its just the canvas and acrylic range which I am getting a lot of enquiries about

 

[wave01]

I use loxley and that's simply because of there service and results. I have used others but they are good IMHO.

 

[admirable]

Let me get this right, are your customers coming to you with an images and asking you to get them a print, canvas or acrylic product? They are then informing you that the prices you are quoting are too expensive compared to XYZ?

 

[Paulmack]

Let me get this right, are your customers coming to you with an images and asking you to get them a print, canvas or acrylic product? They are then informing you that the prices you are quoting are too expensive compared to XYZ?

I am getting enquiries of that nature yes, but I am also getting people ask about portrait sessions and the costs of the prints and I am just getting some feedback that there are people out there offering these products at ridiculously low prices

 

[admirable]

But they are buying the image not the print or canvas or whatever. The other photographers are less expensive because their work is not as good or they value their work less than you do, not because their prints are cheaper to buy in.

Try asking your solicitor why he wants £65 + vat for that legal letter he wrote for you when two sheets of A4, a stamp and an envelope only costs about £2