3 reasons to use a professional print shop for your photos (and not your local drugstore)
In a hurry? Here's the condensed version.
1. Professional print shops, specialize in printing!
2. They have real people who process your photos, provide color corrections, and ensure each photo is of good quality.
3. The quality of their materials is better, and they stand by their work.
Save some time and money, and learn from my mistakes! Read on...
Two years ago I faced the crazy expensive year of my daughter's life, called |
|
I had beautiful images of my daughter and no money to print them! The photographer had an option to purchase prints from an online gallery. While convenient, I did not feel I could afford it. The photographer advised against using the local drugstore, and encouraged me to look at some print companies online. (But of course I didn't listen to her professional advice.)
I knew from past experiences with drugstore photo printing, that their results were sub-par. I was not ready to re-experience the cutoff heads, poorly cropped pictures, and otherwise missing pictures, especially on something as important as my daughter's senior pictures.
I opted to go for one of the print companies who constantly offer print coupons, and have about a million printed products they offer. I sent in an order for multiple sizes, multiple poses, and graduation announcements and anxiously awaited my prints that I had only spent about $50 on. I was PUMPED!
They arrived quickly and looked ... just okay. Despite the fact that I knew the digital images were beautiful. The clarity and sharpness wasn't there that had existed in the original photos and a few of the crops were a bit off. I contributed most of the problems to user error and when I decided to refer my own clients to them I didn't really think twice.
And then came the first client who said their prints had come back with cut off heads!
I knew from past experiences with drugstore photo printing, that their results were sub-par. I was not ready to re-experience the cutoff heads, poorly cropped pictures, and otherwise missing pictures, especially on something as important as my daughter's senior pictures.
I opted to go for one of the print companies who constantly offer print coupons, and have about a million printed products they offer. I sent in an order for multiple sizes, multiple poses, and graduation announcements and anxiously awaited my prints that I had only spent about $50 on. I was PUMPED!
They arrived quickly and looked ... just okay. Despite the fact that I knew the digital images were beautiful. The clarity and sharpness wasn't there that had existed in the original photos and a few of the crops were a bit off. I contributed most of the problems to user error and when I decided to refer my own clients to them I didn't really think twice.
And then came the first client who said their prints had come back with cut off heads!
I quickly contacted the company, who were timely and responsive, but then said IF they still had the batch of originals they could possibly correct the images, but it was likely due to the client cropping them wrong on the order. My client said that was not the case. So rather than paying for shipping a second time and running the risk of the pictures coming back the same, my client (who happened to be a friend of mine) and I, chose to cut our loses and move on with the prints that were acceptable. LESSON LEARNED!
So as any business owner would do, I studied up on some vendors, got some sample prints, and chose to work with a professional print shop, who had fair prices, for good quality work!
Now I am able to include a basic print package in all of my session fees! SCORE!!