Photo lab vs. Discount Store labs -- There is a difference!

I get asked all the time by my clients, "Where is the best place to have my prints done?".  My response is always "a professional photo lab".  There is a difference!

I work very hard to produce a high quality product, and I cringe every time someone tells me "I'm getting these printed at (insert discount store here)."  It's not because I don't like these stores, but the print quality of the final product is not going to match the quality of the finished file I provided, and that makes me sad. I've heard a lot of complaints of certain stores, including "the prints came out much darker than the file".  Now please understand that some discount stores have different printers than others, even different than their own chain stores. What is the reason for the quality issues? Generic inks are almost always the culprit, but even lack of knowledge regarding print presses amongst the employees (resulting in weird crops, etc) impacts the overal quality output.

A photographer that I follow on Facebook found this blog and reposted to her wall. It is by far the best comparison that I have seen, and I wanted to share it with you now.

http://www.amandajacksonphoto.com/2014/01/13/pro-prints-vs-drugstore-prints-it-does-matter/

Not convinced? Check out a few of these other sites by professional photographers who have done similar comparisons.

http://www.featherbluephotography.com/2014/01/08/lets-talk-about-prints/
http://coreyann.com/blog/corey-talks/corey-talks-print-comparisons-consumer
http://www.zemyaphotography.com/2011/09/where-should-i-print-my-photos-bay-area.html


Dazzle Design Graphics uses a professional print lab for our poster prints/mounts, and press printed items (invitations). The output quality is far superior to any discount printer, as our designs are calibrated to the printers at the lab to ensure the colors of the press printed products match the colors in our designs.

We understand that not everyone can afford the time or expense in having your creations printed professionally. We hope that these print comparisons help you in your printing decisions!

The above photo shows the difference in (and importance of) paper quality - these invitations were printed with the same professional printer, with the same OEM inks. The paper on the left is white card stock for color printing purchased at a popular office supply chain store. The paper on the right is professional photo quality matte card stock. 

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