What is the best process to print digital photos?

May 2, 2024 9:20 AM

I would like to print, frame and hang some digital photos that I have taken (DSLR and iPhone). I would like to have 5 photos printed larger than 8"x10" and 5-10 photos printed between 4"x6" and 8"x10". What are the best practices for preparing and printing digital photos (cost effectively)?

For example:

1. Should I hire someone to digitally "finish" the photos to prepare them to print? Where would I find such a person?

2. I typically use Shutterfly to print 4"x6" photos. Would a different printer be better? For example, I came across an ad for Nations Photo Lab, which offers "color correction" as an additional service. Would that be preferred?

Thanks in advance!

posted by bruinfan to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

If you're happy with the quality from Shutterfly then keep using them. Unless you're looking for special papers or archival inks, pretty much everyone is using the same printers (HP, Epson, or Canon) and the same papers. "Color correction" is tough to do if they don't know what the colors are supposed to look like. Chances are, if your photos look good on screen, they don't need color correction. Brightness is one thing that often needs adjustment, though. Screens are often very bright and you might darken a photo to make it look better on screen, but it could print too dark. Doing a test print at a small size is the best way to make sure you've got things where you want them.
posted by jonathanhughes at 9:30 AM on May 2 [2 favorites]

Here are two guides to online photo printing services; both recommend Nations.

Given how cheap smaller photos are to print (Nations list price is $3 for an 8x10), I'd start by printing them without any additional services and then get additional services if you don't like them.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 9:30 AM on May 2 [3 favorites]

Mpix.com is my current go-to for "larger" prints (basically anything over a 5x7). Mpix offers a very large selection of prints, finishes, mounting, and framing with reasonable pricing. They also offer free color correction and have retouching services if needed.

I looked at Shutterfly's after Costco shut down their in-house photo lab. I was not happy with Shutterfly's offerings so I crossed them off of my list rather quickly. In particular, DSLR photos have a 3:4 aspect ratio, and Shutterfly didn't offer many options in that aspect ratio, always forcing me to crop the landscape photos where I wanted the wider aspect. In particular, they did not offer 8x12 or 12x18 options. Just 8x10 and similar until you get to the 16x20 / 20x30 size.
posted by SegFaultCoreDump at 9:37 AM on May 2 [3 favorites]

If you want to print photos to frame, I recommend proprints.com. Lots of choices and a site used by professional photographers, and recommended by photography magazines. And me!
posted by atomicstone at 10:48 AM on May 2 [3 favorites]

I've had very good experiences creating large photo prints and books with White House Custom Color. They are a real company with real people who will chat with you online or even talk on the phone to help you through the process. I believe I first got referred to them here.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 11:27 AM on May 2 [1 favorite]

Posterjack does an excellent job. We have several photo prints on our walls that look great.
posted by Enid Lareg at 5:26 PM on May 2 [1 favorite]