professional-quality prints of digital photos?

[topaz]

I have a few digital photos (3000x2000 JPEGs) which I would like to turn into high-quality prints suitable for framing.  How should I go about this?  While inkjet printers have gotten stunningly good at photo reproduction in the last couple of years, my experience has been that it's very hard to find paper that will really hold the color well for more than a few months.

Where should I go?  A printer?  A photo shop?  Any recommendations?

Comments

[fengshui.livejournal.com]

If you have one near you, Costo Photo Center: http://www.costcophotocenter.com/

Before you submit the photos, apply the appropriate color profile for the printer that they're going to be using: http://www.drycreekphoto.com/icc/

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

Seconded, thirded, fourthed. They are SO good. $1.50 for an 8x12, $3 for a 12x18. SO GOOD.

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

Also, if you don't have a membership, I'd be happy to pick your prints up for you.

[dancingwolfgrrl.livejournal.com]

I also have a membership that I'm willing to use for evilyour purposes :)

[bitty.livejournal.com]

The creature too busy groping me to type himself says "Boston Photo (http://www.bostonphoto.com/)." South Street, Boston.

[jss]

Don't let bubblebabble find out!

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

Neat! Their website doesn't have any prices, sadly -- does your mysterious groping creature know what sort of price range they charge for, say, 8x10 prints?

[arfur]

I'd expect that 8x10 prints are in the range of $8-$10, but don't know for sure.

[catya.livejournal.com]

i have some fancy hp photo paper - have you already tried that?

I have gotten prints done through photos.yahoo and shutterfly and been happy with both (i do this every may for mother's day pix)

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

My father has printed some photos on his inkjet printer using some fancy Kodak photo paper, and they've come out looking absolutely photo-quality to my lazy eye, but fade rapidly over the next few months. I'd really like to avoid that here if possible and don't know how to tell which magic photo paper is the right way to go.

Thanks for the recs. have you found that the photos you print through Yahoo and Shutterfly hold up well over time?

[harimad.livejournal.com]

Consumer Reports did a thing on printers, photos and photo paper. IIRC their conclusion is it's hard and/or expensive to get the key ingredient - really good photo paper - so go to a shop for your high end needs.

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

I suspected as much, but wasn't sure. Consumer Reports! I should have thought of them. Thanks.

[beah.livejournal.com]

I like Alan at Dorian Color Labs.

[qwrrty.livejournal.com]

Oooh, and they're very close to my commute through Arlington, too! Is Alan just someone you've found pleasant to work with, or is he the only cluebie in the joint?

[sonata960.livejournal.com]

Zeff Photo in Belmont is good, not too far from Route 2. Our wedding photographer processed his film there (I know, film!) and they do digital prints, too.

[ceo]

I believe jim_p's frame shop in Natick can do this.

[crepuscular.livejournal.com]

we use adorama.com and have been really happy with the results.

[coraline]

i highly highly recommend mpix.com, especially since they will provide you with the printer profiles they use so you can do the soft-proofing yourself, if you care about such things (i found this made a huge difference -- for some things, cameras inc in davis was fine, but they like most places were making an educated guess at how i wanted things to look, and sometimes they were wrong. i liked being able to take things into my own hands.)

[mizarchivist]

Yeah- I'd not figured out what to do with probalby the hundreds of pictures I'd like to have professionally printed- standard 4x6, though. I love my digi camera, but miss quality prints.