Best place to print out photos?

If I want to get a 4x6 or 5x7 print, does it matter where I go? I
think my local drug store and grocery store have those photo kiosks.
I could also go to Walmart or Target or Ritz. Are they all the same
in terms of quality?

On Jul 31, 2:32 am, "
wrote:
If I want to get a 4x6 or 5x7 print, does it matter where I go? I
think my local drug store and grocery store have those photo kiosks.
I could also go to Walmart or Target or Ritz. Are they all the same
in terms of quality?


It all depends on the people maintaining andd running the equipment.
They all, even your most local drugstores I go to have competent
equipment, the question is do the managers keep it maintained and do
the operators care about the product they produce. For a while I used
a local pharmacy, because they produced nice 4x6 prints consistantly,
the manager was a frustrated photographer who kept his machine in top
condition, his best operator was a highschool senior who was going
into journalism, she left and the work went way down hill. The manager
left a couple of months later, hopefully to a better paying job, one
time proocessing after that I never went back. Someone told me to go
to the local WalMart, they had people on their staff who understand
photography, well one person, the manager did, if she did your work it
was fine, the rest of the staff you gave a direction the answer was
"what ever". I did most of my work with a small city pro lab, took
pride in their work, they understood there was 2 other pro labs in
their city and they had to treat the customers well. Much higher
prices, but excellent work.
I've moved and I'm now doing all my own printing, there is a local lab
for slides. It is not as cheap as the local box store processors but I
get the results I want, and it is less expensive than going to a pro
processing lab, which there isn't one in my area.

Tom

On Jul 31, 2:32 am, "
wrote:
If I want to get a 4x6 or 5x7 print, does it matter where I go? I
think my local drug store and grocery store have those photo kiosks.
I could also go to Walmart or Target or Ritz. Are they all the same
in terms of quality?


It all depends on the people maintaining andd running the equipment.
They all, even your most local drugstores I go to have competent
equipment, the question is do the managers keep it maintained and do
the operators care about the product they produce. For a while I used
a local pharmacy, because they produced nice 4x6 prints consistantly,
the manager was a frustrated photographer who kept his machine in top
condition, his best operator was a highschool senior who was going
into journalism, she left and the work went way down hill. The manager
left a couple of months later, hopefully to a better paying job, one
time proocessing after that I never went back. Someone told me to go
to the local WalMart, they had people on their staff who understand
photography, well one person, the manager did, if she did your work it
was fine, the rest of the staff you gave a direction the answer was
"what ever". I did most of my work with a small city pro lab, took
pride in their work, they understood there was 2 other pro labs in
their city and they had to treat the customers well. Much higher
prices, but excellent work.
I've moved and I'm now doing all my own printing, there is a local lab
for slides. It is not as cheap as the local box store processors but I
get the results I want, and it is less expensive than going to a pro
processing lab, which there isn't one in my area.

Tom

wrote:
If I want to get a 4x6 or 5x7 print, does it matter where I go? I
think my local drug store and grocery store have those photo kiosks.
I could also go to Walmart or Target or Ritz. Are they all the same
in terms of quality?

Here (Austin, TX) Ritz turns out the best work, but for a price. My
second choice locally is Costco, but apparently that isn't an option for
you. Essentially, my choice boils down to Ritz for best quality, Costco
for not-quite-as-good quality but better price. For best quality, but at
a higher price and time required, I print at home on my Canon iP6700. It
depends on what I plan to do with the prints and the current status of
my bank account. Incidentally, they both use Fuji equipment and paper.
Allen

On Jul 31, 2:32?am, "
wrote:
If I want to get a 4x6 or 5x7 print, does it matter where I go? I
think my local drug store and grocery store have those photo kiosks.
I could also go to Walmart or Target or Ritz. Are they all the same
in terms of quality?

I am very pleased with the prints from my local CVS.

Paul B.

wrote:
If I want to get a 4x6 or 5x7 print, does it matter where I go? I
think my local drug store and grocery store have those photo kiosks.
I could also go to Walmart or Target or Ritz. Are they all the same
in terms of quality?

I've found Costco to have the best quality around where I am, but I
haven't tried Walmart or Target. Costco does a huge volume, and the
employees seem to be better trained than at a place like Walgreen's.

I don't have a Ritz or Wal-Mart close enough to me to make it worthwhile
to try, though there is Wolf Camera pretty close, which I believe is now
part of Ritz. They are a little more expensive, but for small quantities
it'd be okay.

On Mon, 30 Jul 2007 23:32:56 -0700, wrote:

If I want to get a 4x6 or 5x7 print, does it matter where I go? I
think my local drug store and grocery store have those photo kiosks.
I could also go to Walmart or Target or Ritz. Are they all the same
in terms of quality?

Pretty much. I usually go to my basement; and use either the Epson Stylus
Photo R320 or the Kodak printer dock.

wrote in message
ps.com...
If I want to get a 4x6 or 5x7 print, does it matter where I go? I
think my local drug store and grocery store have those photo kiosks.
I could also go to Walmart or Target or Ritz. Are they all the same
in terms of quality?

I just go upstairs and print them in whatever size I want on whatever paper
I choose on my Epson Photo 1280.
Jim