My Memory Lane

How should I print digital photos for a customer?

I am thinking about starting a business in my small home photography studio. But I wasn't sure how I should print photos I've taken for a customer. Is there a place I can send the digital photos and get the prints back? If so, where/how would I go about it and how much does it cost?

Public Comments

1. send them to Costco
2. MPIX.com is good, inexpensive and professional.
3. I use MPIX for a great deal of my work. They give excellent results by using quality paper and equipment. They give you options on your output. Mpix uses photographic paper. MPIX uses Durst laser light jet printers. They expose photo paper with RGB lasers so the photos are NOT dye or pigment prints from ink jets or laserjets . The standard paper is Kodak E surface. You can also get Kodak Metallic, or for b/w photos Ilford true black and white paper You can submit the order and they will ship them to your or your client. You can even set up a zenfolio account if you choose to where your clients can order online they will print, ship, bill and cut you a check added : courtney y beat me by about 15 seconds cause old men type slow so I should just say I agree with courtney y added 2: lover not a fighter MPIX is a division of Miller Labs one of the oldest and largest professional labs in the country. ( founded in 1939) I also subscribe to shutterbug and I used to subscribe to petersens which was its predescessor. They have good articles and are a great magazine. But I could blow the dust off my old bogen enlarger in the basement and buy an ad in shutterbug as a lab. That of course would not make me a professional lab. If they got enough complaints they would pull my ad as they are a reputable magazine but there is no peer review process to buy an ad. added 3: good point lover not a fighter. I know I am at least a half bubble off level could be why I don't take ads at face value, and my point may have been poorly made but it was meant to be that just because there is an ad in a magazine that does not make it a good lab. It only showed they had spent the money to buy an ad. I agree with you entirely that my opinion is just that an opinion no more or less valid than anyone elses here. But in this case is it based on the experiences I have personally had with MPIX. Also looking at consumer report sites, reading articles in the magazines about the labs and even going to places like BB B are better than my opinion . but I do love a good debate, thanks
4. For beginning pro, check out this site: http://www.shutterbug.com/images/marketplace They also have monthly (real) magazine. I would subscribe for at least a year. You can find source for PROFESSIONAL services. Good luck... === JTC: > If they got enough complaints they would pull my > ad as they are a reputable magazine but there > is no peer review process to buy an ad. True. But I never said there are any. But she would much more options from browsing the magazine then getting few "opinion" from us. For all she know you and I are one of the people from Shutterbug or Mpix too... Translation: there's no peer review here about you and me. So it is kind of moot to criticize about that here. :-) === Courtney Y - You posted a question and promise of response. Then deleted it. That's cold... :-(
5. I have to jump in on this as I am also an Mpix user. As a former studio owner and PAID PROFESSIONAL, I had my choice of ANY lab I wanted to use for prints... and I have tried LOTS of them. I always come back to Mpix unless I want a print larger than 24 x 36 as that is their largest size. Otherwise, the quality, service, and packagaing is on a par and / or superior to anyone. It IS a professional service that will also work with the amateur. http://www.mpix.com steve