Where to Print Your Photos

I recently decided to start selling my photography to people other than my family and I knew that if I was going to sell my work to someone other than an aunt or cousin, it might be time to upgrade my printing situation. Previously, I was content with having Walgreens print a photo here or there or simply using one of the printers I have at home (HP and Epson). However, as I embarked upon this next stage of my photo career, I realized that it was time to get serious and find an actual printer. After spending a couple days scouring the internet, requesting sample papers, and testing out ICC profiles in Lightroom, I finally settled on two printers -- AdoramaPix and ProDPI. I'll give you a quick rundown on why I chose these printers.

AdoramaPix
If you're a casual photographer, in need of prints every now and then, you might find AdoramaPix more to your liking. Information is well organized and easy to find on the site. Processing and shipping tend to be very fast -- often times, my order was processed the same day it was submitted and then shipped later that day. However, if you need a photograph on a rush basis, you can pay for expedited processing and shipping. Plus, the entire order process is relatively straightforward and intuitive. First, you upload the picture to the website. Once uploaded, you then select the type and size of paper, indicate whether you would like borders or color correction and then indicate whether the image should be cropped.

Prior to placing any order, you can request a packet of sample papers, which AdoramaPix will send to you free of charge. Just remember that glossy papers allow for the ink to bleed so the lines may not be as crisp as those on matte or luster papers. Also, you will only want to do color correction if you have not already adjusted your photos using the ICC profiles on AdoramaPix's website. Generally, a photograph's colors appear differently on a computer screen than on a print of that same photo. This is because most printers are unable to replicate colors as they appear on the computer screen, with colors varying slightly depending upon the paper that is used to print the image. As such, you want to enable color correction when printing your photos to ensure that colors are replicated appropriately. To the extent you prefer to do your own color correction, remember to uncheck this box (as it is checked by default) and ensure you download the appropriate ICC profiles from the AdoramaPix website but save the file in the sRGB color profile.

ProDPI
If you are a serious amateur photographer then you might try ProDPI for your printing as the system might be a bit too complex for the casual printer.  Since all photographs are ordered via the ProDPI ROES system, the ROES software must be downloaded to your computer and you must set up an account with ProDPI before you can order any prints. After setting up an account, you may select three of your own photos to be printed on ProDPI's luster paper as sample prints. Additionally, you will receive a welcome packet in the mail that contains samples of their various papers. All orders over $12.00 are eligible for free shipping, however, if the order total is less than $12.00, the order total will be rounded up to $12.00. ProDPI also has more choices for paper sizes, including a sizable selection of non-standard photo sizes. Additionally, borders cannot be added to a photograph once it is uploaded to the ROES software, so, any borders must be added in your photo editing software. After using both services, I have found that less color correction is required for my ProDPI prints. However, locating the ICC profiles for ProDPI took a substantial amount of time, although I did eventually find the profiles, albeit on another website.

Final Thoughts
The customer service at both AdoramaPix and ProDPI is exceptional. Although, ProDPI includes a little piece of candy in each box, which is a really nice surprise and a tasty treat. Links to both websites are found below. If you choose to use AdoramaPix, please consider using the link below when placing your order as you will receive a $5 credit to your account and I will receive a credit to my account as long as your order exceeds $15.

http://www.adoramapix.com/app/referral/5297824
http://www.prodpi.com/