Most new photographers have little experience in fulfilling print. Of course, we all print our images on our home printer, or take them to a local discount store for printing. Some of us have tried consumer laboratories such as MPix, Shutterfly, Winkflash or Flickr. Although these laboratories can produce good quality prints at good prices, they are often not regulated to produce output that is consistent with the type of interface that the photography business needs to remain efficient. For example, the ability to use online order management tools such as ROES (Remore Order Entry System) and FTP (File transfer Protocol) is often a key requirement for a photographer doing business on regular print fulfillment.
When I entered the professional business, I spent time evaluating the print lab, and idexx indonesia learning how to interface with the laboratory. I find that most laboratories will work with new photographers on account settings, print experiments and develop an interface between the photographer and the lab. During the trip, I identified a number of areas you might want to consider when you are looking for a print laboratory that will be your business partner.
Print Fulfillment Lab Evaluation Criteria
Cost
Often the first thing you look for. Look at the unit cost. If you plan to do a lot of print checks, the cost of 4x5 or 4x6 mass evidence may be important to you. If your main fulfillment is 5x7 or 8x10, find a good unit price for it. If you are sending a small order in (less than about 20 prints per order), see if they have a minimum order quantity. Also figures in shipping if separate.
I want to identify several "typical" order scenarios and price different laboratories, such as:
Inspection: 150 proof 4x6, no color correction
Small Order: 5 pieces of wallet, 5 8x10, and 10 5x7, no color correction
Large Order: 20 wallets, 30 8x10, 5 11x14, and 60 5x7, no color correction
Find out how much each lab will charge for your typical order, including shipping.
Quality
This is difficult to evaluate objectively. First, you MUST correct the color of your monitor with the profile tool! I suggest choosing three or four representative images from your portfolio and having samples printed in each lab. Each image must be 300dpi in print resolution - or in pixels for 8x10, 2400x3000 pixels. Choose at least one color headshot if you are photographing people, at least one black and white (converted color space, not B&W space), and some with bright primary colors, especially red and yellow. Each lab print device will have a different color profile, and the results will be different. Without going into the lab printer profile, you want to understand how their equipment prints your images.
If your lab offers color correction as part of fulfillment and you want to use it, ask for some test images to be color corrected and some not to set some impact measurements.
Delivery
How fast does the lab turn your standard print product? What about more sophisticated printed matter such as cutting, supporting, canvas, gallery wrap, printed matter, books and special items? Most laboratories will quote standard completion times for various types of prints. When you run the sample, make sure you record the completion time.
Many laboratories will have a cutoff time for next day delivery. I know of at least one large lab that employs third shifts on Sunday nights to capture all weekend photography uploads and send them on Monday. This is a great benefit for those who like to give their clients a quick turnaround.
Service
I group tools and responses under Service. How easy is it for me to order what I need, track my order, know when they were sent, and contact someone if I have a problem?
Upload mechanism - the minimum requirement for me is a good ROES system, where I can drag and drop images and send orders to them on the web. If the ROES system has many options for titles, multi-picture collages and the like, that is a plus.
Responsiveness - If I have a problem, I like to talk with a warm body. I run my business after normal business hours, so asking someone to answer the phone after 17:00 EST is very good for me. Getting an email or telephone response at midday the next day is an absolute requirement.
Extra distance - Some laboratories excel at packaging, follow-up, and proa contact
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