Studio vs Costco print

ramsemaj · Oct 22, 2013

Hi,

From my son's school portraits, the portrait company offered a high quality digital copy advertised to be good enough for an 8x10. It is 2000x2500 24 BPP 250 DPI 1.09 MB.

I had it printed at Costco. However, when I compare the Costco 8x10 print to last year's 8x10 print from the studio, the studio one looks much better. The Costco print is a little grainy and contrast seems high on the face and the skin is too bright. I have a small sized proof from the studio and the colors look fine there.

It's really hard for me to tell if it's the digital copy or the Costco print that is the issue. Part of me thinks the studio did some post processing for the proof, but did not apply that to the digital copy. I could be wrong.

What kinds of things can I do to determine if the image issue is from Costco or the digital copy?

Is it likely that prints from Costco would be of noticeably lower quality than ones from professional studios?

Thanks.

molested_cow · Oct 22, 2013

Every printer will give you different results. I don't know what Costco does to set up their printers, but if you can find a print shop that is willing to adjust settings per your needs, that's will be awesome. I don't think Costco can do that simply because of the volume of jobs they have to handle. On the other hand, I am really impressed with their pricing.

ramsemaj · Oct 22, 2013

Thanks for your reply. So you're thinking the digital file is good and the Costco printer is causing the issue? I'm not sure if it's worth the hassle for me to go around to other print shops (unless I bring my examples for them to judge [would they be ok if I asked their opinion?]). I'd almost rather just buy the 8x10 print from the company that took the photo.

lennon33x · Oct 22, 2013

Consider Mpix. My wife took a photo with her iPhone and we had it printed their. SUPER high quality and extremely reasonable pricing. In fact, we do all of our printing there because of it's great quality.

Coasty · Oct 22, 2013

Those numbers seem pretty low for an 8x10 print to me. (2000x2500, 1.09MB, and 250 dpi)

Coasty · Oct 22, 2013

Well, those numbers should work fine after I checked my math. Apparently I just use larger files when I go to Costco for photos. (4928x3264, 8.29MB, and 300dpi)

molested_cow · Oct 22, 2013

With the same digital file, you will get different result every different place you go to. It's like choosing the right TV. If you judge them side by side, you will notice the slightest difference. However when you bring one home, you will not even think about the others.

Big Mike · Oct 22, 2013

Most people have found that in general, Costco Photo labs do an OK job, especially for their very low prices. But if you want high end professional printing, you won't find it there.

KmH · Oct 22, 2013

As mentioned, the issue is that it's likely 2 different brands of printing machines were used.
I bet the studio print wasn't actually made by the studio, but by a pro print lab like Miller's Professional Imaging.

2000x2500 24 BPP 250 DPI 1.09 MB.

It's actually 250 PPI, and 250 PPI is plenty of document resolution for an 8x10 print.
The pixel dimensions and the PPI set the document size - 2000 pixels / 250 ppi = 8 inches.
24 BPP (bits per pixel) means the image has an 8-bit color depth. 8-bits in the red channel, 8-bits in the green channel, and 8 bits in the blue channel. 8 x 3 = 24

Color management is a whole science in and of itself.

Does the image file have an embedded color profile?

The prints that were made by Costco and last year by the studio - are they C-prints or inkjet prints? Are they on the same brand and model of paper?
Do they have the same finish - like matte or glossy?

Steve5D · Oct 22, 2013

Big Mike said:
Most people have found that in general, Costco Photo labs do an OK job, especially for their very low prices. But if you want high end professional printing, you won't find it there.

I get all my prints done at Costco.

Whether I'm happy with them or not is secondary to the fact that my clients are happy with them. Yeah, I could take them to a high-end lab, bu the costs will increase exponentially.

For a school photo, I don't know that a high-end lab would be required...

ramsemaj · Oct 23, 2013

Thanks all for your replies.

I don't know if it has a color profile. I don't have PS.

I can tell the graininess without having to compare it to last year's photo.

I don't know whether C-prints or inkjets were used. Costco used Fujifilm Chrystal Archive. The studio used Fujifilm Fujicolor Professional Paper. Both are matte.

I'll try talking to someone technical from the studio company.

Thanks again all.