I'm looking to get a couple of my safari pictures printed at 30x20" (or maybe even a bit bigger if possible), and there seems to be a huge amount of variation in the prices different printers charge. For example, for a 30x20" print:

Foto (www.foto.com) charge £4.89
Pixum (www.pixum.co.uk) charge £8.66
Snapfish (http://www.snapfish.co.uk) charge £16.99
Peak Imaging (http://www.peak-imaging.com/htmls/reprint.htm) charge £17.25


I know for a fact that Peak Imaging are good, but I have a few prints to do so the saving with one of the cheaper firms would really add up. I am rather picky about image quality and can spot a JPEG nast-e-fact a mile away in a large print. Peak do at least use JPEG2000 instead.

Any suggestions? Do you just get what you pay for?

I use photobox for all my enlargements (Motorsport) as do a lot of the photographers i know through the Rallying

PhotoBox - PhotoBox - Digital photo prints and gifts, free online photo albums & digital photo sharing (http://www.photobox.co.uk/phcD16BA90A/index.html)

I use PB too but they are £19 for a 30x20 although very good.

I'd be tempted to get a couple done at Foto for £4.89 just too see what the quality is like, if no good you've only wated a tenner....

Peak Imaging are good, and offer a range of quality services. One of their guys posts on here.

If I was after a good big print, I would not let a tenner spoil it ;)

Hi the problem with JPEG2000 is there is that they dont support profiles

I may have the necessary equipment, though I've never used it to print onto photo paper, just canvas.

Let me get some decent paper in stock and see what the results are like.

Sizes would be anything up to a max of 32" on the shortest edge (so about 44 x 32 for a standard 4:3 ratio, up to anything x 32 for panoramas, etc.)

I should be able to print from almost any format.

If you want to send me a file (or a small crop of one) to see what the quality is like then use the email in my profile :thumb:

I may have the necessary equipment, though I've never used it to print onto photo paper, just canvas.

Let me get some decent paper in stock and see what the results are like.

Sizes would be anything up to a max of 32" on the shortest edge (so about 44 x 32 for a standard 4:3 ratio, up to anything x 32 for panoramas, etc.)

I should be able to print from almost any format.

If you want to send me a file (or a small crop of one) to see what the quality is like then use the email in my profile :thumb:
If you dont mind me asking what type of printer is it? If it uses dyes then you may find the pics over saturated and colours blend together and look 'muddy'. I would always recommend to someone to have prints done of an LED printer using photographic paper

Don't mind you asking.

It's a Roland VersaCamm, mainly for sign work, but it runs up to a true 1440 dpi, and canvas prints look excellent. 1440 looks good on digital vinyl, but as I said, I've never tried it on photo paper.

I have some 5' x 2' canvas panoramas around the house. Real conversation pieces :)

Wasn't trying to say anything against printers that use dye its just every print I've seen from one is poor compared to the printers I'm used to