Luminous Landscape Forum
Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks => Topic started by: dwnelson on January 06, 2014, 10:36:21 pm
-
Does anyone have any recommendations for photo calendar printers? I used Shutterfly but the blacks aren't very black and I would also like a larger size (I think they are limited to 8x10). I am interested in the quality level that one might find in an Ansel Adams/Sierra Club calendar at a major bookstore. Does anyone have experience with Apple's calendars?
Bonus points go to a service that can provide me with profiles or calibration info so I can get a good print the first time!
-
Does photobox exist where you are? I've used them a few times (I live in England) and they're not bad. They do up to A3.
Jeremy
-
Does photobox exist where you are? I've used them a few times (I live in England) and they're not bad. They do up to A3.
Jeremy
Unfortunately no. :( I am in California.
-
Tagged discussion with interest.
-
Apple's iPhoto/Aperture does quite nicely assuming you're on that OS. No profile provided but the output is very good. Getting a profile and the ability to actually use it is going to be rather difficult to find.
-
shutterfly has two sizes, 8.5x11, and 12x12. Apple calendars are 10x13.
I have received gift calendars from my two daughters. these are candid snapshots with their canon pocket cameras, a few iPhone shots now, as well as images from a couple of decent kids studios in the area that provide a cd of all the shots. They both look pretty good, but the apple one seems to be a little bit better. I like the size as well. I think both companies tweak the files to try and improve the quality, since their customer base is probably mostly like my two daughters.
a few years ago both HP and Kodak were pushing my company to install a digital press, HP's indigo and Kodaks NexPress. Was able to get a good look at the product as well as acquainted somewhat with the underlying technology.
I'm not sure where things stand today, but at that time Apple's provider was using NexPress which is a toner based solution and can handle more colors than just cmyk, HP's is more of a hybrid CMYK ink process. Both are good products and results vary based on the skill of the user, but I felt the Nexpress had a little crisper output and a little more snap. Shutterfly was using an Indigo solution.
I've also seen calendars from WHCC, more of a professional lab supplier that were quite nice. They were using NexPress back then as well, not sure where they are today. However, since they are used to working with professional photographers they may have a better color managed workflow option, including profiles to soft proofing.
-
I'm not sure where things stand today, but at that time Apple's provider was using NexPress which is a toner based solution and can handle more colors than just cmyk, HP's is more of a hybrid CMYK ink process.
Some stuff is Nexpress, some is Indigo and some is different from those two. Sometimes it's a combo (book covers vs. pages) and that's true for Blurb too. In fact it was a fun test to send a file to both companies and put the same image on the cover and the inside to see how well the two matched. Of course they should match closely and can if color management and process control is done correctly. The Blurb cover and inside were vastly different!
-
I just had my first calendar printed at www.magcloud.com and am quite happy with the results and the service. Cost was under $5 plus shipping and in quantities of 20 or more drops to under $4.
-
I just had my first calendar printed at www.magcloud.com and am quite happy with the results and the service. Cost was under $5 plus shipping and in quantities of 20 or more drops to under $4.
Ron, Regarding your use of the HP Magcloud service, did you use one of the "Wire-O Binding" styles for your calendars? I'll guess that you submitted sRGB files, where editing was based upon your calibrated monitor. Is that true, or did you have access to some sort of (soft or hard) proofing processing?
Thanks very much.
John-
-
John-
I didn't use the wire binding option, but I've seen a calendar done with it and it is a better way, I think. This was just a quick test, take some already prepped pictures, resize them, throw them on the page using their template in InDesign and see what the results are like. Given the differences in paper and printing method to what I produce on my Canon iPF 8400 with custom profiles on fine art papers, I am impressed with MagCloud's printing quality. For anything critical, I might print one copy, but based on what I see with the calendar, I doubt I'd do much tweaking of the files as a result.
All the pictures used ProPhoto as a color space, too.
Ron, Regarding your use of the HP Magcloud service, did you use one of the "Wire-O Binding" styles for your calendars? I'll guess that you submitted sRGB files, where editing was based upon your calibrated monitor. Is that true, or did you have access to some sort of (soft or hard) proofing processing?
Thanks very much.
John-
-
Rob, Thank you for your response and please forgive my delay in recognizing your reply. I think I'll make a trial calendar with the HP process given the low cost.
Many thanks, Rob.
John-