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mike_c

(36,214 posts)
Sat Jul 30, 2016, 12:25 AM Jul 2016

I had a 12 x 18 print made at Costco today....

I've read online that they do a good job with color prints. I downloaded their printer color profiles and used them to prepare my image. I printed on their Fuji Crystal Archive luster finish paper,. The print was generally good, but I think I under-sharpened it just a bit-- I like a crisper image. But at $3.99 for a 12 x 18 print, it was a pretty impressive test print, and I can adjust the sharpness in subsequent images. I've been thinking about a large format printer, but Costco's photo center prints a pretty credible image-- my local store uses Fuji Frontier 570 and Epson 7880 printers-- at a damn fine price.

Anyone else use Costco for printing?

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I had a 12 x 18 print made at Costco today.... (Original Post) mike_c Jul 2016 OP
Maybe I will start now Mira Jul 2016 #1
Yes, I've used them in the past for prints. SeattleVet Jul 2016 #2
Yes, sharpening for screen and for printing are very different. ManiacJoe Jul 2016 #3

SeattleVet

(5,468 posts)
2. Yes, I've used them in the past for prints.
Sat Jul 30, 2016, 01:09 AM
Jul 2016

The only problem I ever had with Costco photo was one set (the first one I had ever dropped off) came out with colors washed out, and some weird artifacts. They reprinted them without any problem. The problem stemmed from my doing all of the color balance and correction and the rest of my usual workflow stuff, and they had their machine set to autocorrect color, etc. so it was getting a correction to the corrections that I had already made. The tech that I talked to figured out the problem pretty quickly.

Now when I drop a job off I always specify 'No color correction', and everything always comes out great.

I also use their printing service for doing posters and flyers. I email them the .pdf files and they usually call within an hour to let me know that the print job is ready.

ManiacJoe

(10,136 posts)
3. Yes, sharpening for screen and for printing are very different.
Sat Jul 30, 2016, 05:10 AM
Jul 2016

When printing, the sharpening needs to be much higher, often to the point where it looks wrong when viewed on the monitor.

I don't do a lot of printing, but what little I do I get done at Costco. Every once in a blue moon something needs to be reprinted, but things are usually good the first time. I think 8x12 is the biggest I have done so far.

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