Decent Photo Printing service needed

[Bryan]

For years I have used Digilab, once based in Newcastle but recently moved to North Shields. They used to print anybody's photos, you could place an order on line or turn up at the door then either have them delivered or pick them up. It was a great service, I was always pleased with the results. Now, however, it seems that they will only deal with professional photographers who have a large printing requirement and a humble stock shooter doesn't count.

 

So, against my better judgement, we used a branch of the national chain M. S. to print some wedding photos.  They were sharp enough, it wasn't expensive, but the colours were dreadful, faces pallid and looking ill etc.

 

Does anyone know of a decent quality lab that will handle small jobs?    Ideally in Tyne and Wear, England.

 

 

[Harry Harrison]

I had to print some B&Ws for a friend, he had asked me to restore a tiny print of his wife's parents soon after they were married, looking rather dashing, and he had bought an old frame to go with it. Restoring it was straightforward but it was going to be a Christmas gift to his wife so of course there was a deadline and I wasn't going to have the time or the inclination to fire up my large Epson A2 printer, I hadn't used it for months and was bound to have to go through the rigmarole of cleaning nozzles etc. and that ink costs real money. So a couple of days before Christmas I realised that I was going to have to do something else. i had already used the local Boots for 'selfie' passport pictures, 8 laid out on an 8" x 6" in Photoshop and they were fine but I had real doubts about a B&W, especially an important one. I laid out a 6"x4" on their standard 8"x6" with a white border (the frame was 7"x5"), went online, ordered it for collection down at the local Boots, paid for 2 copies, £1 each, printed out the QR code and then went into town. i just waved the QR code at the machine and out came 2 perfectly neutral B&W prints. I was very impressed, as was my friend, getting neutral B&W from a colour printer is not a given.
 

Boots use Cewe and Cewe have their on online printing service, and Boots themselves have a wider range of options for mail order. could be worth a try.

[spacecadet]

Aside from the fact that you are a professional photographer, they do have an amateur site apparently, River & Coast. I assume you looked at that as well.

[Dave Richards]

5 hours ago, Bryan said:

For years I have used Digilab, once based in Newcastle but recently moved to North Shields. They used to print anybody's photos, you could place an order on line or turn up at the door then either have them delivered or pick them up. It was a great service, I was always pleased with the results. Now, however, it seems that they will only deal with professional photographers who have a large printing requirement and a humble stock shooter doesn't count.

 

So, against my better judgement, we used a branch of the national chain M. S. to print some wedding photos.  They were sharp enough, it wasn't expensive, but the colours were dreadful, faces pallid and looking ill etc.

 

Does anyone know of a decent quality lab that will handle small jobs?    Ideally in Tyne and Wear, England.

 

 

Loxley Colour

[MDM]

13 minutes ago, Dave Richards said:

Loxley Colour

+1

Reasonable prices, excellent quality and customer service. 

[Bryan]

5 hours ago, spacecadet said:

Aside from the fact that you are a professional photographer, they do have an amateur site apparently, River & Coast. I assume you looked at that as well.

 

Thanks Mark I wasn't aware of that branch of the business.

 

I did try to register with digilab as a stock shooter, but received no reply, it appears that my Alamy based web site wasn't acceptable.

[M.Chapman]

On 11/01/2024 at 19:02, Dave Richards said:

Loxley Colour

Another vote for Loxley Colour from me too. I use them regularly. Fast, reliable quality service.

 

Mark

[Bryan]

On 11/01/2024 at 16:06, spacecadet said:

Aside from the fact that you are a professional photographer, they do have an amateur site apparently, River & Coast. I assume you looked at that as well.

 

Used River and Coast and very pleased with the outcome. Being able to pick up the prints was great as the postage cost would have exceeded that of  the handful of  photos, and a morning riding on buses put the time in ! The images looked a bit washed out after uploading, but the colours looked great on the prints.