Printing services

Tar.Aldarion

I am looking at getting 14 prints and frames at 12x18. These will just be hung up around my house. I am wondering has anybody used Aldi's printing service for something like this and how did it go? I don't see much info on the quality on there.

They charge 1.99 per print, I realise some places charge up to €20 for each print, but would the difference really matter much in the finished product for these prints? I wish i could see the difference the DPI and paper would make to the finished product. Here they are: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/visions-of-the-future/

I would have no problem going for something dearer apart from as it will be a set of 14 with 14 frames I don't want to break the bank. Any other suggestions apart from Aldi for cheaper places? Harvey Normans and Photobox seem to be worth investigating. In photobox I see each print would be €6, now I don't know if this 3x price would make much difference, what do you think?

Paulw

Talk to Steve at www.360-dpi.com

Tar.Aldarion

Thanks, I know that shop and have heard good things. I suppose I am now looking at prints that cost aldi: €2, photobox: €6 Harvey Norman: €10 steve: €11 or €19 without knowing if I really need dearer ones for the desired effect, especially with those prints. Maybe I could try a trial run of one of each or something to see the difference, as tehre is a few hundred euro in the difference and that is before frames.

Tiriel

It depends on longevity of the print and what you are happy with, quality wise. There is no comparison between the print quality from someone like 360DPI and HarveyNorman - right now (in terms of colour, saturation, contrast etc.) and longterm (paper quality, fading etc.).

Having said all of that, if you're going to swap images around and are not too bothered if they do fade/are happy to accept that the quality isn't as good as it could be, then you can compromise and pay the cheaper rate.

For framing, 360DPI also does this and you pay for the quality you get (acid free mounts etc.) versus buying somewhere like IKEA where you pay less, but it's not the same quality.

Completely up to you. I know that when I compare prints that I get done in the likes of Fuji 1 hour photos, HarveyNorman etc. and going to 360DPI - the difference to me is really noticeable - the colours and the paper just have an extra oomph and the photo is how I intended it to look when I took it in to be printed, not flat or somehow grey.

Paulw

Yeah, if you're going to change prints every few months or once a year, then the cheap ones may suit. But, if you want a quality print that will last, I'd go to Steve.

I do both, to be honest. I have some on the walls that I change every so often (every year, at least), and then I have some that will stay up years. I don't mind getting the quality stuff that lasts over the cheap stuff that fades.

IHPhoto

Frametastic do great deals, top quality, very professional, and also deliver.
Prints & frames.
He regularly runs offers too, if you like or keep an eye on the Facebook page, you will see them.


https://www.facebook.com/frametasticpress/?fref=ts

http://frametastic.net/

Cerbera

The Aldi stuff is fine, no quality issues with it

peckerhead

I agree 100% that you get what you pay for — and am certainly not trying to do Steve/360-dpi out of a job! — but tbh, for something like those NASA/JPL posters, which aren't even photographic images, I think I would go for Aldi cheapos. Or at least get one of them done and see what you think.

dinneenp

On a side note- the first poster 'Grand Tour' is extremely cool!

stcstc

I agree :-))


actually if you want disposable wall art your right go buy cheap prints, BUT dont buy black and white ones on most occassions you will be dispointed


to give a more clear explanation of difference


firstly most of the cheaper print services mentioned use mini lab technology (kinda darkroom in a box)

they are fixed on sizes, and on paper types

BUT mor importantly, you can generally only provide a jpg, which means 8 bit, and generally it has to be sRGB. this means not as much colour (if that makes sense


so on a quality level they will both be ok. BUT if you put them side by side, in most cases you will see a difference

My printers for example can print almost the whole of adobe RGB on certain papers. which is a huge amount more colour on the page

longevity is another matter, i know for this it doesnt. but fuji crystal archive paper is good for around 50-60 years, some of the papers i use are good for well over 100

how you frame them also makes a huge difference



i hope this helps

like i say if you just want cheap disposable stuff yep online etc is the way to go

magicbastarder

hijacking this thread - does anywhere in dublin sell A0 frames for a reasonable price?
IKEA quite amusingly have a wall chart showing A0, A1, A2 - even though they don't sell frames this size...

stcstc

depends on what ya want in a frame. A0 with normal picture glass for example wouldnt be safe. if the glass broke it would kill someone


at that size there are couple of options


one is snap frames like you get from a sign maker

cheapish, but not really stylish


get a frame made properly, if will then be solid


depends on what you wanna use it for as to whats best

Tar.Aldarion

Thanks for the advice guys, cheapo option for now as I'll rotate the art a lot. When it's something more permanent stcstc is my man.