As a newborn and family photographer I am always talking about how you should get your photographs printed and displayed rather than leave them in digital purgatory on a USB or memory card to gather dust or worse, be forgotten or lost.

DSC_2661 For this blog, I also want to discuss the importance of getting your photographs printed at the right place. When my clients purchase their digital image files from me, I always recommend a professional print lab who I know accepts orders from members of the public. Why do I do this? Simple! I put a lot of effort into creating beautiful images for my clients, from manually setting white balance and using a grey card in studio, to hours of careful post-processing work.

All of my hard work can be undone if my clients choose to take their digital files to a supermarket photo print kiosk, or use another cheap way of printing, rather than trust a professional print lab. This makes me sad because after all, if my clients have booked and paid for my services, I want my work (i.e. the images they end up with) to be everything I had planned for them.

These days, images are mostly shared online, and the art of printing photographs is sometimes overlooked. For those special memories that you want to immortalise however, you just can’t beat having a professionally printed image displayed on your wall or in a photo book. Whether it’s a landscape, family portrait, or first image of your new baby, the quality of the print can make a world of difference.

Here’s why choosing a professional print lab is essential, especially when compared to the cheaper alternatives offered by supermarket photo kiosks and the like.

Quality and Detail

Professional print labs are dedicated to producing high-quality prints and use state-of-the-art printing technology and high-grade pram materials to ensure that every detail is captured with precision. The difference in quality is immediately noticeable when compared to prints from cheaper printers, which often use lower-quality inks and papers resulting in poor colour, contrast and a lack of sharpness.

Consistency and Colour Accuracy

One of the most significant advantages of using a professional print lab is colour accuracy. Professional labs use advanced colour calibration systems to ensure your prints come out exactly as I intended. Supermarket printers, on the other hand, often suffer from inconsistent colour reproduction, which can lead to prints that look different from the original images for example, with oversaturated colours or conversely, colours that are dull and lifeless.

Customisation and Variety

Contrary to inferior printing services, professional print labs offer a wide range of finishing options. You can select the type of paper you want for example; glossy, matte or fine art for your prints and choose from a wide variety of wall display options such as canvas, fine art 'Giclee' prints, framed prints, photo books and more.

37 Longevity

When you hang a precious memory on your wall, you want it to last. Professional print labs use archival-quality materials which have been designed to stand the test of time. Professional prints and display products will resist fading and deterioration, ensuring that your memories remain bright and colourful for decades. In contrast, prints from inferior suppliers are more prone to fading and damage over time due to the use of cheaper, non-archival inks and papers.

Expert Advice and Personalized Service

A professional print lab offers more than just high-quality prints. They will also provide expert advice and a personalised, human service to help you get the best results. Unlike a photo kiosk, your photographs will have a pair of actual human eyes on them when they are printed to ensure the best quality. In addition, if you need guidance on choosing the right product or help with sizing, professional lab technicians will be able to assist. This level of service is usually not available at supermarket print stations as the staff there will most likely not be specifically trained in the art of professional print services.

Final Thoughts

To conclude; while it might be tempting to use cheaper printers such as those found at supermarkets for their convenience and lower cost, the quality of prints they produce is often sub-standard. For prints that truly do justice to your photographs, capture every detail, and will stand the test of time, a professional print lab is the way to go. You might also be surprised to learn just how reasonably priced a professional print lab can be; at the time of writing this, the place I recommend sells a 10”x8” print for 85p!

Investing in high-quality prints means investing in the safe keeping of your precious memories and ensures that they will still be in good enough condition to be loved by future generations.

Your memories, (and not to sound big headed, my work), deserve the best, and so do you!

Thanks for reading!