Does it make sense to ask the lab to reprint your photos until you are satisfied?
- Thread starter xotic
- Start date
- Status
If any lab were to reprint for you FOC, I think they're only doing it out of goodwill. After all, the photos go through automatic adjustments, and if the auto adjustment doesn't come out right, it will take manual adjustment, and that costs time and effort. Everybody's photo go through the same treatment, so why should your's be special?
By right, you have no right to ask for reprint FOC (unless it's super-obvious the lab's machine/operator is problematic), but if you are given the privilege, don't abuse it. But if YOU are willing to bear the cost, I think that's a different story.
By right, you have no right to ask for reprint FOC (unless it's super-obvious the lab's machine/operator is problematic), but if you are given the privilege, don't abuse it. But if YOU are willing to bear the cost, I think that's a different story.
Why do that when there are WYSIWYG print labs in Singapore? When you send files to print in a typical "Minilab" you are basically buying lottery. Unless your workflow is color managed, and the labs too, you better be sure that you buy wednesdays, saturdays and sundays for the whole month.
A friend started to understand what i meant when he got his display calibrated and we did a test print in a WYSIWYG printshop (Giclee/Inkjet). Colors and details that the sRGB silver halide machines can never produce suddenly appeared in front of his eyes. Yes he brought a physical print from one of the top labs in SG to compare.
Everytime someone with a typical $5000 DSLR+'L' Lens setup talks about making prints with Silver Halide machines, I feel terrible for them.
What's the point of having the ability to capture the color range and contrast only to be let down by the final print?
Getting re-prints isn't the answer, being informed about your choices is.
Cheers,
nic
A friend started to understand what i meant when he got his display calibrated and we did a test print in a WYSIWYG printshop (Giclee/Inkjet). Colors and details that the sRGB silver halide machines can never produce suddenly appeared in front of his eyes. Yes he brought a physical print from one of the top labs in SG to compare.
Everytime someone with a typical $5000 DSLR+'L' Lens setup talks about making prints with Silver Halide machines, I feel terrible for them.
What's the point of having the ability to capture the color range and contrast only to be let down by the final print?
Getting re-prints isn't the answer, being informed about your choices is.
Cheers,
nic
I suppose you can ask the lab to reprint if its really off, ie colours are dull, prints are really dark. So far I don't have any bad experiences with minlabs regarding digital prints. Only once did my negative prints come up with washed out colours, so I asked them to redo it, and they did, FOC.
By the 2nd round they should get it right, esp after you tell them what you don't like about the 1st set.
By the 2nd round they should get it right, esp after you tell them what you don't like about the 1st set.
HS, you want to be fair to the lab. Spell out the basic requirements you have, eg, what you expect in terms of color-preferences, what you like to have for nature/lanscapes, whether you like white ti remain white, etc. Or if you have done the all adjustments and want to print without adjustments. Then select a sampling of 3-4 (out of 100) reasonable test cases to test print. If you are happy with those samples, stands to reason that you should be okay with the rest.xotic said:
Notwithstanding, there are labs with horrid and idiotic staffers. Look for those frequented by professionals, are labs whose customer base is made up mostly (80-90%) of such pros. And I'm not referring to the run-of-the-mill event shooters, but studio/strobe-intensive or higher-end photogs with exacting demands on colors. Not everyone sees color identically, and some folks prefer more magenta or more cyans in their pictures.
Alternatively, you can always arrange with me, I'll bring you to my regular lab. (read : PM me directly)
I tried with aspario labs, didn't work. Can't even produce basic prints correct. :thumbsd:xotic said:
Beautiful Memories will automatically redo for you after they print if they find that the shot is not up to their standards. :thumbsup:
Actually most shop does. Ever had 300 re-done/printed by the kodak shop located at PP (not Konota)
Haha, Espn, you've got your difficulty with Aspario. I've got mine with KT.
But TripleD is where I primarily print now. With the larger sizes going to Konota. Beautiful Memories is indeed good, but the price.... is ouch. I'll have to pass on that. Anyway, you know I print NNNN. #winks#
But TripleD is where I primarily print now. With the larger sizes going to Konota. Beautiful Memories is indeed good, but the price.... is ouch. I'll have to pass on that. Anyway, you know I print NNNN. #winks#
Anything larger than 12 x 18, I go to commercial printers + cold lamination as well. Been wanting to do a 20 x 30 for hanging in office for long time, haven't got about doing that.Azure said:
I have no problems with Konota so far too, BM, Konota, KT are my hot vists, of course haven't been down to BM for a few months now, cos I don't print much nowadays. No space to keep the prints.
V
vince123123
Guest
In the days of film, we didn't have to bother about colour management - any prints which were obviously off (and which is not your fault) can be reprinted or rejected (if they don't want to print for you again).
espn said:
Well, unlike u, i print all mine at aspario "NNNN". I edit the photos myself before sending. I dunno wat went wrong, but i dun think its fair to say tt they cannot print basic prints correctly. This is a very heavy statement. Perhaps unable to print to wat u want is more appropriate. I may like fried rice with chilli sauce, u may like fried rice with ketchup. It realli depends on one's taste. They may look the same.. but taste different. I dun think our eyes are tat colour sensitive.
Anyway, I took have my issues with other labs.. but for Aspario, I highly recommend them.
Concur.tan131 said:
Aspario is good for me also, unfortunately out of my way now. My 12x18 cats/flowers were done by them. There are labs which I won't ever touch, just like I fully support TripleD. What works with some may not with others.
Whether is film or digital, I do not see any issues there anymore. Find a lab that you can work with, and stay with them. Anyone who wants to try whatever lab espn, or myself or tan131 use, I'm sure can choose to look any of us up to bring you there, I believe. But finding the balance and match is entirely up to you.
tan131 said:
No... not they can't print what I want, they can't PRINT at all. Take it, literally. This will be one shop I'm NOT recommending to others.
Agree, been to so many labs, only a few is up to par and standards for me, I'm not only looking at service, I'm looking at speed, output and quality.Azure said:
Thank you for all frank comments. It is really amazing to see one lab works for one person but not for the other. This has applied to me as well. I usually submit in sRGB format and request to print NNNN to minimise variables, but so far the prints are still not close. I was thinking probably my monitor not calibrated to the printer profile exactly, so I let one lab to do the adjustments (introducing variables). Output is, some I like (vibrant and exact colour), some I don't (certain colour cast in some areas on photos). For those I don't, I have problem asking the lab for re-adjustments and prints, even though I am willing to pay for them, citing reasons that it is not possible to adjust each photos exactly, and 'normal' people won't see the 'abnormalities' in the photos. Maybe I am asking too much. :dunno: So I guess the only option is to calibrate my monitor/workspace to match the printer profile exactly and print NNNN.
- Status
