The best place to print your photos? Print lab review PART 2!

We are back at it again! Want to print your photos? Not sure where to print them? I compared 3 print labs and see which one offers the best quality and value. I printed 20 4×6″ photos at my professional lab, Staples, Kerrisdale Cameras, and Vancouver Photo Lab.

Both Kerrisdale Cameras and Vancouver Photo Lab are local. Kerrisdale Cameras have 7 locations in BC and Vancouver Photo Lab has 2 locations.

I previously reviewed Shutterfly, Walmart, and London Drugs, click to read that review!

Professional Print Labs offers the best quality

Most photographers will offer some packages that include prints, or have a professional print lab that they send your photos to. This is always the best option, but it is only accessible if you have a photography business. Professional print labs use high quality photo paper that are typically archival quality so it can withstand the test of time! Their printers are also calibrated to print true to colour. We will use my professional lab’s photo prints as a control and compare the 3 other print labs against it. * I took photos of the 4 different labs as best as I could! I realize it would be more accurate if I used a scanner, but unfortunately my scanner gave me terrible quality!

Best paper quality: Kerrisdale Cameras + Vancouver Photo Lab

Both Kerrisdale Cameras and Vancouver Photo Lab use the same Noritsu photo paper. I weighed 20 4×6″ from each lab and did a touch test.
Paper Weight Test
Professional Lab: Pearl Fujifilm Prints @73 grams/20 sheets of 4×6″
Kerrisdale Cameras: Pearl Prints @71 grams/20 sheets of 4×6″
Vancouver Photo Lab: Pearl Print @71 grams/20 sheets of 4×6″
Staples: Glossy Fujicolor Prints @65 grams/20 sheets of 4×6″

Touch Test
Professional Lab: Pearl Prints, slight sheen, smooth and thick
Kerrisdale Cameras: Pearl Prints. slight sheen, smooth and thick
Vancouver Photo Lab: Pearl Prints. slight sheen, smooth and thick
Staple: Glossy Prints, thinner, fingerprints visible, shiny

Glossy vs Pearl
You will get sharper definition with glossy paper, and it comes with a shiny finish. I personally prefer pearl prints that are fingerprint resistant and a minimal sheen. Pearl prints are slightly softer in detail than glossy finishes.

Best colour quality: Staples

All 3 labs did not print 100% true to the original image, some were slightly warmer, and some with more contrast. Professional Lab has the best colour profile and closes to original image.

Kerrisdale Cameras: Visibly warmer with reddish/magenta tone
Vancouver Photo Lab: Slightly warmer with higher contrast
Staple: Mostly true to colour, with 1-2 images that were warmer/darker

Best Value: Staples

The cheapest option was the 7-10 day photo prints at Staples with free pick up in store option! All three labs have ship to home option for a fee.

Kerrisdale Cameras: (1)4×6″ @ $0.49 free pick up in store, $4.99 ship to home
Vancouver Photo Lab: (1)4×6″ @ $0.49 free pick up in store, $22.99 ship to home
Staples: (1)4×6″ @ $0.24 free pick up in store, $9.99 ship to home

Quickest Turnaround: Kerrisdale Cameras

For those that order and print online, all three labs have easy upload and ordering systems. London Drugs prints are usually ready within a few hours. Walmart was a close second, it was ready the next day. Both London Drugs and Walmart have print kiosks in store that you could get photos printed instantly. These turnaround are based on 4×6″ prints, other print products may take longer.

Professional Lab: 1-2 day turnaround, 1-2 shipping
Kerrisdale Cameras: 1-2 day turnaround
Vancouver Photo Lab: 2-5 day turnaround
Staples: 7-10 days turnaround

Sharpest Image: Staples

There is an advantage when printing with a glossy finish, you get slightly sharper images than pearl or matte prints. If you like to see all the details, then I would recommend glossy. Staples’ glossy print is only slightly sharper in detail than the others. I find that pearl prints have sufficient details and I prefer no shine.

Professional Lab: Pearl finish, soft details
Kerrisdale Cameras: Pearl finish, soft details
Vancouver Photo Lab: Pearl finish, soft details
Staples: Glossy finish, slightly sharper details

Overall Review: Where to print your photos?

I always prefer my professional lab’s quality, paper, and colour over the other labs. I used two local photo labs this time to see if they were better than London Drugs (Part 1 review winner!) Both Kerrisdale Cameras and Vancouver Photo Lab both printed on the warmer side, so I would be weary if your photos have a lot of red or orange tone, as it may come out much warmer than you desire. Surprisingly, Staples’ Fujicolour photo option was very close in colour, and the quality is good! Please stay away from Staples’ value prints or same-day prints, these are essential printed on card stock paper with home printer like quality!

It’s hard to know if these print labs have consistent quality if I printed at a different time. Good print labs will maintain and regularly calibrate their printers to ensure quality and colour of their products. I can’t guarantee these results so print at your discretion. You can always print 1-2 photos before committing a large print order.

Why print photos with your photographer?

Your photographers that offer print products can take the guess work out of it! They handle all the printing and delivery, so all you have to do is pick your favourite images and the rest is taken care of. You know your photo quality will be great when printing with your photographer!

Print your photos!

I hope this blog post has helped you understand the difference in print quality and colour. If you are looking to print your photos on your own, I would recommend Staples based on this review. If you prefer to have photographs that print true to its colours and printed on quality paper, professional print lab is your go to. I have another review coming up, stay tune for part 3.

Read print review part 1 for Shutterfly, Walmart, and London Drugs