Are professional prints really better? Why can’t you just print all of your professional photos at the local grocery store? And what’s the big deal about getting prints from a professional lab? These are all great questions which I hear quite often. So here are a few reasons why you shouldn't print your professional images with just any old lab, and why professional photo prints are better.

1. Better skin tones.  The look of skin tones on your images is very important to the picture.  I've found that many times images printed on lower quality machines can make the skin look either too orange, or too much like zombie skin. Think self-serve kiosk at Shoppers. Or even printing photos on your home photo printer. Something just looks a bit off. When you’re getting your images from a professional lab, however, the skin tones on your photos will look exactly like the photographer edited them - healthy, alive, and real!  This is because the professional labs calibrate their machines multiple times per day to make sure the colors are just right.  Other printers don’t.
2. Better paper.  When ordering professional prints, the paper used for printing your images is a much higher quality paper. Plus, professional labs do everything they can to get the most color out of the paper they can.  This results in more vibrant true colors in your prints. If you've ever ordered prints from me, you'll also notice that the prints just FEEL nicer. All of my gift prints and standouts are printed on lustre paper with a linen texture for a more professional feel, and for added durability.
3. More options.  Most printers that can be found at grocery stores will only offer a few print options, and a few sizes to choose from.  When working with a professional, however, you will find that if you choose, you can choose gift prints, standouts, or canvas, and these come in a variety of sizes and aspect ratios, from square prints to very large 20x30" standouts.