(this looks amazing in a 20×30 inch print!)
If there’s one area of photography I’ve been missing out on, it’s printing. I take at least 100 photos a week, but haven’t made a print of a photo in years, and never one above 5×7.
That’s all about to change.
My girlfriend had been hounding me to start making prints of my work, and I’ve also been meaning to make prints of baby pics I took of her nephew. So I signed up with Adorama’s print service, AdoramaPix.com, and got started.
If you’re not familiar with NYC-based Adorama, they aren’t one of the many shady fly-by-night camera shops you’ll find in New York. Adorama is one of the biggest and most-respected photography dealers in the world.
So if you’re in NYC and buying camera gear, Adorama should be your first stop. Adorama carries just about everything, and even though it’s an awfully busy place, I’ve always managed to get in and out very quickly. B&H is a great place to shop as well, but the 9th Avenue location is a bit out of the way.
Back to the review:
Upon signing up with AdoramaPix, I was happy to see that I would get $10 off my first order, and 25 free 4×6 prints.
Adorama provides a variety of uploading mechanisms, including a plug-in for Aperture that I’m going to install the next time I make prints, and one for Picasa 3 for Windows. Adorama gives you unlimited temporary storage for print jobs, and 3 gigabytes of permanent storage. For a fee, you can have unlimited permanent storage.
I uploaded 20 full-size JPEGs at maximum quality to my Adorama account using the Flash bulk uploader, a process which took about 20 minutes. I then selected my paper (Kodak Professional Glossy), and sizes for each photo. In all, I ordered prints of 7 photos in sizes ranging from wallet to 20 by 30 inches. The whole ordering process was simpler than I expected given the huge number of options, and I was even able to use PayPal to pay for my job.
Adorama promises completion of print jobs in two to four business days. Mine was done in two days, and I was notified by email. Some people I’ve spoken with have gotten prints back from Adorama the same day.
I picked my order up this afternoon and was immediately impressed with the packing job. My 20X30 was tightly wrapped in cardboard and a foam sheet, while the rest of my order (wallets, 5×7’s, 8×10’s, 8×12’s) came in big envelopes backed by cardboard. I would have been more than comfortable dropping those envelopes right into the mailbox.
I’m told that if you receive your order by mail, Adorama seriously overpacks everything to keep your work protected.
As for the print quality – I’m blown away. I wish I’d used the more expensive Kodak Metallic paper for some of my colorful prints, but these glossy prints look very three-dimensional and almost wet – way better than what I’ve seen on my computer screen. I’m seeing details in my photos that I didn’t know were there.
In fact, I want to go out and take more pictures right now so I can order more prints from Adorama! After I saw how gorgeous my 20X30 looks, I want to try a metallic 24X36″!
I even learned a few things about my equipment. My 18-55mm Canon kit lens is actually even worse than I thought it was, and my cheap Canon 50mm 1.8 is pretty damn amazing!
Color-wise, the prints pretty much matched what I saw on my screen, and I didn’t bother with ICC profiles or anything like that.
Though I didn’t price shop before ordering, I’m seeing that Adorama’s prices are VERY competitive. Adorama is a tiny bit more expensive than Shutterfly for 4×6 prints (19 cents each vs. 15 cents each for Shutterfly), but at bigger sizes, Adorama is a bargin.
Adorama’s glossy 8×10’s are just $1.28 vs $3.99 at Shutterfly, while the big 20X30’s are just $18 – $5 less than Shutterfly. Adorama even beats Costco on price for 8×10’s!
Here’s my advice if you’re going to order from Adorama. Whatever you do, get a bunch of 8×10’s – they’re too cheap not to order. And as much as I like my 20×30, I kind of want to go even bigger! If you’re in the market for a 20×30, just go all the way and get a 24×36. They’re only $6 to $8 more. A wise man once told me that you can’t have too big a TV – well, the same goes for photographic prints.
Conclusion
AdoramaPix has great service, great quality, and dirt-cheap prices. What else do you need to know?
Visit AdoramaPix.com.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
hey there Mike! Thanks for the review, SO glad you like out prints. If you like the bigger sizes, we are having a ONE DAY prepaid sale on all sizes of prints. You pay for the prints now, then order at the lower rate whenever you feel like it. If you have any questions, let me know, you can find me on FB, Twitter and at my email. Thanks again!
PS If you think our prints are great, you should try one of our hardcover books! Printed on Fujifilm Crystal Archive photo paper, they are essentially c-prints like the ones you just got, but smaller and bound to lay flat in a book.
Ingrid
Great site. A lot of useful information here. I’m sending it to some friends!