Long Term Photo Care - Home vs Commercial Printing

Home Printing vs. Commercial Printing - What is right for you?

At the time of this writing, you can get comercial 4x6 prints for as low as 8 cents per print. A brief overview of the top three companies is provided below:

Winkflash has a deal going where you can get 50 free 4x6 prints if you try them out and their shipping is as low at 89 cents. 4x6 photos are 8 cents per print and they have a wide variety of print size options that go from wallet up to 10x15.

Shutterfly has a deal where you can get 50 free 4x6 prints plus a 11x14 collage poster. 4x6 prints cost 15 cents per print and they have several print size options, although not as many as Winkflash, they do offer print sizes up to 20x30. Shipping costs start at $1.79 for 4x6 photos.

Snapfish offers new customers 20 prints free. 4x6 photos cost 9 cents per photo; however, they have the most limited options with only 4x6, 5x7 and 8x10. Their shipping is a little strange because it looks like you pay per bundle of 10 prints starting at 49 cents per bundle.

All three companies offer some form of editing and cropping.

For Home Printing you need a good quality photo inkjet printer and some photo editing software. You can get a nice photo inkjet for around $100 and photo editing software such as Photoshop Elements for about $100. Then there is the cost of the photo paper. As an example, I have an Epson R800 and the Premium Epson 4x6 glossy photo paper runs about 40 cents a sheet. Now, you may say "Oh, I use the office store brand because it is cheaper." However, you should be aware that the manufacturers "engineer" their inks and papers to work the best when used together. My Epson photos printed with Epson ink on Epson Premium Photo paper will last over 100 years. However, certain ink and paper cominations may not last 4 months! I would recommend you check out the Wilhelm Imaging Research's website for more info on photo longevity. They have researched several printer, ink and paper combinations for print longevity. Very interesting research!

Back to the commercial printers, only one of the top three sites had any discussion on print longevity that I could find with any ease. Winkflash indicated that their photos would last "several decades before any noticeable fading occurs..."

So, although the commercial printers may cost 8 cents a print make sure you do your research and are comfortable with the longevity of the photos. I personally like to print my own photos - could it be that I am a control freak...maybe. I like to crop them pick what sizes I want them to print out and get them immediately! :) However, if you are printing tons of photos or you don't have the proper equipment to print them at home then commercial printers are a great way to go. Just make sure you use a company that can provide the best print longevity. If they don't say on their website....then e-mail them and ask! You want to make sure your precious memories will last a lifetime and beyond!

So, in summary commercial printing can be much cheaper than home printing, especially if you are printing 100's of photos. If you are an impatient control freak....print 'em yourself! No matter what you choose - make sure you know how long those photos will last and take care of them.