Should you use Deluxe or Economy Printing?

Like any good businessperson, professional photographers are always on the lookout for opportunities to trim costs. One of the biggest costs for the pro is the lab bill. Given the choice between JD Photo Imaging Deluxe and less expensive Econo print prices, Econo may seem like a better deal. Sure, you are responsible for your own density and color, but you can figure that out, right?

The fact is, it does not matter who is managing the quality aspects of your images in the digital world: the photographer has to pay more attention to color balance and exposure than ever before. Digital images simply do not have the color and exposure latitude that we enjoyed when exposing color negative film. The photographer is now responsible for understanding white balance and exposure. The question is if you are a little off (and you will be from time to time) do you want our technicians who correct images all day every day using the latest in high tech tools making the corrections, or do you want to do it yourself?

If you are confident in your staffs ability to retouch and correct images that consistently produce prints that meet your expectations, then Econo printing is for you. However, if you would like the confidence of knowing that every image you sell is being reviewed for quality and adjusted by a color professional who understands your preferences, you will see the value of our Deluxe service line.

Before you make the change between Deluxe and Econo Printing, below are some issues to consider:

Deluxe Printing

Shoot your images, save them as JPG files, and send them to us via ROES, LabPrints, or ImageQuix. We do the rest. Your prints are individually color corrected and hand-inspected. Every custom service including retouching is available. Order quantities are hand-counted and each print is hand-inspected before shipping. Any problems are resolved before the prints ever leave the lab, making reprints virtually non-existent. Additionally if you are having quality issues our staff is available to help you resolve them.

Econo Printing

Econo printing means that your studio is willing to take complete control of the color, density and retouching of your own prints. Image files sent to the lab via ROES, ImageQuix or LabPrints are sent directly to the printer, cut and shipped.

While JD Photo Imaging uses the same quality paper and printers for Econo work, your studio is responsible for everything else (including remakes). Therefore, you should be comfortable with computers, monitors, calibration software and correction software as well as a basic knowledge of color theory and evaluation. Understanding how all these things interact with the settings on your camera is necessary for you to control your own workflow.

Click here to learn how to get started with Econo Printing by controlling your own color.