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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
GREAT print lab
Phil Hawkins, Photographer
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Fresno | ca | usa | Posted: 12:20 PM on 08.14.08 |
->> There have been many posts along the way about CPS, Nikon repair, etc. and once in a while people ask about a good print lab. I just have to give kudos to myphotopipe.com.
I've been dealing with them for 2 years or so, and they are beyond incredible. I send them the file, immediate confirmation, prints always go out within 24 hours, sometimes same day, and the quality is perfect, especially if you choose the Chromira prints (true 16-bit).
My motivation for this post today is that I sent up an image yesterday, and mistakenly sent the thumbnail image for an 11x17. Late last night I discovered my mistake and sent the real file. This morning I called, and as always, NO VOICEMAIL OR AUTO ANSWERING! Get this: Someone actually answered the phone, yes, a live human being! And on the first two rings! I told him my problem, he said "No problem" and that was it! Also, when they drop-ship your prints they are in a plain white wrapping with YOUR info on it.
As I mentioned, once in a while people post a question about where to find a good print lab, and I cannot believe there is a better one out there. They print TIF, true 16-bit Chromira prints in a huge variety of sizes... one of the few if not the only lab I know that will print true 16-bit images. (You medium format guys, run, don't walk to their website) I've sent 70-meg files and they don't even blink.
No, I do not work for them, but good service and high-quality products are difficult to find in one place these days, and deserve to be illuminated when discovered.
Just answering the phone with a live human is enough to get my business...
Just thought y'all would want to know. |
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Delane B. Rouse, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Washington | DC | US | Posted: 2:24 PM on 08.14.08 |
->> Phil-
I hate to do this but here is what I'm reading:
"We prefer JPEG files but also support TIFF files (sorry, no 16-bit TIFFs)."
from this page: http://myphotopipe.com/printHowTo.php
Is it only the Chromira print that is 16 bit???
Delane |
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Jim Cowsert, Photographer
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Grapevine | TX | USA | Posted: 2:46 PM on 08.14.08 |
| ->> You mean no "press 2 for Spanish"? What's this world coming to? I may have to try them out. |
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Louis Lopez, Photographer
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Fontana | CA | USA | Posted: 3:31 PM on 08.14.08 |
->> Thanks Phil, information about real world experience with a vendor that I can actually use.
Appreciate it. |
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Philip Johnson, Photographer
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Garland | TX | USA | Posted: 3:52 PM on 08.14.08 |
->> Phil,
Have you ever used them for gallery wrapped canavas? I just called them to get some prices and I to got an actual person to talk with and answer my questions. |
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Phil Hawkins, Photographer
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Fresno | ca | usa | Posted: 3:57 PM on 08.14.08 |
->> Hi Delane,
Thanks for the note on the contradiction. I just got off the phone with Josh in Atlanta, and he did confirm that they do not accept 16-bit TIFs. However, I just looked to check the image I sent up last night and it was indeed a 16-bit tif. I always send 16-bit tifs, and never hear a word from them. I asked if they convert them down to 8-bit or 12-bit and he could not answer. He said he was going to run the question by Pete, the owner, and the head tech guy and get back to me.
Also, I just checked the Chromira website, and I stand corrected; the Chromira prints 12-bit, but that's still better than most printers at 8-bit. (Where did I see 16-bit? I was SURE it was 16...)
In any case, thanks for making me aware of this, and they are checking internally as well.
Once again, I call and someone answers the phone. Wow, what a concept. |
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Phil Hawkins, Photographer
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Fresno | ca | usa | Posted: 4:07 PM on 08.14.08 |
->> Philip,
I've never bought a gallery wrap from them, but I have no reason to believe they are anything less than excellent like the glossys or mattes. Their gallery wraps are done on the Epson 9800.
Additionally, all ICC profiles are readily available for download.
I forgot to mention that once about 8 months ago their website went down for about 8 hours, and Pete the owner of the company personally answered the phone for about 2 days afterward to reassure everyone they did not go out of business.
These people just know customer service. |
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Phil Hawkins, Photographer
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Fresno | ca | usa | Posted: 4:34 PM on 08.14.08 |
->> Sometimes it's totally amazing how you learn things on this board; there are times when your lessons come through the back door.
Just got a return phone call from Larry, the head tech guy at myphotopipe.com, (only took 20 minutes to return my call) and 'lo and behold, they indeed only accept 8-bit tifs. So, I recalled my experience of sending 16 bit every time for the last 2 years, some 80 to 90 orders, and he said I should have gotten an error notice. So, he ran a test and indeed it did come out 16-bit from the ROES system, so he was scratching his head, and could not account for it. (Whew, I knew I wasn't crazy) He's going to go back and find out what the deal is, so I guess it's a question being researched by them at this point.
Look what you started, Delane!! HA HA!
Film at 11. |
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Michael Schwarz, Photographer
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Decatur | GA | USA | Posted: 4:50 PM on 08.14.08 |
->> I'll second Phil's post. I started using them because they're local for me. I've done one gallery wrapped canvas through them and it looked great.
-Michael |
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Patrick Murphy-Racey, Photographer
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Powell | TN | USA | Posted: 6:33 PM on 08.14.08 |
->> I use them for everything over 4x6" for my business. They are the first lab to produce perfect b&w prints from greyscale files with NO weird colors like blue tint or green, etc...
Those people really understand the Fuji Frontier machines to a level most labs never achieve...
I actually stopped using 2 different Fuji Pictrography machines once I started seeing their stuff. Awesome guys.... |
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Bill Ross, Photographer
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Colorado Springs | CO | USA | Posted: 7:57 PM on 08.14.08 |
->> I'm definitely gonna give them a go! I'm currently looking for a good print lab.
Thanks Phil. |
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Patrick Murphy-Racey, Photographer
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Powell | TN | USA | Posted: 10:29 AM on 09.21.11 |
->> The good old days with myphotopipe.com are over. Pete is long gone as he sold the company to there other people 3 yrs ago. they were awesome once but not anymore. Today I throw in the towel....
I've been doing business with myphotopipe.com for about 10 years and today is the last straw. I'm a pro shooter in Knoxville, TN and have been using them for my printing for all that time. No more. I ordered 6- 24x36" canvas wraps almost two weeks ago for a very good client of mine and they tell me three days before my deadline they can't complete the order and they offered me my money back. I'm stuck between a rock and hard place. I don't have time to have another lab complete this order. I would lose every dime of profit if I go somewhere else and pay 200% rush charges for the same order.
I will never do business with them again and plan to write the ATL BBB and complain about their lack of service, constantly missing their published turnaround times on orders, and unwillingness to make things right when they screw up.
Buyer Beware!!!!!!! |
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Paul Alesse, Photographer
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Coram | NY | USA | Posted: 6:13 PM on 09.22.11 |
| ->> Wow, talk about a complete thread turnaround. It's getting tougher and tougher out there. |
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Michael Granse, Photographer
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Urbana | IL | USA | Posted: 10:32 PM on 09.22.11 |
->> With the resurrection of a thread this old I was expecting a fish.
It is unfortunate when something that works gets sold to someone else who augers it right into the ground. Nobody wins. |
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Louis Brems, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Albuquerque | NM | United States | Posted: 1:00 AM on 09.23.11 |
->> Patrick,
In all seriousness try McKenna Pro in Cedar Falls Iowa. Everything is usually a one day turn around.
Ask to speak to Mike and tell him Lou from River Cities Photography told you to call.
I venture to guess he could get you your gallery wraps in 1 to 2 days.
Website is www.mckennapro.com |
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Phil Hawkins, Photographer
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Fresno | ca | usa | Posted: 2:47 PM on 09.23.11 |
->> Hi Patrick, thanks for the notice. I have noticed a sharp change in the turnaround times, taking what used to be next day printing to about two weeks. I attributed it to the specials they were running all the time. I emailed Pete and indeed he left this past May and is now at pprpix.com. And, true to form, he sent a personal email explaining basically what we already know.
I'm moving to pprpix.com, also in Atlanta. |
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Sam Santilli, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Philippi | WV | USA | Posted: 12:24 AM on 09.24.11 |
| ->> Marco Photo Services......family owned and they treat your stuff like their stuff. |
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Patrick Murphy-Racey, Photographer
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Powell | TN | USA | Posted: 11:03 PM on 09.25.11 |
->> I have to be fair about mpp. I have absolutely loved them, their work, their service... up until about two years ago.
I just recently found out through a very nice but powerless person who works there that Pete sold the company "two years ago." Now it's owned by three individuals.
I actually put "remove" on their automated e-mails to me. I get almost as many e-mails from mpp as I do from PDN extending their "deadlines" for photo contests...
I'm completely throwing in the towel with MPP. I will never use them again after my experience with them last week. I won't go into details but if I ever pulled the stuff they pulled on me as a freelancer around here, I'd be out of business in a month or less.
Phil, I appreciate your telling me about pprpix. I plan to get with them tomorrow and sign up immediately. If Pete is over there, then that's where I want to be also. |
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