Two years ago, my favourite Canadian professional print lab went out of business and I was left with the question I am asked by my clients all the time: Where should I print my photos in Canada? As a Kincardine Photographer I am aware that there are numerous amazing print labs in both Canada and the United States but with the exchange rate and shipping times I wanted a quality Canadian option. I also realize that not everyone is going to print with a professional lab through their photographer. There is the matter of price and convenience to consider as well. I found a wonderful new lab for but was still curious about printing options to recommend to my clients when they ask.
This year after the busy season eased, I finally set my mind on making it happen. I wanted to make sure I ordered a variety of prints – family session, indoor, outdoor, low light, snow, forests, fine art school portraits, different skin tones and clothing colours, and of course personal work - in both colour and black and white. I ordered the same prints from five Canadian labs and paid out of pocket so it would be a completely unbiased opinion. I was not gifted photos from or paid to review prints by any of the photo labs.
The print labs I selected included my new professional print lab – GTA Imaging, Pikto, Walmart Photo Centre, Costco and Blacks. Here is the initial breakdown of the photos I printed and my initial observations.
Walmart Photo Centre: Kodak Moments Paper – Glossy
*Photos arrived with black scuff marks at the edges of about half the photos like there was a small leak in the printer.
*Paper is very thin. You can choose Fuji Sparks instead of the thin Kodak and I recommend you do if you go this route.
*Colours were vibrant and compared to the uploaded files, skin tones were much brighter. The black and white photos I received were really bad. They had an almost cartoon-like quality with dark outlining.
*Inexpensive printing with many options for prints and print products, especially novelty items.
Blacks: Fujicolor Crystal Archive Paper – Glossy
*Paper is good quality. The glossy finish is very nostalgic but it is very prone to fingerprints.
*Outdoor photos the colours were great, indoor photos the colour was muted more than in the uploaded files. Skin tones are brightened on face losing the true colouring of individuals in portraits. The black and white photos are lovely, spot on colouring and tones.
*Mid-range pricing with many options for printing and print products, great calendar options.
Costco Photo Centre : Fujicolor Crystal Archive Paper – Glossy
*Paper is good quality. Their photos were the most prone to fingerprints of the five.
*Colours were good and skin tones were much closer to the uploaded files keeping detail and true to life colouring for portraits. Black and white photos were good, keeping the details especially in portraits.
*Low to mid-range pricing with many options for printing and print products. Very convenient for those with a membership.
Pikto – Fujicolor Professional Paper - Lustre
*Paper is excellent quality. Lustre is a premium paper (also called Semi-gloss) that has a slight pebbly texture. It prevents fingerprints when you are handling photos.
*Colours are vibrant and skin tones are really good and true to the uploaded file. Black and whites are also really good and true to the uploaded file with great facial detail in portraits. In comparing Pikto to the other prints they lean slightly toward Magenta in a very obvious way, both their colour photos and black and whites.
*Higher range pricing with focus on quality products, though fewer of them.
GTA Imaging - Fujicolor Professional Paper - Lustre
*Paper is excellent quality. Lustre premium paper is gorgeous with no fingerprinting and no glare when hung on the wall.
*Colours are vibrant and true to the uploaded files. Shadows, colours, details and brightness are spot on when compared to the uploaded files. Black and whites are exceptional, truly black and white without a colour tint or any lean.
*Higher range pricing with focus on quality prints and print products. A professional print lab with archival products that you can access through your photographer.
Now that I have given a run down of the Canadian print labs I have a few thoughts to share about what I learned.
Best Overall Place to Print Photos in Canada
My professional lab, GTA Imaging. The photos were true in every way to the edited files I sent to them. It is their business to turn those files into amazing prints and print products that are high quality. The colours are always beautiful and their black and whites are true black and whites. I am a stickler for this. If I wanted my black and whites to lean magenta or blue or have any kind of tone, I would create that myself when I edit my photos as would the photographer you use to take your family photos.
I understand what it can look like when I recommend my printer first but I truly believe they are best quality prints, the customer service is always amazing and products arrive in the mail quickly and in perfect shape. They offer simple, classic products that are beautiful.
Best Place to Print Smaller Sized Prints Inexpensively
Honestly, what I learned from this experiment is that what actually matters and is important is to just PRINT YOUR PHOTOS so my recommendation for this is Walmart, Costco or Blacks. Whichever is the most CONVENIENT for you. If you have a Costco membership, print there (they are just a touch better in terms of skin tones and true to life printing) but if not go to Walmart or have them done online by Blacks.
On one of the main walls of my house I have 8 large-ish IKEA frames. The goal I have for these is to change out the photos yearly in an effort to help my kids have memories of specific events or places they have experienced. I want to point at them and say, “remember that?”. It would be very expensive for me to print 8 new photos professionally every year. Also, I live in a rural area and don’t have a Costco membership so I print them at Walmart. Are they the best quality photos? No. Does the glare and the tiny creases from the photos coming rolled up bother me a bit. Yep. Do I care. No. Because I know how important it is to make sure my kids remember those experiences and making those memories stick is helped along by seeing the photos on the walls and talking about them.
All that said, if quality is a little more important than price to you for your smaller photos and you don’t want to go through your photographer go with Pikto. The professional paper makes a huge difference.
Best Place in Canada to Print Large Photos and Archival Quality Prints
GTA Imaging and Pikto. The quality of paper used at both of these companies is amazing. The colours are beautiful. You will be happy with both of these choices for the photos you want to be displayed in your home for long periods of time. I recognize that you can’t always print through your photographer so a company like Pikto that you can go to yourself is convenient and quality. They do lean magenta which honestly, you may not even notice, and some may even prefer as it does seem to be on trend. If you have had Fine Art School Photos taken of your children by me, these are the labs I would trust with those photos.
I learned a lot through this process in the hopes of being able to guide and provide the best quality prints and products to my clients. I asked many people to look at the different groups of photos and pick the ones they liked the best. It turns out everything really is a matter of perspective. My husband who loves colour and smiling and joy above all chose every Walmart photo as his favourite with their brightened faces. My sister felt all the paper and looked closely choosing the professional papers as her favourite. Just make a point to get your photos off your phone and onto your walls and into your kid’s hands. Choose the Canadian print lab that is best able to help you accomplish that and you are golden.
***Just as a small endnote to this whole blog….I really love Kodak Endura Professional Paper. I was unable to find a Canadian print lab using it but would consider switching if I could find one. My last printer used it and because my grandfather used it there is a bit of nostalgia mixed in with how I feel about it. If there are professional photographers reading this that know of a Canadian lab using it please let me know.
