why can't color labs do what we want?

[Myron_Bursell]

Well people I just had a run in with my color lab. The issue is digital, but really does not matter for my comments here.
Some of you may get mad at me, or be on my side, but here goes........

I know we, as business owners need to do what makes us money. So I convey to my lab, for about 2 years now, what they need to do to help me along with many other photoraphers! Yes, others have asked the same as me. Yes I changed labs...................But it seems like we as photographers let the labs tell us what to do and sell !!!! They need us !! We need to be reasonable, but if demand is there they need to listen, right !!! Come on photogrsaphers, stop letting the labs, kodak, & fuji, tell us all what to do. Let them know they need to work with us and not tell us what we need to sell and do....
Well I'm not sure it all came out right, but I'm just tired of the labs and etc. fighting us photographers, I'mm willing to pay for a service I just want them to offer what our clients want. And yes it will make them money....................... [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[Ron]

I suppose you'd have to elaborate. I have no idea what you're referring to. I only get what I want. My labs don't sell me anything I don't want. Of course they can't offer much of what I'd like... but that's either due to lack of money on their part for equipment, or lack of knowledge in the new digital area. (which is very new to labs since many of them aren't computer guru's or digital artists in the first place).

Of course if you're not pleased you can always buy the equipment and start your own lab.

[JohnEvans]

With the paper and chemistry of today, it is very easy to print in house. Of course there is more time but the raw costs are a lot lower. We have a Sienna 2000 digital printer that prints upto 8x12 on RA4. I can't imagine sending all of our work to an outside lab. We do send 11x14 & larger to Customation in IN but do not sell that many. The Fuji Pictography is cheaper initially and needs no special chemicals but the break-even point is about 50 rolls of paper which we did in less than a year. We send out our direct-mail postcards that are printed on photographic paper. An 8x10 prints costs less than a quarter. Having control over the printing process is very important and usually rewarding but sometimes frustrating. We would not go back.

[Ron]

Sounds cool, I've often thought about printing our own, but that would require employee's, breakdowns, keeping printing chems and papers in stock (a lot more work than I'm use to).
Our labs (we have two) are both local. Both pick up and deliver. We sell lots of 11x14s and larger (so your little printer wouldn't do us much good). We refuse to ship orders in the mail, or recieve them UPS. We also refuse to mask negs. Our order process is very stream lined and requires very little time. Orders come back sprayed, mounted, trimmed (wallets die-cut) Our name/logo over layed in all wallets... I personally sign the larger prints. My regular lab that prints all my film, handles digital prints up to 10x15 (Fuji's idea of large print size... (seems like they would have added a inch for 11x14's) but that would have taken a little thought I guess. My other local lab has a LightJet and prints 11x14 up to 50x60 of my digital files. So we have all bases covered here.

Printing our own would be interesting - but I don't want to get into eployee's, benifets, unemployment, and other outside labor hassles. My wife and I like keeping all the profits to ourselves ;-)