portrait enlargement trends

[Ronald Garrett]

I find that having a large format printer in house helps tremendously in selling larger prints. Sell larger while the customer is in the mood.

[michaelnotar]

interesting, how is that different than out sourcing it you think...i can get 30x40s printed and mounted in 3-4 biz days max from millers, half way across the country.

[Ronald Garrett]

If it's images I already have edited on disc, they can take their print home with them immediately. If a portrait, I ask the lady to come back in an hour, or just get the missus to gab with her and I'll have that print ready to go too.

I also try to keep matts and frames here ready to go.

With the price of gas these days, and people often traveling some distance to the studio, it's a nice selling point for them to be able to take the product home immediately.

I have tried to offer service that the other studios don't. Course they are big, and I am small. Maybe their approach is the correct one, dunno.

Has anyone ever sent images out for processing and they didn't turn out as you wanted? What to do then?

I am starting to get a small trickle of business where someone brings me a snapshot they want blown up, matted, and framed. I charge 75% of what I would charge if I had taken the image. Customers seem happy with that. Many of the snapshots are 2 - 4 mp. After editing I have a super up rez program I use that makes a very presentable image.

I just try to put forth a "can do" attitude to customers and make them happy if at all possible. Most come back sooner or later.

Course this attitude is prolly the wrong one if a person wants a huge business that they can make tons of money from.

Anyhow, Just my humble opinion.

[Noel_Carboni]

Originally Posted by Ronald Garrett

I find that having a large format printer in house helps tremendously in selling larger prints. Sell larger while the customer is in the mood.

Perhaps customers think that your sharing the purchase price with a lab somewhere is one step away from them ordering directly from that lab... Maybe they just like that you're doing the actual work.

I know if I were going to, say, a machine shop for a part, I'd like it if they made the part vs. subcontracting the job to someone else. Stuff always goes wrong when more folks are involved.

-Noel

[Mike Keller]

Do you ever take clients on a tour of the print room? That may not be impressive to women, but it could be a selling point to men, especially if they see a big printer in the middle of the room. Boy and toys, you know.

And knowing that the print is made "right there" should be a selling point, anybody can get a print from Walmart.

[Pro Photo Store]

Visit the B&H Pro Photo Store for the best Gear Prices and regular specials!

Brilliant Color for any Digital SLR
White Balance Cap
The Pros Agree on ColorRight
What People Are Saying