Professional vs Consumer Prints: What you need to Know Before you Buy

This is another common question many photographers get, so I decided to make a blog post breaking down a few of the reasons why you may be sticker-shocked at some of the prices when it comes to printing through a professional print lab.

Everything in the Brooke Elisabeth gallery store is sourced from the top print labs from around the world. All of the products I have selected are designed to last a lifetime, with workmanship that is hand-inspected and unmatched material quality. However, this does come with a cost, and that doesn’t go unnoticed. So, I want to break it down for you!

Professional Print Lab Ink, Chemicals and Printers:

Photographers stand behind the quality of their print lab’s products and pay a premium for the quality so you can have confidence knowing your products will last a lifetime. Professional print labs use high-quality materials when it comes to the ink, chemicals, and printers used to develop your products. Consumer prints use lower-quality ink, chemicals, and printers to make them more cost-effective.

More sizes:

Products printed through a professional print lab offer a wide variety of sizing options as well as custom pieces. Consumer prints usually have very few sizing options aside from the standard 4X6, 5X7, 8X10, etc. In addition to custom sizing, print labs offer different paper options to best suit your needs.

Color correction:

Color correction services are done by hand with professional print labs. If consumer labs offer color correction, it is done by automatic software. Professional print labs make your photos print as accurate as possible.

At the end of the day, professional print labs have unmatched quality and craftsmanship that you are just not going to get with a consumer lab. Every order undergoes a thorough inspection before shipment, guaranteeing satisfaction. You get what you pay for, and in a photographer’s opinion, you will never regret investing in products that will showcase your family’s heritage.

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