Ugh. Walmart Photo Centre.

[tone.def]

So a while back (this must of been a year or so?), when Walmart was having their 12 cent print sale, I uploaded about 400 or so pics and had them printed out. I wasn't overly impressed with how my pictures turned out through them, the were a little off the mark margin-wise, other than that image quality was fine, but I rationed to myself "what did you expect for 12 cents at Walmart?" and the ones I really wanted to blow up and make copies for other people, I uploaded to Blacks and paid 39 cents a print and I was very impressed

As an FYI - I took photography in college a few years back, so I'm not a "photo snap-shot moron". I take my time, set up my shot, etc... I'm super meticulous.

Between yesterday and today I picked up another 400 or so pictures that I paid 19 cents a piece for at Walmart and again... margins are way off in some pictures, feet cut off in shots, heads, sides, hands, flowers, posts, you name it, way worst than last time (I had a few perspective shots of birds and some beeks were cut off!). I didn't take the pictures that way, I said something to the girl at the till at the photo centre and she said to me "It's the way you cropped your pictures"... I smiled and told her with great pleasure that none of these were edited.

I wanted the picture printed the way I took it, please re-do them. "No. We print them exactly the way they are uploaded. You must remember your pctures a different way" Um, no when I compare them to what I'm looking at in my computer, there's some margin room... When I print on my little printer here at home (costs way too much to mass produce), the margins are just fine!

Moral of the story... Don't ever use Walmart at Dufferin Mall for your pictures! I'm now going to splurge my 39 cents and go to Blacks. Cheapest is far from best!!!!!!!

 

[almacdonald]

I ordered 2 coffee mugs, a mouse pad, a hockey puck and magnets from walmart in November - all the same photo. I had to pre-pay for all of the items and was told that it would be 3-4 weeks, definitely ready for Christmas. Well, here it is, January 21 and i STILL don't have all of the items - 2 months later! What was even funnier though, the last time I went in to try and pick up my stuff, a man came in carrying his photo stubs (you know the things from the envelope that you use to pick up your photos). Well, the girl working there came to the conclusion that because she couldn't find his prints that he must not have dropped off his film... HELLO! How did he get the envelope stubs?! I coudln't help but laugh. I only WISH i could get what i've paid for....

 

[disney funseeker]

Try Shoppers Drug Mart. I find their service and quality to be very good all the time. It is $0.29/print
I used to go to WalMart. Never again. The quality is poor. Too bad because the customer service at my Wal Mart was pretty good.

Recently tried the Superstore, which would be your Loblaws, when they had their BOGO and the pictures all turned out very well. Their pics cost $0.24/print.

 

[OntFamily]

If you didn't edit the pictures, the sizing will cause some automatic cropping.

A normal picture is 4 X 6 inches, while a digital image is 4.5 X 6 - thus the image that prints is different than what it looks on screen. Some operators will manually change the image to give the best picture, but most will print whatever you send to them. The Wal-Mart software should allow you to crop to 4 X 6, and allow you to select the best view.

 

[pxlbarrel]

I've used the Loblaws Photolab and I've used Futureshop. I alternate between the two depending on what specials there are. I've found that the Photolabs are different...the one near my house isn't so good (they seem to want to alter my already colour corrected photos!!) but the one near my workplace is very good.

I once had a 11x14 of our office group shot done at Futureshop...and when I picked it up (I picked up at a store that didn't have the lab), it was awful. They had played with it and put too much contrast...faces were ghostly white...so much so you couldn't see the features. I called them up and complained to them. They told me they'd credit me and get me another one printed out. Problem was, it would take a couple of days since the store I go to didn't have a lab. I needed it the next day!!! (Present for the retiring boss...) They told me to upload it and have pickup at a store with the lab. I could have it the next day if I did that and if it didn't turn out when I picked it up, they'd re-do it immediately for me. Well...they did it perfectly the next day and I also got a credit on my credit card for the first botched photo.

I did a photobook at Futureshop too and it turned out rather well...although, I think I'll try Blacks for that next time because their version looks like it has more editing options.

Thanks for the heads up on the Walmart photolabs...there's one close to me and it's always crowded in the photolab area...I might have tried it if you hadn't warned me!!

 

[Wazzo]

I love Costco's service. Just upload and go pick up really fast! And 4x6 prints are $0.18. I have had great luck with them in both cities I have lived in!

 

[dsneygirl]

If you didn't edit the pictures, the sizing will cause some automatic cropping.

A normal picture is 4 X 6 inches, while a digital image is 4.5 X 6 - thus the image that prints is different than what it looks on screen. Some operators will manually change the image to give the best picture, but most will print whatever you send to them. The Wal-Mart software should allow you to crop to 4 X 6, and allow you to select the best view.

I learned that at Wal Mart the hard way. After printing the same shot about 5 times I finally realized I had to tweak it a bit to not cut off DH's head.

 

[OntFamily]

I learned that at Wal Mart the hard way. After printing the same shot about 5 times I finally realized I had to tweak it a bit to not cut off DH's head.

I've had to teach myself to leave some space around the subject I'm photographing, to allow for space to edit/move the image.

Digital camera's are great, but they are slightly different than film cameras in terms of how you take the picture.

 

[Tiger926]

Walmart really is the worst - for everything! I hate Walmart, but their photo lab is atrocious. Horrible quality, lost pictures, terrible attitudes, etc.

I print at home on my Epson Picturemate, but I have used: Costco, Zehrs, Shoppers, Best Buy and Future Shop - all with good results.

Good luck, Tiger