On-line printing service - recommendations in the UK?

[mike5100]

I guess this must be a question often asked, but I've done a few searches and not found anything.

I've used services like Bob's Books and Photobooks but I'm guessing that they are geared towards 'pile it high sell it cheap' and I wondered if there is a company out there in the UK prepared to work with a customer on producing the highest quality prints and perhaps engaging in emailed discussions about particular orders.

Mike

 

[Ken60]

Is this print for 4 colour press books, or inkjet for framing, and to what size Mike ?

 

[mike5100]

Is this print for 4 colour press books, or inkjet for framing, and to what size Mike ?

Generally for framing Ken. Since posting I have come across Digitalabs who are in Newcastle and used to be MPS (Mobile photoservices). I remember Basil from when I used to do wedding photography about 40 years ago, so I am going to give them a try. There seems to be a lot of good advice on their website, and a lot of the cost of using them is in courier charges, so I can save that if I collect.

Still interested in your recommendations though Ken - particularly for the 4 colour press books - although I'm not entirely sure what that means.

Mike

 

[Ken60]

Four colour press refers to the offset Litho printing to create " Photo Books", it is called 4 colour press because it uses plates to print the four colours with ink , cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The fourth colour Black is used because though theory might suggest that a 100% mig of all colours makes black, it will not produce a good black.

Search on Photo Books to see the sort of thing available, often you will get a template of the page layouts and you just add your images to the design.

 

[mike5100]

Four colour press refers to the offset Litho printing to create " Photo Books", it is called 4 colour press because it uses plates to print the four colours with ink , cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The fourth colour Black is used because though theory might suggest that a 100% mig of all colours makes black, it will not produce a good black.

Search on Photo Books to see the sort of thing available, often you will get a template of the page layouts and you just add your images to the design.

thanks .... and is any photo book printer as good as any other? I have used Bob's Books and Photobox, and was reasonably pleased with the results, but wondered whether there was a top end specialist

Mike

 

[Ken60]

I have not produced one of these, but I would guess it is like most 4 colour print, a combination of how well you prepared the images, and who is on the press that day.

Last press printing I bought was from Solo Press and they did a great job. If you have a well controlled colour managed production you should be OK.