The digital age has revolutionized photography, making it easier than ever to capture and store our precious memories. However, there’s still something undeniably special about holding a physical photograph in your hands. For scrapbookers and memory keepers, high-quality prints are essential. With the rise of user-friendly apps like the Project Life App now offering print ordering services, the convenience factor has increased significantly. When Project Life announced its in-app printing service, powered by the renowned professional lab White House Custom Color, it sparked curiosity among photo enthusiasts. Could this streamlined service compete with established names known for their meticulous quality?
This led to a direct comparison with Persnickety Prints, a company already beloved for its unwavering commitment to print excellence and exceptional customer care. The core question was simple: could anyone match Persnickety’s speed and superior print quality? To put this to the test, identical sets of 6×8 prints were ordered from both services. The selection included a digital scrapbook layout, two photos taken with a DSLR camera, and one from an iPhone 6 – a diverse range to assess performance across different image types, intended for a 2015 album project. After just one week, the results were in, offering a detailed look at how these two popular services stack up.
Head-to-Head Comparison: Persnickety Prints and Project Life
To provide a clear and comprehensive comparison, we evaluated both Persnickety Prints and Project Life across several key aspects crucial for anyone seeking quality mail-order photo printing.
Ordering Experience
Persnickety Prints: At the time of this test, ordering 6×8 prints directly through Persnickety Prints’ mobile app wasn’t an option. The ordering process was conducted via their website. While the website interface, powered by LifePics, might not be the most visually modern, it proved functional and straightforward. Navigating the site was easy enough to upload photos, make necessary crops, and place the order. Importantly, Persnickety Prints provided full access to their range of paper finishes, allowing for customization based on preference.
Project Life: Leveraging the newly updated Project Life app, the ordering process was remarkably integrated and user-friendly, mirroring the app’s overall intuitive design. Adding photos to the order was seamless, and the interface remained clean and minimal. In terms of options, Project Life kept it simple, primarily focusing on print size, which streamlines the process for users who prioritize speed and ease of use. Cropping functionality was included and offered sufficient flexibility to adjust images as needed before printing.
Price Point
Persnickety Prints: Initially, the price for a 6×8 print from Persnickety Prints was $1.29. However, it’s worth noting that Persnickety Prints frequently adjusts its pricing, and at the time of writing this comparison, the cost for a 6×8 print had been reduced to a more competitive $0.99. This price adjustment makes Persnickety Prints even more appealing for those seeking high quality at a reasonable price.
Project Life: Project Life offered a straightforward pricing structure, with 6×8 prints priced at $0.99, the same cost as their 8×8 prints. This consistent pricing across sizes simplifies budgeting and makes Project Life an attractive option, particularly given the convenience of ordering directly through the app.
Shipping and Delivery
Persnickety Prints: The prints ordered from Persnickety Prints on Friday, January 30th, arrived the following Thursday, February 5th. Persnickety Prints utilized USPS First Class Mail and shipped the prints in a flat, rigid mailer designed to protect the photographs during transit. This method ensured the prints arrived in excellent, unbent condition.
Project Life: Mirroring Persnickety Prints’ delivery timeframe, the Project Life prints, also ordered on Friday, January 30th, were received on Thursday, February 5th. Project Life opted for UPS Mail Innovations for shipping. This service utilizes UPS to handle the initial shipment, but the final delivery is then transferred to USPS for last-mile delivery. Like Persnickety Prints, Project Life also used a flat mailer, ensuring the prints were well-protected during shipping. The comparable shipping times and protective packaging from both services highlight their commitment to timely delivery and print condition.
Paper and Print Quality
Persnickety Prints: Persnickety Prints distinguishes itself by using premium Fujifilm Crystal Archive paper. For this test, the Premium Matte finish was selected. The resulting prints were notably flat, a characteristic often appreciated for scrapbooking and framing, indicating meticulous processing and handling. The matte finish offered a non-reflective surface, ideal for showcasing photos without glare.
Project Life: Project Life prints were produced on Kodak Professional Endura paper, known for its quality in the professional printing industry. They featured a lustre finish, which is slightly glossier than Persnickety Prints’ matte option but still considered relatively matte compared to glossy finishes. A minor observation was that the Project Life prints exhibited a slight curl, a common characteristic of certain photo papers, though it was not significant enough to detract from the overall quality.
Persnickety Prints (left) vs. Project Life (right)
Trim and Bleed Accuracy
Persnickety Prints: The digital scrapbook layout print from Persnickety Prints demonstrated excellent accuracy in trim and bleed. The layout was perfectly centered on the print, with only minimal trimming resulting from the standard print expansion process. This precision is crucial for maintaining the intended composition of digital layouts and ensuring no important elements are unintentionally cropped.
Project Life: Similarly, Project Life also delivered commendable results in trim and bleed. The digital layout print was also perfectly centered, with minimal trim loss due to print expansion. The consistency in trim accuracy between both services indicates a high standard in their printing processes, particularly important when printing layouts or images with specific framing requirements.
Color Fidelity
Persnickety Prints: Color accuracy is a hallmark of Persnickety Prints. The prints exhibited colors that were remarkably true to the original digital images, both in terms of hue and saturation. This fidelity is essential for photographers and scrapbookers who strive for accurate representation of their photos’ colors, ensuring memories are depicted as vividly and realistically as intended.
Project Life: Project Life prints also displayed pleasing color rendition. However, in comparison to Persnickety Prints, they exhibited a subtle golden undertone and slightly increased saturation. While the colors were still attractive and vibrant, the subtle warmth added by Project Life resulted in a slight deviation from the original image’s color profile. This difference, though subtle, might be noticeable to users with a keen eye for color accuracy.
Original Photo Sample for Color Comparison
Color Print Comparison: Persnickety Prints (top) vs. Project Life (bottom)
In a closer examination of the prints, the whites appeared cleaner and brighter in the Persnickety Prints version. Conversely, the warmth in the Project Life prints seemed to enhance the highlights, making them appear slightly brighter, albeit with a color shift. When comparing the digital layout prints, Persnickety Prints maintained closer adherence to the original colors, while Project Life introduced the same warmer tone observed in the individual photos.
Persnickety Prints (left) vs. Project Life (right)
Image Sharpness and Detail
Persnickety Prints: Persnickety Prints upheld its reputation for superior image quality. The prints were exceptionally sharp, with crisp and smooth edges. This level of detail preservation is critical for capturing fine details and textures in photographs, resulting in visually appealing and professional-looking prints.
Project Life: In terms of image quality, Project Life prints presented a very subtle issue. Upon close inspection, some pixelation was noticeable along edges, suggesting a slight loss of sharpness. This could be attributed to either over-sharpening during processing or a subtle degradation in image quality during the app-based upload process, with the latter being a more probable cause. While this difference was extremely subtle and barely perceptible in normal viewing, it became apparent under magnification.
Final Verdict: Choosing Between Persnickety Prints and Project Life
Evaluating both Persnickety Prints and Project Life reveals that both services deliver commendable true photographic prints. They both offer speedy service, user-friendly ordering processes, and produce quality prints suitable for various purposes.
For users who are already deeply integrated into the Project Life app ecosystem and prioritize efficiency and seamless workflow, printing directly through the app is a convenient and recommendable option. The ease of ordering and reasonable print quality make it a solid choice for routine printing needs.
However, for those who are particularly discerning about print quality and detail, Persnickety Prints emerges as the preferred choice. The subtle but noticeable differences in paper quality and image sharpness, combined with Persnickety Prints’ commitment to color accuracy and meticulous handling, cater to those with a “persnickety” eye for detail. The personal touch, like the washi-taped thank you note included in Persnickety Prints orders, further enhances the experience for those who appreciate a more personalized service. While both are excellent, Persnickety Prints caters specifically to those who demand the utmost in print fidelity and quality, justifying its position as a top choice for discerning photo printing needs.
Persnickety Prints packaging detail, showcasing a personal touch with a washi-taped thank you note.
Disclosure: The author has a prior professional relationship with the owner of Persnickety Prints. While Persnickety Prints has sponsored Simple Scrapper in the past, the prints for this comparison were purchased independently to ensure unbiased evaluation. This prior relationship did not influence the objective opinions presented in this review.
