Are you wondering if Staples offers photo printing services? The answer is yes! Staples provides photo printing, alongside other popular services like Walmart and Shutterfly. If you’re in Vancouver, Canada, or anywhere in North America, and looking for accessible photo printing options, you might be considering these names. This review dives into a direct comparison of photo prints from Staples, Walmart, and Shutterfly to help you determine the best choice for your needs, focusing on print quality and cost.
Staples Photo Printing Options and Paper Quality
Like Walmart and Shutterfly, Staples offers a range of photo print options, from standard prints to more premium paper selections. For this comparison, we focused on prints made on Fujifilm Crystal Archive Photo Paper, as this paper type is consistently listed across all three websites for their standard photo services. This common paper stock suggests a potential similarity in the base materials used by these services.
Staples vs. Walmart vs. Shutterfly: Price Comparison
Price is often a deciding factor when choosing a photo printing service. Here’s a quick price comparison for standard 4×6 prints from Staples, Walmart, and Shutterfly:
- Walmart: $0.22 per 4×6 print (minimum order of 30 prints)
- Staples: $0.24 per 4×6 print
- Shutterfly: $0.20 per 4×6 print
While prices are very close, Shutterfly appears slightly cheaper per print, but Walmart’s pricing comes with a minimum print order requirement. Staples sits in the middle, offering a balance between price and order flexibility.
Photo Quality Showdown: Which Photo Lab Delivers?
The crucial aspect of photo printing is, of course, quality. It’s important to note that print quality can be influenced by printer calibration and maintenance. For this review, prints from all three services were ordered online and shipped, suggesting that these orders might be processed at centralized photo labs, potentially even using similar equipment.
Interestingly, despite the slight price variations, the prints from Walmart were observed to have the most consistent and accurate colors, closely resembling professional lab prints used as a control. This suggests that while Staples and Shutterfly offer comparable services, Walmart might have a slight edge in color consistency, at least based on this particular comparison.
Comparing photo prints from Walmart, Shutterfly, and Staples for color accuracy and quality
Side-by-side comparison of photo prints from different labs highlighting color and contrast differences
Analyzing the details of photo prints to assess color accuracy and print quality from budget photo services
Walmart’s prints, located in the lower right corner in the image, exhibited fewer issues in terms of contrast and color fidelity, aligning closely with the professional lab standard. The test included prints of images with warm, neutral, and black and white tones to evaluate printer performance across different color ranges.
Overview and Recommendation for Budget Photo Printing
Photo print lab review comparing Shutterfly, Walmart, and Staples for best value and quality
Before placing a large order with any online photo lab, it’s always advisable to print a few test images. Quality can vary, and these budget-friendly options represent a good balance of cost and quality for online photo printing. While services like London Drugs Photos are known for quick 24-hour processing, Staples, Walmart, and Shutterfly are viable alternatives when time is not a constraint. Ultimately, the “best” photo lab is subjective and depends on individual preferences and needs.
In conclusion, Staples does offer photo printing services, providing a convenient option alongside Walmart and Shutterfly. Consider testing prints from each to find which best suits your personal preferences for color and quality. In this digital age, printing photos remains a valuable way to preserve memories – find a lab you like and start printing your cherished moments today!
