Online Digital Printing Services:
Unofficial Bakeoff

Services Evaluated:

Ofoto: Ofoto is a relatively new online service, competitng directly with Shutterfly.  They have similar pricing and marketing programs.  Ofoto has just been purchased by Kodak, although whether that will change their quality or service isn't known yet.

One big plus for Ofoto is their new Windows application, OfotoNow.  It is a free mini image cataloging application, combined with some simple image enhancement capability and an upload UI.  For Windows users this is the most practical solution of any of the online services.  This application is not a substitute for an industrial strength cataloging program like DigitalPro or enhancement program like PhotoDeluxe or Photoshop--but it is a nice and convenient tool.

Shutterfly: Shutterfly, like Ofoto, is well financed and sometimes markets free prints heavily.  They have incredible service, with prints delivered practically before they are sent.  However, their color has not been as accurate or pleasing as the rendition from Ofoto.  Recently they've invested in better image quality so you may want to try and compare to see which you like best. None of the current consumer sites currently use ICC profiles to allow them to correctly match your images with their printouts.

Kodak Photonet w. Microsoft PictureIt 99.  One of the earliest attempts, this system suffers from a heavyweight interface for printing multiple images and a requirement to print from PictreIt.  When it was first offered, Kodak was using Pegasus printers with excellent color management and would print up to 11"x14"--making this an incredible offering for 1998.  However, now that they are targeting a wider market, the maximum size has decreased to 8"x10" and the color management has become terrible.  It is possible to send the same print for printing twice on the same day and receive back two very different renditions.  Unless you're addicted to PictureIt and want the built-in functionality I can't see using this service now that much more aggressive services like Ofoto and Shutterfly are around.

Kodak was one of the first to offer photo gifts--mugs, mousepads, T-shirt, bags--printed with your image.  These are fun and one of the few compelling features of Photonet.  Photonet also has arrangements with many photo finishers for automatic uploading of your traditional film.  This should be a big benefit, but it can be very slow--sometimes 2-3 weeks--so it may not be what you're looking for.  They've also got a joint promotion with AOL's "You've got pictures", so if you're a loyal AOL user this may be worth an extra look.

Printroom:  Printroom has a solid offering with free album sharing tied nicely to printing for you or your friends.  They were in the business before the heavily funded Ofoto and Shutterfly, so their site is a little simpler and their approach a little more basic.  I don't know if they'll be able to keep up with the aggressive marketing from the newer bigger players, but their prints are certainly competent and after 8 months of having shared albums there I've had nothing but positive reports from friends who've downloaded or printed pictures from them.

Imagers:  Okay, so Imagers isn't exactly a consumer service.  However, they are my favorite online digital printers.  With a Fujix Pictrography 3000 and 4000, they can produce photo images up to 12"x18".  Their ftp site is rock solid, so even 100MB ZIP files of flattened Photoshop documents can be uploaded.  They do not have ICC profiles for their printers, so I built my own.  If you want to experiment with them, they're on my profiles page.  Their service is unmatched and their prices unbeatable for what you get.

Calypso: These guys are the ringers.  Their $500,000 Lightjet is the top of the line for Digital printing.  If you are a sophisticated user and can send them a pre-profiled TIFF image, then you can get a 16"x20" print (I also use it to print 4 8"x10" prints) for about $25.  The only other online service which can come close to matching the quality and color is the Imagers Fujix.  However, I expect to see more of the lower cost and convenient services coming closer before the end of the year.  One of the best things about Calypso is they have very accurate profiles for their machine and paper combinations.  One of the worst things is that their online order & upload system is pretty kludgy compared to Imagers or some of the other services.

Epson 1270/1280:  For under $500 these printers are almost a miracle.  Their printouts are the visual equal of almost any high cost printer on the planet.  When used with a good ICC profile, like those generated with EZColor, Wiziwyg, or purchased from Jon Cone at Inkjetmall the quality is unbeatable--as of course is the convenience!  The Achilles heel of the Epson inkjet has traditionally been print life.  Prints done on the Epson paper with Epson ink start to fade in weeks or months.  There are two solutions to this problem.  The first is to use archival paper and ink for the Epson EX or Epson 1200.  This is tricky and requires custom profiles, but you can learn more about it on my How-to pages.  The second is to wait for the new Epson 1270 with matching longlife inks & papers--except that they don't really seem to be testing out as well as claimed, so proceed with scepticism!.

Album Sharing:

While not a strict requirement for printing, the convenience of being able to share your albums with friends or family--and let them print their own pictures--is staggering.  It saves the painful process of sending out prints, asking who wants reprints, trips back to the photo lab, and so on. 

Ofoto, Printroom, Shutterfly, and Photonet all offer competent album sharing and printing.  High-end printers like Imagers and Calypso don't.  And of course your personal Epson leaves you holding the bag when it comes to reprints! 

Summary Table:

Obvious Next Steps:

Color Profile Support:  Now that Windows 98 supports system wide color management--the Mac has for a long time--there will be more demand for quality color matching with the user's desktop previewing system.  ICC profiles are easily embedded in JPEG files.  Online services should start using them to help increase the quality of their prints.

Digital Camera Support: Digital cameras each have their own imaging characteristics.  These can be represented as an ICC profile or through some other proprietary means.  The online services could help customers get accurate prints by either providing general ICC profile support or at least doing what some Windows software does by compensating for particular cameras.

Catalog and Upload integration:  Other services should take a page from Ofoto and provide a simple cataloging system for the desktop machine that integrates upload capability and image enhancement. 

Interactive image enhancement & preview:  Various technologies like Sharpening filters are useful on almost all digital images, whether scanned or not.  It'll be tempting to "black box" these features on the server, but some users will want to experiment with these and other image enhancement options--only okaying the result after an interactive preview.

Epson strikes back:  The Epson 2000 uses pigmented dyes for archival quality--although with a smaller gamut than its cheaper cousins. The Epson 1280 offers edge-to-edge full-bleed printing of 4"x6" prints, making it a worth competitor to One Hour Photo solutions!

Methodology:  I sent one or usually several orders for reprints of a set of test prints--including portraits and scenics--to all of the services listed above.  In most cases I've used the services off and on over a period of several months to see how their service and quality varies over time.  Since judging output quality is subjective, there isn't an easy metric I could assign to either the color matching or print quality.  In addition, since scanning & online display also affect images there isn't any easy way for me to post the prints here so that you can see the relatively subtle differences in color or quality.  So:  I encourage you to try one or more of these services and form your own opinions about what works and doesn't work for you.  In addition, the industry and capabilities are advancing very quickly, so it may be worth continuing to sample the offerings available.  I'll certainly update this review as I find major changes in the offerings listed or find new offerings.

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