From CVS, Walmart, Target, Walgreens, Shutterfly and Professional Photo Labs: How to Find the Best Place to Order Prints Online

For a long time had you asked where the best place to print your wedding or everyday family photos was, I would have said X professional print lab and not your local drug store photo lab. And only because most drug store print labs ala CVS, Walmart, Target, Walgreens etc. use dye sublimation printing, which is not that bad, but more on that later. Then one day, my Mom asked me to print a few photos from her iPhone and I never got around to it.

So, like any other boomer parent would do, she walked down to the local CVS to pick up some prints from her last trip from both Mexico and Washington. Yes, overall, both color and print quality weren't great because they were printed via dye sublimation, but that didn't matter to her. Because she proudly framed said prints in cheap frames and slipped the rest into cheap photo albums when all was said and done.

It was then that I realized maybe there is something to the age-old saying of "It's the journey that counts." Long story short, no, it doesn’t matter where or even how you print your wedding or family photos, though many wedding photographers will protest with pitchforks at me saying that. So long as you have something printed and not lose your photos in the cloud or a USB flash drive, is all that matters.

Printing at Your Local Drug Store VS A Pro Lab

Convenience and affordability are the main reasons I recommend sticking with your local drug store for printing photos. Both drug store and professional labs offer the convenience of uploading your photos via their websites, but drug stores have the added benefit of letting you pick up your prints within an hour.

Keep in mind however that most drug store labs often apply an auto-correct feature when printing. Meaning that if you send them photos your wedding, portrait of family photographer took, which are likely already edited, your prints will look like a heavy filter was applied. Pro labs on the hand, usually don’t apply any corrections to your prints unless you instruct them to do so during the online ordering process or in person.

And if you happen to live near one of the pro labs I listed below, you can also pick up your prints in person, though usually not on the same day. Pro labs typically have a 24–48-hour turnaround for basic print orders. And while pro labs offer the best print quality with nearly endless options, they are often more expensive and may require you to be a photographer to create an account. Additionally, most pro labs require a minimum purchase to qualify for discounted pricing, plus shipping costs.

Best Pro Labs to Print Your Wedding Photos

To ensure the best quality photo prints, professional photographers nationwide trust the following top photo labs to print your wedding photos:

WHCC・ProDPI*・Printique・Gold Photo*・Color Services*・ProLabPrints*・The Darkroom・Richard Photo Lab・Bay Photo Lab・Nations Photo Lab・Miller’s Pro Imaging

* lab prints on Fuji Type PDN paper

If you prefer to support a local neighborhood lab, look up photo lab near me, give them a call and ask what paper they use for prints. If they say Fuji Crystal Archive, Kodak Endura, Kodak Royal or my personal favorite, Fuji Type PDN paper, more than likely they know what’s up. When in doubt however, talk to your wedding photographer for photo lab recommendations. Lastly, you can peruse through the article published by The New York Times, where they conducted a blind test comparing print quality from various photo labs. Their top recommendation was Nations Photo Lab.

Understanding Dye Sublimation Printing

While it may be tempting to print your expensive wedding photos at your local CVS, the paper and print quality will not meet your expectations and leave you very disappointed. Because CVS usually uses the dye sublimation process to print their orders.

So, what is dye sublimation printing? To put it simply, the dye sublimation process glues three layers of colored (cyan, yellow, magenta) cling wrap plastic on a piece of paper to make a print. However, as I mentioned earlier, this process is not that bad. After all, photos I printed using this process back in 2003 are still going strong. It’s not so much that this process lacks durability, but it’s just not up there in color accuracy. As long as you don’t leave these prints under direct sunlight or peel them apart, they should last at least fifty years.

That's not to say however that people don't use CVS to print their photos. In fact, according to an article published on CNN Business, retailers such as CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and surprisingly Alberton's, reported $785 million in print sales in 2022, producing roughly 4.2 billion 4x6 prints. With that said, if you plan to print at either of these retailers, call up your local one and ask if they use the traditional wet process for printing, in which the image is permanently burned onto the paper. Some Walmart locations use this process for most print orders. 

Fujifilm PDN Paper: The Best Choice for Professional Wedding Photo Printing

Without a shadow of a doubt, the best paper to print wedding photos is Fujifilm's Type PDN photo paper, the top-of-the-line choice for photographers who want to ensure their client’s memories will last well over a lifetime. Thanks to its unique combination of archival quality materials and advanced printing technology, prints made from this paper are guaranteed to last and remain vibrant for well over a hundred years.

Furthermore, this paper is incredibly durable, twice as thick as normal photo paper and resistant to moisture, making it ideal for long-term storage. I know, a hundred years is a mighty long time but consider this: a generation amounts to thirty years. So, it is safe to say the wedding photos you print on Fujifilm Type PDN paper will be around for at least three future generations of your family. Can you say the same about the digital photos trapped in your first cell phone from several years ago?

In the end, where you print your wedding and family photos really comes down to what matters most to you. Whether you opt for the convenience and affordability of local drug stores or the superior quality of professional photo labs, what truly matters is preserving these memories in a tangible form. Because as I’ve said several times, there's something special about holding a photo in your hands that digital files just can't match.