# Getting a digital image professionally printed **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 14, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-digital-image-professionally-printed/615794 "2012-03-14T21:41:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aversin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@Aversin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aversin)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-digital-image-professionally-printed/615794/1 "2012-03-14T21:41:51Z")
I am looking to print out a digital image to use as an insert/liner on a shelf, for a small project I am working on. I am not sure if a local copy shop would fit my needs and I was looking online for a place to print and ship me my digital image onto glossy cardboard or a similar material. Can anyone recommend a place, or suggest what to look for locally that would be able to print my image onto something more durable and glossy than generic paper, and to my exact dimensions for 10 different rectangles. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-digital-image-professionally-printed/615794/2 "2012-03-14T21:52:42Z")
Don’t know if this is in your price range, but [Costco](http://www.costcophotocenter.com/gifts/gift_landing.aspx?q=1iyjY7s5fI,qODxXVC1sosaPAIa79Ermqa,TAGJ1DrJk-) prints on canvas. With a minor amount of expertise in photo manipulation, you can get the image size correct. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-digital-image-professionally-printed/615794/3 "2012-03-14T21:58:20Z")
Talk to a full-time staffer at Kinko’s. They offer this sort of service – images precisely reproduced onto the material of your choice [provided it will feed through one of their machines (card stock yes, quarter-inch plywood no :)]. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2012, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-digital-image-professionally-printed/615794/4 "2012-03-14T22:35:41Z")
Generalizing–in terms of sending photos out for printing, is there a (long-term and immediate) quality difference between mass-market chains (e.g. Costco, CVS, Kinkos), home printing (very general here since there are a lot of photo printers out there), and specialized printers (e.g. Snapfish)? Not just for odd mediums like canvas, but for a print we want to hang on the wall? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-digital-image-professionally-printed/615794/5 "2012-03-15T03:37:13Z")
Most likely, you’ll need to have the image printed at whatever desired size, then use something like Super 77 spray mount adhesive to attach it to the shelf / cardboard / whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-digital-image-professionally-printed/615794/6 "2012-03-15T10:07:31Z")
I wholeheartedly recommend [mpix](http://www.mpix.com/). Decent prices, outstanding customer service, high quality work. Get it mounted on foam backing. mmm ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-digital-image-professionally-printed/615794/7 "2012-03-15T13:10:05Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Talk to a full-time staffer at Kinko’s. They offer this sort of service – images precisely reproduced onto the material of your choice [provided it will feed through one of their machines (card stock yes, quarter-inch plywood no :)]. I’ve had good experience at Kinkos (now called FedEx Office) printing photos on large cardboard. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2012, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-a-digital-image-professionally-printed/615794/8 "2012-03-15T16:42:14Z")
FedEx Office can be a bit pricey. Look at the ads in the back of _Popular Photography,_ or try [bigposters.com](http://bigposters.com). There are places in every big city that do lots of point-of-purchase work on various materials. A place called C&L Printing in Chicago gives me excellent prices on 600 dpi prints onto foamboard or Gator board, etc., then laminated.