The guys over at Printlab did a phenomenal job with my project!!! After we had an awkward family photo commissioned by a local photographer, the time came to put the work to canvas for display in our home. After reaching out to a local print shop in downtown Chicago, they immediately recommended Printlab for canvas prints of any kind. I scheduled a time to come by, and I was greeted by Tom who took wonderful care of me. He uploaded two versions of the photo onto his screen and showed me how they would look framed up. Tom was very kind and expressed genuine enthusiasm about the job. He kept consistent email contact throughout the process and the end result was just fantastic! When I picked up the two canvas prints, they were neatly protected by plastic and looked great! The staff helped me carry them downstairs and opened the door for me as I left. An excellent experience! I delivered both prints as Christmas gifts and they went over exceptionally well. Guests who came over during the holidays were enamored with the finished product. Thanks to everyone at Printlab who made this happen! A+ all the way and I will absolutely do business with them again. read more

Printlab - "Revenge Dog" now lives prominently on canvas thanks to Printlab. Thanks for the excellent work!!! - Printing Services Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Printlab is terrific! They were very helpful, friendly and prompt. Due to a mix-up in cropping instructions (pretty sure it was my bad) I offered to pay for them to re-do my print, but they re-printed it anyway and sent it to me at no charge. Now, I can't say if they'd do this for everyone, but it was above and beyond my expectations. The new print arrived quickly and the quality is excellent. I highly recommend them! read more

I had some 5x7 photos printed. Used their web platform. Super easy and the turnaround time was great. Photo print and quality was wonderful. Thanks PrintLab! read more

A+, def recommend. Long review short: Balked at the price first time, tried the second time, totally worth it. I was helping a friend get some prints. I'm not a photographer - amateur, professional, or otherwise - and was researching printing options. Tried Printlab on another friend's recommendation, was skeptical at first because of $$ but ended up thinking it was totally worth the price tag. Compared to a more affordable option we also tried (specifically, Mpix), the photographs came out with so much more depth, precision, color, contrast...you're definitely getting in for a different and superior level of printing with Printlab. The result was art that should last the rest of my life. read more

They did a great job reducing and making copies for a school art project. The copies turned out great and they were willing to work with us on the budget. It was nice to offer smaller versions of a large project to all the parents that wanted it. Also they were able to scan a flat but not flexible piece of art. read more

Printlab - Printing Services Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'll preface this review by saying that it is about service and classism, not their products. I was in the Humboldt Park area and desperately needed a standard print job on office paper/8.5 x 11 inches. I found this place on Yelp and thought that surely they could help me. When I walked in the guy at the counter seemed friendly enough. I was a bit winded from my walk and started to explain that I needed a print job on "regular paper." He acted as if he didn't understand my colloquial expression and said that he "didn't know what I meant." Fine. So I explained that I needed a determination letter printed so that I could get my car out of the tow yard. And I needed that printed on standard office paper. Instead of explaining that they do not offer such services he pulled out a box of printed photos. And explained that these are the types of paper I could choose. I was desperate so I was considering printing my letter on the least expensive option. I chose an option and then he informed me that print jobs have a 2 day turn around. It was obvious that he didn't care to offer solutions and was just wasting my time. I thanked him and left. Instead of helping me (there was an office printer on hand) or being straightforward with me he insisted on making me feel like I was making an unreasonable illogical impossible request. Possibly if I had been dressed better or not sweating or been a white man in khakis and a polo he would have helped. Would he have walked me through a process he knew was pointless? Perfect example of classism and microagressions and being completely unempathetic. read more

I have been wanting a replacement for Gamma, which I used a bunch in days of yore, but am sick of their inconvenience (in particular), often snooty attitude, and too-orange envelopes. I'm very happy with my prints and the experience at Printlab. Parking is easy; the building is an old warehouse -- you have to ring the buzzer and go in. They were exceedingly friendly and helpful. You'll need to make some decisions on paper and borders and etc. -- the website doesn't have all the info, and is a bit cloudy on what exactly you need to decide -- there are so many options -- the staff showed me a few prints on assorted papers, and made some suggestions on which would compliment my images. If you have notions of particular papers or qualities they can help you -- it would be useful to have a binder handy that shows some of the options. Note I just got digital prints. They also work with film (!) so I'm tempted to bust out my awesome old cameras and see how it goes.. My prints look really really good. I haven't gotten the same prints done elsewhere for comparison, but suffice to say they look great. Pricing seems competitive for similar quality prints. They are obviously expensive compared to crappy prints (Target, etc) -- but these are gorgeous, full-service archival prints. read more

I'm a novice when it comes to printing large pieces and the instructions on file preparation from their website worked perfectly. I've printed a variety of sizes here from 5x7 to 20x24 and the print quality has been outstanding. Turnaround time has always been a speedy 2 days and that's including delivery. read more

I've been going to Printlab for years and absolutely love them. I print my photography work and the prints always come out rich in color. I had to print a large number of prints for an art show awhile back and they gave me a discount without even mentioning it! Their customer service is phenomenal, and they're quick and affordably priced. Thanks for all you do! read more

I had two really large fragile 16 x 20 antique 1920's family photos. One was oval shaped and in a curved frame, which warped the shape of the original. They scanned them and created a few perfect re-prints. The work was terrific and the service was fantastic. Shout out to Spencer who made the whole process a breeze. read more

The owner wrote: " Unfortunately, in every business, communication problems can happen. In our defense, the B&W film we processed, was, and still it is in pristine condition along with its scans. The scratches the client is referring to were all in the Color Film, processed by another Lab." Blaming communications problems on your abysmal work is as unprofessional as the work you did. If the color film was scratched by the other lab, why didn't you inform me? Please tell me the name of the other lab so I can run your allegation that they scratched my negatives by them. I just discovered that you scanned the negatives BACKWARDS, so you screwed that up too. Since you did the scanning, not the other lab, what you are saying is that the color lab scratched my film, and then you scanned the negatives in reverse. Strikes me as extremely unlikely. Unless you can make a plausible case how that could have happened, my negatives were definitely scratched by you. Clearly, instead of taking responsibility for destroying my negatives and all the other things you screwed up, you falsely blame others. All in all, you couldn't be more unprofessional. read more

The Print Lab is the most unique photo lab in town. I love this place. They offer great customer service and a high quality product. It would be great if we all had darkrooms big enough to make 30 or 40 inch prints, but do not fret, the Print Lab is a can-do place. They make have resources to make huge silver prints. And they are definitely the place to bring any special photo project. They offer a lot of unique services you just won't get anywhere else. Drew, J.R., and the rest are your guys! read more

I've been working on this project for 160 days in a row and it was time for my first print and I was so nervous about it which is ridiculous, isn't it? But this really means a lot to me. (massive understatement) Here's how anxious I was this very day: I could not figure out how to open their door. (Push 04, wait for them to answer, push the left door very hard, walk in and go up to the third floor where a calm and smiling face awaits). Street parking no sweat. Very pleased with my print. And seriously-the service was way above and beyond. Thank you Geneva! read more

I needed to print a memorial collage I'd made for a client, my printer of course ran out of ink, and the ink isn't available in any Chicago stores anymore (thanks Calumet). I called Printlab in a panic and they were FANTASTIC. Tom answered my questions about paper type and weight, and he even suggested where I could source the ink in future. I called back to ask about assigning a color profile, file format, etc., and again, Tom was very patient and helpful. He left me a message at 9:20 the next morning to say my print was ready. Street parking was plentiful, and the young man who helped me when I went in was very nice. Printlab saved my behind, and I couldn't be happier with the service. THANK YOU Printlab!!! read more

If you are looking for a printer who will care about your prints, get to know you, spend time to make you happy, and work with you on rush orders, this is your printer. I had a large-scale fine art print that needed to be made with relatively quick turnaround. Since these prints ARE my artwork, I want to be able to have confidence in the printer who is helping me make them. I had tried to go to Gamma Imaging first, but they were a huge let down (see story below). So I called Print Labs and asked if they could meet with me to run a proof on short notice. They said that was no problem. As soon as I got to Print Labs, I knew I was in capable hands. I worked with J.R. who was extremely knowledgeable. He set up my image on the computer and looked over it very carefully with me. We spotted a few little areas of distortion/noise and he showed me how to fix it. Then, as I waited, he printed a to-scale strip proof. We looked over it together, made a few changes, then he printed the final piece WHILE I WAITED! He was SUPER nice, VERY helpful, and the quality was excellent (their office is also beautiful and very welcoming). They were less expensive than Gamma (by almost $100). I won't go anywhere else. (My experience with Gamma: I went to Gamma Imaging in Chicago first to get the image printed. I called ahead and asked if I could look over my print with someone and see a proof done all in one day, since I was going to drive in (over two hours) to get this print made. They said that would be fine. After I got there, they kept trying to charge me for little things. For example, they told me I wanted a giclee print made instead of an inkjet print made. When I asked the difference, they said that with the giclee I get access to the printing technician and they print a proof for me for the image. This is of course, more expensive than an inkjet print, and in addition to the higher cost per inch, you also have to pay for the proof which is between $65 and $85. When I asked more questions, the guy told me that the giclee was printed with the same printer and inks as the inkjet, so what you are really paying for is the privileged of paying for a proof. What?!? On top of all of that, when I asked how long the proof would take to print, the guy said he couldn't print a proof for me while I was there, although I had driven all the way in and they had told me they could over the phone. In addition, they treated me like an idiot and could have cared less about me or my artwork.) read more

Just went to Printlab to have an 8x10 enlargement made. The result is beautiful and the employees who I talked to were friendly. Great place! read more

It took me almost a decade to walk into Print Lab, and I wish I had done it sooner. The owner JR always listens to your needs and budget. It's a simple balance, but not all businesses understand this balance between needs and budget. I may have an idea of how I want something printed, but JR always confirms the best economical way to do it. In addition JR is mindful of schedules that we often don't have control over. I was in a time crunch with a last minute offer for a show & JR went out of his way to meet me and make sure the tests were ready, in order to make the printing schedule. I'm happy to say that his prints have now made it into two museums, and a private collection. Thank you JR for being helpful & mindful of the small independent artists! read more

This place is great. Not the closest for me but when I called I received specific thorough answers. Across the times I called I interacted with Jr., Drew, Andrew and Tom. All of them were very patient describing their process and how to think about the photography. I brought in the frames i was working with so I could show them the dimensions were a slight bit off 8x10. They cropped the pictures perfect. I highly recommend them and I will be going back. read more

these days, there are a million places offering digital printing services. printlab stands alone among them. here, you'll find actual artists/master crafstmen who will realize your vision. this is where you go if you want the highest quality prints available. it's where the pros go. the best part is that they will give you the same level of service as they give to dennis manarchy! it is rare to find a commercial business that offers such artistry and expertise combined with such exceptional personal service. read more