Sony's Imagestation, an alternative photo order option in iPhoto
Nov/07/2006 00:05 Filed in: iPhoto
Order prints through iPhoto at Sony's ImageStation for only
$0.10 per 4x6 print.
I prefer to just show pictures online, but my wife prefers to print them out and put them into photo books. So we do both. I'd been printing digital photos at Costco for several years. The prices were always very good, the quality was also very good, and for me it was convenient - especially once you could upload pictures from your computer. But since switching back to a Mac, Costco isn't quite as convenient for me now because they only support multiple file uploads on a PC. I would select the photos I wanted printed in iPhoto, then export them to a folder on my Media Center Edition Windows XP machine, remote desktop to it, and upload and order from Costco from that computer. Not ideal, but it works without too much trouble.
My search for a new photo printing service started out looking for a company that could print the date of the picture was taken from the EXIF data, but I found non (in the competitive price arena - let me know if you know of somebody that does this.) And in my searching I ran across Sony's ImageStation photo printing service.
Sony ImageStation has two methods of uploading multiple files, the first is a web browser plugin (that I never could get working on Camino or Safari) but fortunately the second method is an iPhoto plugin! The way it works is this: You select the photos you want to print in iPhoto, then instead of selecting ORDER PRINTS to order from Apple/Kodak - you select File | Export and select ImageStation. The files upload to your account, and when the upload is completed you are taken to your account in a browser where you can place your order. The online ordering process is very similar to Costco's - it's easy to use, and of course the $0.10 cost per 4x6 print is awesome.
FWIW - enlargements are far cheaper at Costco than other places, so I'll still go through Costco for enlargements, but after I receive my 400 some odd print order I just placed at Sony's ImageStation, if the quality is good then I'll keep ording 4x6's from Sony.
I prefer to just show pictures online, but my wife prefers to print them out and put them into photo books. So we do both. I'd been printing digital photos at Costco for several years. The prices were always very good, the quality was also very good, and for me it was convenient - especially once you could upload pictures from your computer. But since switching back to a Mac, Costco isn't quite as convenient for me now because they only support multiple file uploads on a PC. I would select the photos I wanted printed in iPhoto, then export them to a folder on my Media Center Edition Windows XP machine, remote desktop to it, and upload and order from Costco from that computer. Not ideal, but it works without too much trouble.
My search for a new photo printing service started out looking for a company that could print the date of the picture was taken from the EXIF data, but I found non (in the competitive price arena - let me know if you know of somebody that does this.) And in my searching I ran across Sony's ImageStation photo printing service.
Sony ImageStation has two methods of uploading multiple files, the first is a web browser plugin (that I never could get working on Camino or Safari) but fortunately the second method is an iPhoto plugin! The way it works is this: You select the photos you want to print in iPhoto, then instead of selecting ORDER PRINTS to order from Apple/Kodak - you select File | Export and select ImageStation. The files upload to your account, and when the upload is completed you are taken to your account in a browser where you can place your order. The online ordering process is very similar to Costco's - it's easy to use, and of course the $0.10 cost per 4x6 print is awesome.
FWIW - enlargements are far cheaper at Costco than other places, so I'll still go through Costco for enlargements, but after I receive my 400 some odd print order I just placed at Sony's ImageStation, if the quality is good then I'll keep ording 4x6's from Sony.
Your Comments appreciated.
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