Photo Printing Cost

Low: $4 per roll

Medium: $7-$9 per roll

High: $11-$13 per roll

Typical costs:

Film printing varies in quality and price, depending on whether it is done through an online service, at a local drugstore or at a local camera store. Online services have the lowest prices, starting at about 10 cents per print for a digital photo or $4 a roll for film. Drugstores fall in the middle at 29 cents per digital print and $7 to $9 per roll and camera store labs are the highest at 39 cents for a digital print and $11 to $13 per roll.
Online services include Snapfish.com, Kodak.com and Shutterfly.com.
Chain stores such as Wal-Mart and Walgreen's have in-store and online services.
Tip: If quality is a higher priority for you than cost, and especially if you are using film, it might be worthwhile to go with a professional photo laboratory, often found in a local camera store. Camera store employees usually have a good understanding of photography and can make sure the prints come out with proper color and density.

What should be included:

For digital prints, the customer usually uploads the chosen photos online, and the company prints them and mails them back, usually within a day or two. For film processing, the customer mails the film in or drops it off, and technicians process the film and create prints from the negatives.

Additional costs:

Online services often charge for shipping. Extra services, such as borders on the photos or photo greeting cards, also are available from online services at additional cost.

Discounts:

Some professional photo labs will offer special deals - such as a 10 percent discount for multiple rolls or processing and printing a second roll of film for free at certain times of the year. And online digital print services often run special offers, too, such as 10 or 20 free prints, or discounted shipping.

Shopping for photo printing:

If you want to use an online photo printing service but avoid shipping charges, consider using an online service, such as Kodak.com that gives you the option of picking up your photos at a local drugstore.

Article updated November 2006