Laura Vegas

i'm blogging this morning from a hotel room. we've been here for 2 nights and 2 days, for sarah's soccer tournament. played her 2 games yesterday in the pouring rain. and this mornings games have all been pushed back, because the fields are flooded. so we're just sitting around, waiting. figured i could use a few minutes to update this blog with something of interest. how about how i print my photos? i get asked about that a lot. and sorry about the blurry pics (remember, i'm in a hotel room ;)).

when i print at home, i use my HP photo printer. i got this printer about 3 years ago, and i LOVE it. it prints the most awesome photos, and the colors are exactly what i see on my computer screen when i edit. i have never had any issues with my printer. and the ink is pretty good. it's one of those printers with 6 different color ink cartridges. so you just replace the color that you need. they're about $10 for each ink cartridge. but i recycle my empty cartridges at staples, and i get $3 back. so they work out to $7 each. the printer in this photo is the HP photosmart D7560 printer. i actually have an older version, the HP photosmart D7360. but this one looks like it's the newer version of what i have. has the same look and same features. so i guess i can't really, honestly vouch for this model. but if it's anything like mine, it should be a good one.  

HP premium plus photo paper, soft gloss (8.5×11, 50 sheets). i love this paper. i prefer the matte finish on my photos. and this soft gloss paper is the exact same thing, but better. it's super thick paper. i will tell you that it has a textured backing to it. so i find that i actually have to use glue dots to get my photos to stick to my layouts. a lot of the regular adhesives don't hold with the texture. and just an FYI, amazon has some great deals on HP photo papers right now. through january 2nd, they're buy one get one free. i made sure to stock up :) 

i love to print at home for a lot of my projects. i can choose my sizes, and arrange them all onto one sheet to print. i love doing the 2×3's and 3×4's, so that is easiest to do at home. but sometimes, i need a lot of photos or want a lot of 4×6 prints. that's when i order copies. 

costco is my place of choice to order my photos. our store is about 2 miles away, so it's super convienent. i order everything online, and then just run down there an hour or two later and they're ready. i've been very happy with the quality. i get the lustre finish, which is like the matte finish. once i upload my photos into my account, i can then go in and pick the prints i want. and i even do my cropping right there. if i wanted a 4×6, a 5×7, and an 8×10 of the same exact photo, i can crop for each size right in one spot. now i will admit that on occasion, my photos seems a little dark. not a lot, but slightly darker than what i see on my screen. but usually, that's on the regular, everyday, indoor photos that aren't great to begin with. whenever i have the great shots, that really are perfect-to-me shots, they turn out awesome. the colors are dead on to what i see on my computer. their poster prints are great too. i've ordered a few of those. i think it also helps to get to know the photo people behind the counter. my photo girls know me, they know my name, they know my orders, they know my pictures. 

so, there you go. those are the 2 ways i print my photos. and what i use to print them. any questions, just ask 🙂