THE WINNER IS… Loxley Colour

Loxley Colour reigns supreme for quality and value, plus wide-ranging print options

Naturally, all the online labs in the group are ‘slow’ compared to inkjet printers. However, some are slower than others. Loxley Colour is quickest out of the blocks for UK users, typically taking just a day or two to deliver prints, even if you opt for standard postage. In contrast, the wait for prints from Whitewall’s lab in Germany can be several days. In the US, WHCC wins out against AdoramaPix for speedy, cost-effective delivery, but prints themselves are dearer, so you’d need to weigh up whether cost or speed was the most important factor to you.

When it comes to outright print quality, there’s practically nothing to choose between the prints produced by the Loxley, Whitewall and WHCC labs, as well as the Canon PIXMA Pro-10S inkjet printer. Indeed, the similarity in the visual quality of prints from upmarket desktop inkjet printers and pro-oriented labs can be astonishing. However, online labs offer a bigger array of print sizes, as well as in-house mounting and framing options that are tricky to do at home.

What’s good: Colour correction by hand included in price, fast turnaround.

What’s bad: Limited choice of different papers for traditional photo printing.

Our verdict: It matches any pro lab for quality and is unbeatable value for money.