Loxle y Colour
A favourite of UK pro photographers
This Scottish lab has long been favoured by pro photographers who demand great quality while wanting to stretch their profit margins. Compared with WhiteWall, for example, one-off or small-quantity 12x8-inch photo prints work out to £2.30 each instead of £7.95 for glossy or lustre finish, and £3.46 instead of £12.95 for metallic. That said, prices are more similar between the two labs for larger sizes, from 24 x 16 inches up to Loxley’s maximum of 66 x 44 inches.
Loxley uses SoftWorks’ Remote Order Entry System, which makes it easy to navigate the enormous range of photo prints, giclee fine-art prints, wall displays, framing and other products that Loxley offers. Costs are totted up as you go. There’s also an ICC profile for soft-proofing. Just remember that, being predominantly a pro lab, the prices on the site exclude VAT. ( Digital Camera includes VAT in its quoted prices.)
One minus point compared with WhiteWall is that there’s only a limited choice of paper for conventional photos. It boils down to just Fujicolor Crystal Archive DP II for glossy or lustre, and Kodak Endura Premier for metallic. On the plus side, five free test prints are available ahead of placing your first order.
Performance
One thing that sets Loxley apart from many competitors is that colour-correction by hand is available without any additional charge. In our experience, the service is well worth using, even if your monitor is meticulously set up, as it enables Loxley’s technicians to get the very best out of their equipment and deliver consistently spectacular results, which normally pop through the letterbox in just a day or two.