NEWS: Analogue Wonderland’s New Lab Print Service Reduces Waste and Increases Quality

Analogue Wonderland has launched a new eco-friendly service that supports photographers with higher quality prints while eliminating waste at the same time.

The new printing service is designed to allow customers to select the images they want before any paper, ink, electricity, and shipping materials are used. In a survey done by Analogue Wonderland on Twitter, 48% of respondents said they prefer to print only some of the roll (from 3-16 images). 34% said they would print the best 1 or 2. Only 7% said they would print the entire roll. (Souce: AW Press Release, % rounded)

When ordering prints from a lab, the standard process is to receive a print for every image on the roll. For many photographers that only prefer less than half their roll, this creates wasted resources used on prints that end up either in the bin or stored away and never seen again.

To address this waste, Analogue Wonderland has created a system for photographers using the lab to be able to print only the photos they want. If you didn’t get your film processed through their lab, you can still order prints, though the process is slightly different.

For Wonderlab customers who order scans, these images are uploaded onto the “My Photos” section of their Analogue Wonderland online account. From here, customers can review and make selections to order prints.

Print orders within a week of receiving the scans are sent out at no extra postage cost. This is done through a unique discount code received via email at the same time the scans are ready. There is no extra cost as the prints will be sent in the same envelope as the negatives.

Photographers who haven’t used the lab can still order prints, but this is done through the public print ordering section of the shop here. The tool allows for edits to be made such as cropping and rotation. The lab is also happy to receive negatives for scanning, editing, and uploading for printing.

The new system further allows the Wonderlab team to fine-tune the images before they are sent to the printer. Prior to this, the typical “MiniLab” setup sends images directly from the scanner to the printer without further editing.

Paul from Analogue Wonderland says, “the only modifications made are those that can be done inside the 1990s software that comes with the scanners. So basic colour corrections, crops, dust removal via DigitaliCE etc – but nothing else.”

However, he says Wonderlab customer scans always go through a level of professional editing. These edited files are the ones that get sent to the printer under the new system. This means that customers will get higher quality scans and prints. You can learn more about Analogue Wonderlab’s special scanning and editing process here.

“We hope that this change encourages photographers to generate more prints of the images that they’re proud of – spreading the joy of analogue image-making without unnecessary waste!” – Analogue Wonderland

The company says the system is still being perfected as they are continually taking in feedback and working with new ideas to improve the process.

Prices for prints depend on the size and number ordered. There is a volume discount as follows (with size 4 x 6 as an example): 1-5 prints are £0.50 each, 6-19 prints are £0.35 each, 20-29 prints are £0.25 each, and 30+ prints are £0.15 each.

See more information about Analogue Wonderland’s new print service on their website here.

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