Whether a prosumer, hobbyist, or working professional, you have certainly looked around and done some comparison shopping as to what company would provide you with prints of your work. Some of you, like me, have probably run into local printing vendors who were either horribly over-priced or were not capable of printing larger format images for you, forcing your search online.

As a user at Deviant Art I purchased a print account quite some time ago.  In fact, it was during their 2-year anniversary (if memory serves) and the print accounts were offered half-price.  With no local options and my work already on Deviant Art, their print program seemed like a great option.  As the years went by, my work and needs have also changed, evolved, and adapted.

For the longest time, I have wished to see improvements to the Deviant Art Prints (DAP) program to make it more user friendly for experienced artists.  A fellow photographer recommended using Mpix.  After seeing some of his work printed I knew that I had to give them a test run and see how their services compared against that of Deviant Art Prints.

Some might cry foul here stating that Deviant Art built their print program on top of a “community” and did not start off with the same purpose as Mpix might have started with.  Deviant Art added the print program on top of the community and integrated it in, offering a cool and unique service that many communities cannot do.  All things considered, I think they did well with the integration, separating their site from others that are similar.

Regardless of origins, offering the same services opens you to the same critique.    For the review below, I compared both companies in the following categories: shipping, quality, uploading , pricing, options, and speed.

UPLOADING

To upload an image to Deviant Art Prints, you first have to upload a web-safe version to your account.  After sifting through various categories and other information, you can finally upload your image.  I feel that Deviant Art has one of the most complicated processes for uploading images around.  Perhaps it is due to how the images are organized on the site, but it grows tiresome to have to continually sift through what sometimes feels like endless categories, titles, keywords, descriptions, etc.  Again, I realize that much of this is because the same interface that you use to upload prints is used to upload artwork and display it.  Why not offer a different and more streamlined console for those who are interested in such a service?

With Mpix.com, I was taken immediately to a screen where I could upload several images at a single time.

To my knowledge, there is not a method for doing this on Deviant Art.

Had I been comparing the community aspect, I do not believe Deviant Art would have lost this round.  Being able to upload a hi-res image, set max viewing on the web safe version, have your work sent out to the entire community, while also selling prints can be a very powerful tool.

Round Goes To: Mpix
Score: Mpix – 1, DAP – 0

SPEED
If you have been in the field long enough, seen your work printed by different printers, and know yourself and system enough, you do not want to have another person approve your work saying it is suitable quality to print.  That is what Deviant Art Prints does, and while I am sure it has plenty of valid reasons behind why such a structure exists (I had lots of trouble with getting the quality correct the very first time I had my work printed.), the truth of the matter is that it offers a stumbling point for many people.

Mpix upload and speed is what I need.  I was able to upload 4 hi-res images and have access to purchase them on the spot to kick-off the order process.  Deviant Art Prints, as stated before, has a manual check in place to ensure the print is high enough quality, not copyright protected, or whatever else is checked.  As a test, I uploaded an image at 11:29 p.m. and got the automated reply of:

“Thank you for submitting your print. It may take a couple of minutes for the system to process your submission before your prints and products become available for purchase.

Prints submitted using the Premium Print Subscription Account should be reviewed and approved or rejected within 24 hours on weekdays and non-holidays. Prints submitted using the Standard Prints Service will not be reviewed by Quality Control until a purchase attempt has been made. If the image should fail inspection, the buyer will be notified and the order canceled.

Click here to return to the associated deviation. “

I could technically add the item to my shopping cart, but there is a disclaimer at the bottom.

Approximately 15 minutes later (11:43 p.m.) I received an email notification that the print was approved and could be ordered.  Not a major issue here and that was one of the quicker response times.  I submitted a couple more right after the first.  Here is the submission and approval time line:

+ Print #2 Submitted 12:04 a.m. and approved the following day at 11:16 a.m.
+ Print #3 Submitted 12:10 a.m. and approved the following day at 11:16 a.m.
+ Print #4 Submitted 12:14 a.m. and approved the following day at 11:33 a.m.
+ Print #5 Submitted 12:18 a.m. and approved the following day at 11:16 a.m.

Each print took approximately 10 hours to approve.  Thankfully these were not rush orders.  One print I could not submit to DAP due to its unique size.  Mpix offered a size to fit it (10” x 20”).

I am not aware of what time frame, if any, these print submissions are being reviewed and approved.  The FAQ does not list “hours of operation” only that users with the premium account have their work approved quicker than standard users.  According to the FAQ:

“Prints are available for purchase immediately after submission after it has been processed by our system.??Prints submitted using the Premium Subscription Print Account should be approved or rejected within 24 hours on weekdays and non-holidays. Prints submitted using the Standard Prints Service will not be reviewed by Quality Control until a purchase attempt has been made or upgrading to a Premium Subscription Print Account. If the image should fail inspection, the buyer will be notified and the order canceled.”

I have two issues with this.  First, when I signed up with Mpix, I had an account.  I was not standard or premium, merely a customer.  My work was immediately available for printing.  With DAP, there is a distinction which is probably meant to help drive people to purchase the premium account.  Nothing wrong with a little marketing.  But there is still no real definition of when prints will be reviewed, what time zone they are operating in, etc.  In my example above, I was working in the middle of the night, something many of us do.  Clearly nobody was working on approvals at that point beyond my first submission and it took about 10 hours to have the rest approved and available for purchase.

The second issue I have is the first statement of “Prints are available for purchase immediately after submission after it has been processed by our system.”  Standing alone, that statement is misleading.  They are available for purchase but should the print not already be approved or even be rejected by DAP quality control, then it really not available for purchase.  It lives in a holding pattern until someone looks at it and says yes or no.  So technically, it is not available immediately after submission for purchase.

With Mpix, I uploaded all of the images I wanted prints of, placed my order, and then received an email notification that as 9:43 a.m. CST my order was in process.  At 7:16 p.m. EST I received an email with a tracking number for FedEx.  Not the tracking that states the shipper has notified the carrier that a package was waiting.  Actual tracking was available that evening stating my prints would arrive the following day.  Yes.  The following day, by 10:45 a.m.! My business partner and I needed this prints in a crunch and Mpix delivered.

If you need to upload an image, have your order processed quickly, and shipped immediately, DAP is not your option.

Round Goes To: Mpix
Score: Mpix – 2; DAP – 0

OPTIONS
More times than not, I just need prints.  I do not need a coffee mug, thong, or postcard with a custom print on it.  It is difficult to compare these simply because I am not often in the market for them.  DAP offers canvas, photo, and fine art prints with framing options.  Additionally, they offer coasters, greeting cards, magnets, mouse pads, mugs, postcards, calendars, and puzzles.  DA’s shop is a storefront, so to see what products are offered for artists looking to sell them you can read the details in their FAQ here.

Mpix offers prints, mounting, framing, retouching, wall clings, greeting cards, prints with envelopes, standouts, gallery wraps, calendars, magazine covers, albums, statuettes, puzzles, trading cards, tickets, magnets, keychains, proof portfolios, buttons, and a few others (See all products here). The custom albums are superb and my business partner and I have already received numerous compliments on the several albums we have ordered. Due to the nature of what I need by way of printing, Mpix offers more options that suit my needs, so they get the point this round.

Round Goes To: Mpix
Score: Mpix – 3; DAP – 0
PRICING
The prints I ordered were larger format, such as 24” x 36”.  The Mpix price for a single 24” x 36” print on Kodak e-surface paper was $44.99 and the DAP price for a 24” x 36” matte finish print is $27.99 (Normally $69.95 but reduced with artist discount afforded by the premium service).  Side Note: One option that I like, being a very visual person, is the scaling example pop-up when selecting a print size.  If you are not used to seeing the size, or need a reminder, this is a helpful tool. You could easily change paper types and finishes to vary your price, but I did my best to compare apples to apples here.

My guess is that DAP is offering the lowered pricing to those who have paid to be premium members, thus offsetting the pricing a bit.  To pay a one-time price to reduce everything else is worthwhile to me because it is a very minimal investment.

Round Goes To: DAP
Score: Mpix – 3; DAP – 1

SHIPPING
With my Mpix order, I only had two options of the quicker FedEx services.  According to their site, this was due to the size of the prints that I had ordered.  In this instance, I was not really bothered because I was going to order the fastest shipping option anyway.  I also wanted an option with tracking.

In the past, I had placed an order with DAP and the email notification provided a tracking number.  This was misleading as it was actually shipped USPS and I did not think tracking was offered.  That is confirmed via DAP’s FAQ:

“Also please note that USPS shipping options do not offer tracking capability or information. deviantART recommends using FedEx shipping with tracking as the preferred option. This gives you information to track your order while in transit, and provides added assurance of delivery in a timely manner. FedEx also has a thorough process for reporting any damaged mail and other issues that may result from shipping. Also, the delivery time starts once the order is actually shipped.”

When you go to check out, here are your options (or at least mine for the particular order):

Perhaps a big undertaking to make the revisions, but I would like to see some clarification on that screen that says “First Class via USPS to United States”, etc.  A nitpick I realize but there is nothing wrong with making sure customers know exactly what they are paying for.  That would also change the notification email wording away from “tracking number” on USPS shipments since that is not accurate.

Here is what I was given when checking out with Mpix:

Next business day shipping via Mpix using FedEx is $10.75.  Overnight shipping, also via FedEx at DAP is $23.27.  While the final bill was cheaper at DAP, the shipping spelled out and offered cheaper at Mpix was what gave them the edge in this round.

Round Goes To: Mpix
Score: Mpix – 4; DAP – 1

QUALITY
I had to save the best for last.  How about the quality of each?  As difficult and critical as I have been on DAP, their quality of products has done nothing but improve in my eyes.  From the initial prints offered to the newer finishes, I have been more than pleased with their prints.  In fact, I have used prints from DAP to enter contests and won.  Not solely because of the quality of the print but you can easily tell a quality print from something on the lower end and it has a great impact in situations where you are being judged.  Even the shipping of the items and packaging has been improved since their program first launched, which is a plus.

On the other hand, I have seen the work from Mpix and also thought it was top notch.  I first heard of Mpix about a year or two ago from a fellow photographer, Scott Ash.  The guy has simply stunning work and we have teased him in the past of winning any contest he puts his work in.  On top of everything else, he is one of the most humble and polite people you will encounter.  So he shared with me that he ordered prints from Mpix.  Many were mounted and framed (without glass) and the colors simply leaped out.  We have also ordered several photo books and been more than pleased with the quality.

When I received my prints, I was blown away.  Believe me, looking at your work at 24″ x 36″ it is easier to see flaws.  These were exactly what I wanted and I had no complaints about the quality at all.  To be fair in this round, both Mpix and DAP get a point because they both offer quality prints.

Round Goes To: Tie
Score: Mpix – 5; DAP – 2

SUMMARY
One feature that I enjoy about Mpix (which I could not figure out the best category to include it in) is the privacy of your work unless otherwise shared.  Again, DAP was built on top of an online community, so you would expect the purposes here to be different.  However, I like the ability of uploading an image and not allowing others to see it.  For example, if I liked the services of DAP and wanted to use them to order prints from a certain shoot, I would not want to have all of the DA community to see every image.  I might want to upload the hi-res versions strictly to order prints from.  If I wanted to sell my work locally at shows, exhibits, or events, Mpix would allow you the ability to order prints as needed and handle the marketing/selling on the local level.  You do not run the risk of someone finding it online at DAP for a different price.  Mpix allows marking work private and I think is a great feature for those wanting to sell their work.

Final verdict?  I believe the next time I need to order prints online it will be through Mpix, not Deviant Art.

So am I saying in this review that DAP offers a horrible service?  Absolutely not.  Depending on how you need to use a printing service will change your own review.  If you are looking to sell a couple of pieces of your work here and there, DAP is great.  If you need something quick or an online service to get prints from, I believe Mpix is just the best route to go. Thought a little higher in pricing, Mpix offers very competitive quality prints with quicker service and turnaround.