Costco Noritsu Printing Tips

Noritsu Printing Tips
all tips also apply to the Fuji Frontier printers

Preparing digital files to print so they won't be cropped
Read our page describing how proportions between digital camera sizes and print sizes differ and how to size your files so they won't be cropped. There is a four page illustrated download (I prepared for my local Costco) you can print out as a reference.

Image area is 3x4 proportion and outer canvas is 2x3 proportion
I've added white canvas (black lines) to print a 4x6 without cropping

Resolution
My Costco (Cranberry, PA) uses a Noritsu 3101 digital printer which is optimized at 320PPI (pixels per inch) but all my existing digital files have been prepared at 300PPI for the Fuji Frontier 370 printer. I've found absolutely no difference in print quality by using my previously prepared digital files.

Color Calibration
All Costco stores have their digital printers calibrated on a regular basis using profiles prepared by Dry Creek Photo. The web site also has a lot of good information on calibrating your monitor. You can download the color profile for your specific Costco from Dry Creek Photo to add to your file for more accurate color. If you're using a Frontier or Noritsu printer that hasn't been profiled yet, download the profile kit from Dry Creek Photo and mail in a print to be profiled.

Gang Printing to Save Money
This is my favorite tip and if you're doing any volume printing you'll immediately see the advantages. When my local Costco changed from the 10x15 inch capable Frontier 370 to the 12x18 inch capable Noritsu 3101 I immediately saw the "light" so to speak. Not only is the larger 12x18 print size priced at $2.99 like the 10x15 was, but now you can do multiple 8x10s on a 12x18 to save money. 50 cents saving per 8x10 to be exact. Taking that one step further, I can get seven color business cards out of the trim area and never have to pay for business cards again.

12x18 inch paper can hold 2-8x10s and 7 business cards
I've used one of my Julius Erving sports photos as an example and added a copyright across the images which wouldn't be there on the prints that I sell.
You can see a close up of the business card below.

This also involves having to purchase a good paper trimmer and I recommend the Rotatrim distributed by Bogen. They're not inexpensive. I think I paid about $190 for my 15 inch trimmer, which promptly paid for itself in less than a month of printing and trimming 8x10s. Why the 15 inch instead of an 18 inch? Two reasons. I have a work table that it just fits on and I almost never have occasion to trim the 18 inch prints the long dimension, but if I did have to make a long cut, I have a 40 inch mat cutter in the basement for the framing I've been doing for the past 30 years for art shows.

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