When it comes to kick-starting your acting or modeling career, you can’t do better than having a professional-looking headshot and portfolio (comp) cards to hand out. But where do you go to ensure your images are consistent, of the high quality you want, and will work hard for you? And how do you get great rates on creating them?
Finding a place for the best headshot printing in New York is an integral part of the process. You can go to several places, but not all of them will work well for you or even care about your best interests. Here’s how to identify the best ones:
Quality Matters
If you are going to spend money on getting your headshots and comp cards, it’s imperative that you get quality images. It means they are sharp, crisp, color-corrected (if needed), and well-composed. Quality is one of the most significant factors in determining whether or not someone will look at your photos.
Now, you may think that quality is not an issue if you’re going for cheap comp cards printing. But, cheap can be expensive in this case as it will cost more money to have them retouched and color-corrected, so they look fine printed onto paper.
If You Want Fast Turnaround, Go to a Professional
If you need your photos quickly, the best place for them is with professionals who will take care of everything. They can print everything for you and have it done in record time.
Sometimes they even do same-day service if you order early enough. The downside here is that their rates are generally relatively high (a couple of hundred dollars for color printing). But, if you need fast and the best headshot printing in New York, they are worth it.
If You Want to Save Money on Color Printing Prices
Headshots and comp cards of all sizes can be printed at your local or online photo lab. While they will print the shots themselves, there are other costs you need to consider (such as paying their staff). For example, many places will charge by the size of the photo. So anything over 8×10 would be more expensive than a 4×6 or 5×7.
Also, many places have a daily rate, so if you go in during the middle of the week, you’ll pay far less than going in on a Saturday. So, an effective way to save money is to print your shots over several days.
Other Costs to Consider
Other costs to consider are the delivery costs of the photos and whether or not you need one of your own printed to go with them. It’s best if you take care of this yourself as it will mean you can pick out a flattering photo and represent what you want it to.
However, if the shots are going to a talent/casting agent, you may need to include a headshot of yourself with the shots.
Always Ask for a Sample
When you print your actor comp card template or shots, always ask if they have samples of their work. This is particularly important when dealing with comp (or casting) cards.
It would help if you ensured that the colors are accurate and that the printing itself is good enough quality so it won’t fade over time. A test run will ensure that you get precisely what you want for your headshots and comp cards.
Look at References and Ask for a List of Clients
It’s always good to get references from the places you’re printing your headshots and comp cards. This will give you greater confidence in their abilities as they will have worked with many different people who wish to enter into acting, modeling, or any other profession that requires this type of work. Also, ask about their references so you can contact or even meet with them to see if they are happy with the work.
It’s important to work with a company that cares about the quality of their prints because if they don’t, it could be challenging to reprint the photos later on from the actor comp card template. If everything isn’t perfect, you’ll have no option but to take them somewhere else to get the job done. If you invest your money in a place that values quality, you can rest easy knowing they will take care of it.